Method and apparatus for electrodischarge machining

An electric discharge machining method for performing machining under a machining condition selected while making either of shape information of a tool electrode and shape information of a subject for machining correspond to machining condition data in a machining condition database, characterized by comprising:

• a first step of reading either of shape data of said tool electrode and machining shape data of said subject;
• a second step of extracting a plurality of sections from said shape data;
• a third step of mesh-dividing said sections and giving mesh data of solidness or hollowness;
• a fourth step of extracting either of shape characteristic of said tool electrode and machining shape characteristic of said subject from said mesh data;
• and
• a fifth step of performing machining under a machining condition selected while making either of said shape characteristic of said tool electrode and said machining shape characteristic of said subject correspond to machining condition data in said machining condition database.

An electric discharge machining apparatus comprising machining condition storage means including a machining condition database in which a plurality of pieces of machining condition data are stored, characterized in that said electric discharge machining apparatus further comprises:

• input means for reading either of shape data of a tool electrode and machining shape data of a subject for machining;
• shape computing means for extracting a plurality of sections from said shape data, mesh-dividing said sections into split elements, giving mesh data of solidness or hollowness to each of said split elements and extracting either of shape characteristic of said tool electrode and machining shape characteristic of said subject from said mesh data;
• and
• machining condition setting means for selecting a machining condition while making either of said shape characteristic of said tool electrode and said machining shape characteristic of said subject correspond to machining condition data in said machining condition database of said machining condition storage means.