The present invention relates to a method for the production of drill holes in difficult to machine materials, in which a removal of material takes place in order to produce a drill hole by electrochemical erosion of material by an electrode that is moved in the longitudinal direction of the drill hole being produced in the direction onto the material to be processed at a feed rate, wherein the drilling has at least two steps, wherein, in the first step, the electrochemical processing takes place, and wherein, in a second step, the further processing of the drill hole to the final diameter takes place by machining processing or by erosion or by an electrochemical processing.

To keep an electrode guide from interfering with an object such as a workpiece during the workpiece processing period, in the present invention, a path-generating device of an electrical discharge machine that is provided with an electrode guide for supporting a rod-shaped electrode is configured so as to be equipped with: a shape data-reading unit for reading the initial shape of the workpiece prior to processing and a target shape of the workpiece; an electrode-path-generating section or generating an electrode path for moving the electrode laterally on the basis of the target shape of the workpiece; and a guide path-generating section for generating an electrode guide path, which avoids interference between the electrode guide and the workpiece, on the basis of the initial shape of the workpiece.

To keep an electrode guide from interfering with an object such as a workpiece during the workpiece processing period, in the present invention, a path-generating device of an electrical discharge machine that is provided with an electrode guide for supporting a rod-shaped electrode is configured so as to be equipped with: a shape data-reading unit for reading the initial shape of the workpiece prior to processing and a target shape of the workpiece; an electrode-path-generating section or generating an electrode path for moving the electrode laterally on the basis of the target shape of the workpiece; and a guide path-generating section for generating an electrode guide path, which avoids interference between the electrode guide and the workpiece, on the basis of the initial shape of the workpiece.

A rotation table of the present invention includes a seal mechanism portion including a sealing material arranged between a casing and a face plate, a casing-side grooved portion for forming a casing-side seal mounting groove which is formed on an end of the casing and retains the sealing material, and a seal holding plate for holding the sealing material, wherein a portion having the casing-side grooved portion and the seal holding plate are configured to be separable.

A rotation table of the present invention includes a seal mechanism portion including a sealing material arranged between a casing and a face plate, a casing-side grooved portion for forming a casing-side seal mounting groove which is formed on an end of the casing and retains the sealing material, and a seal holding plate for holding the sealing material, wherein a portion having the casing-side grooved portion and the seal holding plate are configured to be separable.

This small-hole electric discharge machining machine for electric discharge machining of a workpiece by use of a rod-like or pipe-like electrode is equipped with: a first support part for supporting the base side of the electrode; a second support part for supporting the tip side of the electrode; and an intermediate guide device that is disposed between the first support part and the second support part, and guides the electrode. The intermediate guide device is equipped with: a guide part that has an open form and a closed form, and guides the electrode when in the closed form; a driving means for causing the guide part to transition between the open form and the closed form; and a biasing means for biasing the guide part in the closing direction when the guide part is in the closed form.

An electric discharge machining apparatus includes a tool electrode that performs electric discharge machining to a workpiece, a housing in which the tool electrode is inserted, a compressed gas supplying device for supplying compressed gas into a mist generating region which is provided between an inner wall of the housing and the tool electrode, a first flow path through which the compressed gas flows and connecting the compressed gas supplying device with the mist generating region, a pressurized working fluid supplying device for supplying pressurized working fluid into the mist generating region, and a second flow path through which the pressurized working fluid flows and connecting the pressurized working fluid supplying device with the mist generating region.

A wire electrical discharge machining system includes: an electrode motion control unit for moving a wire electrode while keeping the wire electrode parallel to Z.sub.1-axis and bring the wire electrode into contact with a reference piece, and moving the wire electrode while keeping the wire electrode inclined with respect to the Z.sub.1-axis and bring the wire electrode into contact with the reference piece; an electrode position acquiring unit for acquiring a position of the wire electrode in an X.sub.1Y.sub.1Z.sub.1 orthogonal coordinate system when the wire electrode touches the reference piece; a piece position acquiring unit for acquiring a piece position of the reference piece in an X.sub.2Y.sub.2Z.sub.2 orthogonal coordinate system when the wire electrode touches the reference piece; and a relative positional relationship calculator for calculating a coordinate system relative positional relationship, based on the acquired positions.

A wire electrical discharge machining system includes: an electrode motion control unit for moving a wire electrode while keeping the wire electrode parallel to Z.sub.1-axis and bring the wire electrode into contact with a reference piece, and moving the wire electrode while keeping the wire electrode inclined with respect to the Z.sub.1-axis and bring the wire electrode into contact with the reference piece; an electrode position acquiring unit for acquiring a position of the wire electrode in an X.sub.1Y.sub.1Z.sub.1 orthogonal coordinate system when the wire electrode touches the reference piece; a piece position acquiring unit for acquiring a piece position of the reference piece in an X.sub.2Y.sub.2Z.sub.2 orthogonal coordinate system when the wire electrode touches the reference piece; and a relative positional relationship calculator for calculating a coordinate system relative positional relationship, based on the acquired positions.

Tooling (10) for making slots in a multistage disk (1) by electrochemical machining. The tooling comprises first and second rings (20) arranged coaxially about a disk axis and configured to act as cathodes, each ring having an inside periphery with a plurality of radial machining projections. The first and second rings (20) are rigidly secured relative to each other. A method of making slots in a multistage disk by electrochemical machining using such a tool.