A system and method for more consistent joule heating of a material blank to a desired temperature. An electrical terminal delivers a current to an end portion of the blank. The terminal has a heat sink effect which would otherwise prevent the end portion from reaching the desired temperature. An active thermal buffer element is interposed between the terminal and the end portion. The buffer element includes a first surface which abuts the end portion and a second surface which abuts the terminal. The buffer element is joule heated with the blank, and a temperature gradient is created across the buffer element such that the first surface is at the desired temperature and the second surface is at a lower temperature due to the heat sink effect of the terminal. The buffer element thereby compensates for the heat sink effect and allows the end portion to reach the desired temperature.

An electrical machining method comprises machining a workpiece by an electrical machining device comprising an electrode; increasing a feedrate of the electrode at a first acceleration if a discharge current passing through the electrode and the workpiece is lower than a discharge current reference; and decreasing the feedrate of the electrode at a second acceleration if the discharge current is higher than the discharge current reference, wherein the second acceleration has an absolute value higher than that of the first acceleration.

The invention relates to a work station for electrochemically machining a workpiece, having a number of recesses, including a base structure; a module which is fastened to the base structure and is configured to electrochemically machine the workpiece. A workpiece holder is fastened to the base structure. The workpiece holder is movable relative to the base structure along a feed axis which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the module. The module includes an electrode carrier arrangement, which is coupled to the module base body so the electrode carrier arrangement can be rotated together with the module base body about the axis of rotation of the module. The electrode carrier arrangement has a carrier frame and an electrode frame, where at least one electrode is detachably fastened to the electrode frame.

A wire electrical discharge machining system includes a securing device that is placed at a cut position where a workpiece on a holding unit has been cut by wire electrical discharge machining when the wire electrical discharge machining has been performed on the workpiece held on the holding unit to reach a predetermined position before the completion of machining and that individually attracts a cut-out portion from the workpiece and a remaining portion on the workpiece at the cut position where the workpiece has been cut, thereby securing the cut-out portion to the remaining portion, and a robot is configured to individually attract both the cut-out portion and the remaining portion with the securing device.

A system and method for more consistent joule heating of a material blank to a desired temperature. An electrical terminal delivers a current to an end portion of the blank. The terminal has a heat sink effect which would otherwise prevent the end portion from reaching the desired temperature. An active thermal buffer element is interposed between the terminal and the end portion. The buffer element includes a first surface which abuts the end portion and a second surface which abuts the terminal. The buffer element is joule heated with the blank, and a temperature gradient is created across the buffer element such that the first surface is at the desired temperature and the second surface is at a lower temperature due to the heat sink effect of the terminal. The buffer element thereby compensates for the heat sink effect and allows the end portion to reach the desired temperature.

A method of micro machining a workpiece; a micro machining apparatus and a micro machined workpiece. The method includes the steps of laser cutting a test bore in a test piece using a laser beam; measuring the test bore using either a measurement probe or an electrode; correlating the electrode to the laser beam; laser ablating the surface the workpiece in a first region; and electrical discharge machining the workpiece in the first region to produce at least one bore in the workpiece. The workpiece has a surface coating and at least one bore, wherein the bore passes through the surface coating with a diameter that is within 0.3 mm of the diameter of the bore in the remainder of the workpiece.

The present disclosure relates to an electrical discharge machining (EDM) device, and a method for machining a workpiece by the EDM device. The EDM device includes a spindle, a guide structure including a plurality of guideways, and a plurality of electrodes, the electrode coupled to the spindle via a flexible link, and slidably engaged with a respective one of the plurality of guideways.

A small-hole electric discharge machine (100) applying voltage between a small-hole machining-use electrode (116) attached to a spindle (112) and a workpiece (130) attached to a table (118) to drill a small hole in a workpiece by electric discharge energy, the small-hole electric discharge machine including an electrode guide (10) having a hollow part through which the electrode is passed and guiding the electrode at the front end of the hollow part in a parallel state with respect to an axis (Rz) of the spindle while shifted by a predetermined distance (S) from the axis and a W-axis chuck (144) holding an electrode guide to be able to measure and maintain a position of a front end of the electrode guide in direction of the axis of the spindle and an angular position about the axis.

The invention discloses an electrochemical mechanical polishing/planarization equipment for processing a polishing surface of a conductive wafer substrate, which includes a power supply; a polishing table with conductivity; a polishing pad including an insulating active layer and having holes where a conductive chemical liquid is accommodated; a polishing head having conductivity and being attached to the back of the polishing surface. The power supply, the polishing table, the chemical liquid, the conductive wafer substrate, and the polishing head in sequence form a conductive loop, and an electrochemical reaction layer is formed on the polishing surface of the conductive wafer substrate. The polishing head drives the wafer substrate to move relative to the polishing pad, and to implement a mechanical polishing or a chemical mechanical polishing of the electrochemical reaction layer.

The invention discloses an electrochemical mechanical polishing/planarization equipment for processing a polishing surface of a conductive wafer substrate, which includes a power supply; a polishing table with conductivity; a polishing pad including an insulating active layer and having holes where a conductive chemical liquid is accommodated; a polishing head having conductivity and being attached to the back of the polishing surface. The power supply, the polishing table, the chemical liquid, the conductive wafer substrate, and the polishing head in sequence form a conductive loop, and an electrochemical reaction layer is formed on the polishing surface of the conductive wafer substrate. The polishing head drives the wafer substrate to move relative to the polishing pad, and to implement a mechanical polishing or a chemical mechanical polishing of the electrochemical reaction layer.