An electrostatic discharge machining fixture includes a fixture body, two or more electrically conductive face contacts seated in the fixture body, and two or more electrically resistive point contacts seated in the fixture body. The electrically conductive face contacts and the electrically resistive point contacts define a 3-2-1 alignment system to locate an additively manufactured article relative to the fixture body during an electrostatic discharge machining operation. Electrostatic discharge machining arrangements and methods of supporting additively manufactured workpieces during electrostatic discharge machining operations are also described.

A portable wire cutting device for sampling a steel ingot includes a wire rack device, a driving system, and a multi-axis moving device. The wire rack device includes a first corner wheel, a second corner wheel, a transition wheel, a steering wheel, a first wire rack, a second wire rack, and a wire winding drum. The driving system includes a wire drum motor and a molybdenum wire, wherein the wire drum motor provides power driving for the operation of a cutting line; and the molybdenum wire is a closed molybdenum wire coil connected in an end-to-end manner, the molybdenum wire is wrapped around the first corner wheel, the second corner wheel, the wire winding drum, and an inner side of the transition wheel in a looping manner, and during operation, the cutting line performs wire cutting on an object by the molybdenum wire.

A metal mold for manufacturing a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cell density regions and an annular boundary wall includes a honeycomb-like slit part, which is opened to an extrusion surface of a single metal mold body, that is formed of a plurality of cell slits for forming the plurality of cell density regions and an annular boundary slit for forming the boundary wall. Out of the plurality of cell slits, adjacent cell slits adjacent to the boundary slit have all corner portions formed in a round shape by the adjacent cell slits and the boundary slit.

A metal mold for manufacturing a honeycomb structure having a plurality of cell density regions and an annular boundary wall includes a honeycomb-like slit part, which is opened to an extrusion surface of a single metal mold body, that is formed of a plurality of cell slits for forming the plurality of cell density regions and an annular boundary slit for forming the boundary wall. Out of the plurality of cell slits, adjacent cell slits adjacent to the boundary slit have all corner portions formed in a round shape by the adjacent cell slits and the boundary slit.

A method of adding a feature to a part made of a metal alloy includes wire electric-discharge machining the feature into the part using a wire electrode having a zinc component to create a recast layer. After the step of wire electric-discharge machining the feature, at least some of the recast layer is removed by performing an electrochemical etching process that includes positioning a cathode adjacent the feature and passing current through a portion of the part that contains the feature.

A method of manufacturing a punch, such as a socket punch, using wire EDM with at least six steps. The method involves forming a blank, holding the blank with an adapter, machining grooves in the blank, manufacturing a side relief of a working portion using wire EDM, milling the working portion to a final size, and forming a cone point on the end of the working portion. The method allows the punch to be manufactured more quickly and from a CAD model, therefore removing the need for over-specialized equipment and improving manufacturing times.

An in-plane metal microneedle array and a manufacturing method therefor is disclosed. A large-size metal sheet is cut into small metal sheets. Inner sides of the upper and the lower cover plates of the tooling are provided with grooves matched with the sizes of the small metal sheets. Through holes are formed at edges around the cover plates. The metal sheets are placed in the grooves and fastened through bolts. The geometry and the size of a sheet microneedle array are designed, and a CAD model of the plane microneedles is built. A wire path is cut according to the CAD model. A few materials are reserved on both sides of substrates of the microneedle array without cutting. The unprocessed parts on both sides of the microneedle substrate are cut to obtain an in-plane metal microneedle array with a plurality of microneedle bodies.

A tool for validating a wire-electric-discharge-machining (wEDM) operation to be performed using a wEDM machine comprises a body including an engagement feature shaped to removably hold a validation coupon to be machined in the wEDM operation, the validation coupon sized larger than a size of a cut-out to be made in a part using the wEDM machine. A method of manufacturing the tool and a wEDM machine assembly are also provided.

A method of wire-electric-discharge-machining (wEDM) a feature in a part includes using wEDM, cutting and detaching a slug from a portion of the part that is to be detached from the part to define the feature, and thereby defining a validation cut-out in the portion, and using wEDM, cutting and detaching the portion having the validation cut-out from the part and thereby defining the feature.

A method of wire-electric-discharge-machining (wEDM) a feature in a part includes using wEDM, cutting and detaching a slug from a portion of the part that is to be detached from the part to define the feature, and thereby defining a validation cut-out in the portion, and using wEDM, cutting and detaching the portion having the validation cut-out from the part and thereby defining the feature.