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the diamond, cobalt and carbide substrate to create the desired geometry on the diamond edges. Since EDM uses non-contact electrical charge to remove material, there is no tool wear, which consequently reduces costs. e quality and finish of most applications is compa- rable with ground cutting edges, since electrical erosion spark generators employ solid-state circuitry that controls spark duration and frequency within nanoseconds. A finish of 0.1 Ra is possible. However, there are some PCD tools that require a ground surface finish, as there is a small degree of thermal damage using EDM. Even when running the EDM unit at a low speed—the faster the more thermal damage and the rougher the tool finish—with the right spark gener- ator settings, surface finishes of ±1.5 microns, for instance, cannot be achieved. PCD tools are not the only tools that are manufactured with wire EDM units at Schwanog. ere are certain tool profiles that cannot be machined any other way. Wire EDM can create some complex tool features that a grinding wheel or disc can't—at least not as economically—because of the required space of the grinding wheel inside the work area, Mr. Hummel says. Also, grinding wheels wear and must be dressed, which generates higher costs compared with wire EDM. According to Mr. Hummel, ground tools achieve longer tool life and better part finishes than their counterparts that are machined using EDM units in steel applications. My time at Schwanog taught me that while the EDM process poses many advantages, most tools made of hard metals as well as rotary tools are ground at Schwanog. Speed is one distinctive advantage. Unless there is a high amount of material removal necessary, grinding is a faster machining process than EDM. On the other hand, if there is a large amount of material to be removed to achieve the desired shape, using EDM to machine the part before the grinding process is more efficient. Schwanog's U.S. operation is in Elgin, Illinois. For more information, call 847-289-1055 or visit schwanog.com. For another article on this topic, visit the link below. Tool Life Means Spindle Utilization Schwanog LLC has set its sights on helping its customers accomplish the goal of keeping machines running. LINK :: short.productionmachining.com/schwantool o u r C a l i p e r M e a s u r e T h i s ? TigerSPC Easy quality control for material up to 16 feet with an accuracy of +/-.006 inch. TECH BRIEF 30 PRODUCTION MACHINING :: OCTOBER 2017