EDM or CNC Milling: What Option Should You Choose?
February 28, 2020Today, the industry of die and mould machining has been growing alongside the rise of technological advancements. The evolution of metalworking technology right now allows businesses to skip most time-consuming and labour-intensive aspects of die and mould machining. The process of grinding or polishing by hand in machining hardened mould surfaces is reduced or eliminated with the improvements made in machine tools, programming software, and others.
Business owners usually have two options when it comes to machining. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) has gotten better as technology moves forward. Computer numerical control (CNC) milling also has its own set of benefits over the other. If you want to know what type of technology is suitable for your craft, then here are some applications of both EDM and CNC milling.
EDM Applications
Many businesses are leaning towards EDM whenever sharp inside corners are concerned. Through its modern components, EDM will always be superior when it comes to processing inside corners compared unless the square end mill will be perfected in the future. Aside from internal corners, EDM can also work with the most complex geometric shapes since it can reach all corners and intricate surfaces of the parts.
Another good application of EDM is that it can work with deep cutting. Deep cutting is possible since it can work with parts that have high length to diameter ratio. Moreover, EDM can create high-expertise and more sophisticated parts as it allows the machining centre to do this type of work considering it has high-level programming knowledge. EDM can even deliver specific high-quality finishes out of the parts involved.
For unattended cutting, EDM would be the best option between the two as it can still effectively and efficiently work without requiring full attention from humans.
CNC Milling Applications
CNC milling can also be used in different applications. In fact, CNC milling can be used for non-cosmetic surfaces and surfaces to be textured. EDM can still process these types of surfaces. However, it requires polishing first before proceeding to the texturing part.
This type of die and mould machining is also great for accessible parts. Moreover, CNC milling is great for processing basic geometric shapes as long as the material has a low length to diameter ratio. Components that cannot have a heat-affected zone are also best processed by CNC milling. If you want high accuracy die and mould machining, then CNC milling would be the best option for you since it can easily hold tight tolerances.
CNC milling can effectively work with grouped components.
EDM and CNC milling has their own set of components that make them suitable in different die and mould machining applications. If you have more questions about the two, you can always contact us at Gunna Engineering. We take pride in producing the highest quality punches, dies, and blades in the market right now.
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