EDM MILLING AND GRAPHITE ELECTRODES

Hi Folks,
This week I continue with the dual plastic overmolded production mold. we get into machining graphite electrodes and EDM electric spark' milling.
Music by Lacey Black:
laceyblackmusic.com/

[@SpicySteve-tz2so]

Looks like System 3R pallet attached to an Erowa holder? I LOVE IT!!! I ran an EDM department for 10 years.

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Yes, it is. 3R is nice stuff. Thanks for watching

[@SpicySteve-tz2so]

@@DragonflyEngineering We had a Makino SNC 64 with a high speed spindle for cutting our electrodes. Had a nice sized Torrit dust collection system for the graphite. Machine was down at least a half dozen times over a 6 year period. That graphite dust gets EVERYWHERE inside a CNC. Had it connected to a 3R Workmaster robot. It could run unattended for days...

[@markneufer]

Keep up the great work! I love watching the process.

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Thanks Mark

[@jdmccorful]

You are in too everything! Enjoyed watching. Thanks.

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Thanks John!

[@uknowfrodo]

I just stand there with a shop vac while milling, nice set up

[@almostanengineer]

Damn! I’ve never been this early to an upload 😳😄

[@DragonflyEngineering]

thanks for watching. You picked the right career too!

[@MrPossumeyes]

Thanks, Dave

[@DragonflyEngineering]

thanks for watching

[@fnordingers]

Yay

[@DragonflyEngineering]

thanks Frank!

[@philadams493]

if you have a dedicated graphite cnc mill, use edm oil to bathe part to lower dust (make sure its the same as the one used in the edm machine)

[@gorak9000]

Uh, seeing that graphite being machined almost gives me conniptions - a couple years ago I picked up a VMC mill that was used to mill a composite material that had graphite in it - what a freaking mess - that stuff gets ABSOLUTELY everywhere. I'm at the point where I had to pull the table and saddle off, as the graphite had clogged the oil lubrication passages between those and their corresponding ways (and of course I found some de-laminated turcite in there while I had everything apart, so turcite replacement is on the to-do list now). I vow that once the machine is back together, it will never mill graphite containing things ever again!

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Yes, I agree! It is messy to mix coolant milling with dry graphite milling. The containment setup with vacuum seems to be what I see most people do. Thanks for watching. Good luck on your mill!

[@mariomionskowski6223]

Yes, you need a good aspiration System if you work with Graphit, you're absober is a realy good idea and works fine for less money. This Video show us, you're work is a kind of art, but be cairful Graphit is Poisen for elektical components.

[@vincentguttmann2231]

It seems like your meteorite saw is old enough that it allows for some time travel! Be very careful, time travelling is very dangerous if you don't have the required training. It won't be done with just a hardhat here ;)

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Hi Vincent, yes I agree. I wish I can time travel more to get everything done! Also, you asked about vacuum forming before, sorry, I didn't get back to you. The vacuum former is to make lots of cheap parts trays for the robots to arrange parts for automation. More to come on that.

[@vincentguttmann2231]

@@DragonflyEngineering Don't worry about getting back about some things, in the end I'll see either way. Looking forward to future videos!

[@repalmore]

6:22 That just looked too naughty. ;o)

[@VorpalGun]

Interesting, but I didn't see any dust extraction being done for the first manual milling step. Any particular reason?

[@DragonflyEngineering]

I figured it would be informative to show non vacuumed milling of graphite. I also didn’t get the ducting over to the manual mill mill. Being a little lazy may also be a factor. Thanks for watching!

[@fnordingers]

Is this faster or not possible to machine the whole injection mold?

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Hi Frank, it may be possible to machine the A2 steel cavities with endmills but it is probably longer and costs lots of micro tools to get close to the same finish and resolution. copper and graphite are way faster to cut with longer tool life. 1/2 of the Sharp corners cant be cut with endmill, so the negative electrode fixes tool radius problems. Thanks for watcing

[@Rick36265]

Just wondering how you calculate the electrode size , to burn out the mold to an accurate finished dimension.

[@DragonflyEngineering]

you set the electrode size by the "spark gap' that you set in the EDM mill program interface. I then do a negative tool offset in the mill path that is the spark gap. You can alter the tool diameter as well in the tool path program to mill the electrode

[@SpicySteve-tz2so]

I used to make different-sized electrodes for faster processing. If I had a lot of material to remove, I would make a rougher electrode, .015" - .020" undersized. It is a huge timesaver and when you set your amperage, on time and off time correctly, you get hardly ANY electrode wear.

[@dopihead]

Bruh 3:06 scared the shit out of me Lol

[@studiochefson3573]

What is the cost of such a mold when it's ready ?

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Hard to say, it is time and materials for this one. Maybe $25K USD. Thanks for watching

[@studiochefson3573]

@@DragonflyEngineering thanks! It is a lot of vert skilled work and hardware.

[@cornoadmin]

It’s spelled “we’re". A contraction of we are.

[@DragonflyEngineering]

Hi John, I was referring to "tool wear" the sparks eat away the graphite. But yes "we were" also away from the machine as they ran lights out. Thanks for watching!

[@PaulG.369]

I'm confused about why you're running graphite parts, on a cnc mill, without any coolant... Of course you're gonna have dust everywhere

[@DragonflyEngineering]

I was told by the guy who sold me the EDM that your shouldn't run graphite inyour mill with coolant because the graphit is very abbrasive and will wear out your mill ways. it also cakes up in the bottom ofyour mill with coolant. Thanks For watching!

[@PaulG.369]

@@DragonflyEngineering We run graphite all day long on 5 of our production mills, only with coolant. Tools last longer than with aluminum, and nobody has to breathe the graphite dust. Two of my machines are unenclosed open air mills (Mori Seiki MV Junior). And many of those graphite parts are much bigger than what's in your video. Like, two people have to load it into the machine. That guy is full of shit.

[@krismoberson526]

Good way to ruin that hurco