An electromachining system includes at least one steerable electrode. The steerable electrode includes an electrode positioning mechanism configured to facilitate six degrees of freedom referenced to a pitch axis, a yaw axis, and a roll axis. The three axes are substantially perpendicular to each other. The electrode positioning mechanism includes a first end and a rotatable electrode tip coupled to the first end.

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for fabricating clean, oxidation-free nanoparticles of electrically conducting metals and alloys using spark erosion techniques. In one aspect, a method includes dispersing bulk pieces of an electrically conducting material in a dielectric fluid with mechanical vibrations within a container; generating an electric field using electrodes in the dielectric fluid using by an electric pulse, in which the electric field creates a plasma in a volume existing between the bulk pieces that locally heats the bulk pieces to form structures within the volume, the dielectric fluid quenching the structures to form nanoparticles, and filtering the nanoparticles through a screen including holes of a size allowing nanoparticles of the size or smaller to pass through the screen to a region in the container, in which the dielectric fluid inhibits oxidation of the surface of the nanoparticles.

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for fabricating clean, oxidation-free nanoparticles of electrically conducting metals and alloys using spark erosion techniques. In one aspect, a method includes dispersing bulk pieces of an electrically conducting material in a dielectric fluid with mechanical vibrations within a container; generating an electric field using electrodes in the dielectric fluid using by an electric pulse, in which the electric field creates a plasma in a volume existing between the bulk pieces that locally heats the bulk pieces to form structures within the volume, the dielectric fluid quenching the structures to form nanoparticles, and filtering the nanoparticles through a screen including holes of a size allowing nanoparticles of the size or smaller to pass through the screen to a region in the container, in which the dielectric fluid inhibits oxidation of the surface of the nanoparticles.

An apparatus includes an electrode assembly comprising a carriage having a plurality of electrode holders, the electrode holders being respectively configured to detachably receive a plurality of electrodes, the electrodes include a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes. The first electrodes are configured for rough machining a workpiece by electric discharging or wire electric discharging to remove material from the workpiece, the second electrodes are configured for finish machining the rough machined workpiece by electric discharging to remove material from the rough machined workpiece.

An apparatus includes an electrode assembly comprising a carriage having a plurality of electrode holders, the electrode holders being respectively configured to detachably receive a plurality of electrodes, the electrodes include a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes. The first electrodes are configured for rough machining a workpiece by electric discharging or wire electric discharging to remove material from the workpiece, the second electrodes are configured for finish machining the rough machined workpiece by electric discharging to remove material from the rough machined workpiece.

An electrical discharge machining apparatus includes: a surface plate; a machining tank that surrounds the surface plate, retains a machining liquid, and has at least a part that serves as a substantially box-shaped vertically moveable ascent/descent machining tank, the ascent/descent machining tank having an outlet in an ascent/descent inner wall of the ascent/descent machining tank; an ascent/descent device that raises and lowers the ascent/descent machining tank; a sub-tank that receives the machining liquid that overflows from the machining tank; a slit that is provided in an end wall of the sub-tank for allowing a connection member to pass through, the connection member connecting the ascent/descent machining tank and the ascent/descent device; and a seal that is arranged in a gap between the ascent/descent machining tank and an inner wall of the sub-tank and prevents the machining liquid in the machining tank from leaking out into the sub-tank.

An electrical discharge machining apparatus includes: a surface plate; a machining tank that surrounds the surface plate, retains a machining liquid, and has at least a part that serves as a substantially box-shaped vertically moveable ascent/descent machining tank, the ascent/descent machining tank having an outlet in an ascent/descent inner wall of the ascent/descent machining tank; an ascent/descent device that raises and lowers the ascent/descent machining tank; a sub-tank that receives the machining liquid that overflows from the machining tank; a slit that is provided in an end wall of the sub-tank for allowing a connection member to pass through, the connection member connecting the ascent/descent machining tank and the ascent/descent device; and a seal that is arranged in a gap between the ascent/descent machining tank and an inner wall of the sub-tank and prevents the machining liquid in the machining tank from leaking out into the sub-tank.

This disclosure provides a system, method, and resulting workpiece combining liquid guided laser and electrical discharge machining to create a common feature. The workpiece is positioned in a liquid guided laser cutting path and machined by the liquid guided laser device to create an intermediate feature in the workpiece. The work piece is then positioned in an electrical discharge machining (EDM) device so that an electrode of the EDM device is operatively positioned proximate the intermediate feature and machined using the EDM device to modify the intermediate feature in the workpiece to create the finished common feature in the workpiece.

This disclosure provides a system, method, and resulting workpiece combining liquid guided laser and electrical discharge machining to create a common feature. The workpiece is positioned in a liquid guided laser cutting path and machined by the liquid guided laser device to create an intermediate feature in the workpiece. The work piece is then positioned in an electrical discharge machining (EDM) device so that an electrode of the EDM device is operatively positioned proximate the intermediate feature and machined using the EDM device to modify the intermediate feature in the workpiece to create the finished common feature in the workpiece.

A method for checking a geometry of an electric discharge machining electrode is described. The method comprises the following steps: providing a file containing a native 3D-model of the electric discharge machining electrode; providing a manufactured electric discharge machining electrode based on the native 3D-model; light scanning a set of images of the manufactured electric discharge machining electrode in different positions and generating therewith a scanned 3D-model of the manufactured electric discharge machining electrode; comparing the native 3D-model and the scanned 3D-model and generating electrode compensation coordinates for an electric discharge machining apparatus, to correct an electrode path during electric discharge machining.