A wire electrical discharge machine includes: a pulse detection unit configured to detect voltage pulses repeatedly applied between a workpiece and a wire electrode; an instability calculation unit configured to calculate the degree of instability indicating how unstable the discharge state is, by using the number of non-discharge pulses that present no voltage drop due to electrical discharge, among the pulses detected per unit time by a pulse detection unit; and a machining condition changing unit configured to change a machining condition for the workpiece, based on the calculated degree of instability.

A wire electrical discharge machine includes: a pulse detection unit configured to detect voltage pulses repeatedly applied between a workpiece and a wire electrode; an instability calculation unit configured to calculate the degree of instability indicating how unstable the discharge state is, by using the number of non-discharge pulses that present no voltage drop due to electrical discharge, among the pulses detected per unit time by a pulse detection unit; and a machining condition changing unit configured to change a machining condition for the workpiece, based on the calculated degree of instability.

A processing machine is provided which can accurately evaluate the results of periodic inspection. This processing machine, for processing a workpiece, is provided with: an information storage unit which, as reference information, stores information that includes multiple pieces of in-process information, which indicate the processing state when the workpiece was subjected to inspection processing, and processing result information, which has been obtained by measuring the product obtained by the inspection processing; an acquisition unit which acquires comparison information, which includes the processing result information and the multiple pieces of in-process information in inspection processing that was carried out after the inspection processing for which the reference information was acquired; a comparison unit which compares the comparison information and the reference information; and a display control unit which displays on a display unit the results of comparison by the comparison unit.

A processing machine is provided which can accurately evaluate the results of periodic inspection. This processing machine, for processing a workpiece, is provided with: an information storage unit which, as reference information, stores information that includes multiple pieces of in-process information, which indicate the processing state when the workpiece was subjected to inspection processing, and processing result information, which has been obtained by measuring the product obtained by the inspection processing; an acquisition unit which acquires comparison information, which includes the processing result information and the multiple pieces of in-process information in inspection processing that was carried out after the inspection processing for which the reference information was acquired; a comparison unit which compares the comparison information and the reference information; and a display control unit which displays on a display unit the results of comparison by the comparison unit.

A wire electrical discharge machining system allows a wire electrical discharge machining device and a robot to operate in conjunction with each other with high efficiency. A wire electrical discharge machining system 1 includes wire electrical discharge machining devices 7, 11, and 15, and a robot unit 17 that mounts a workpiece on the wire electrical discharge machining device. The wire electrical discharge machining devices 7, 11, and 15 may each perform either rough machining with supported cores or finishing machining after the cores are removed. Subsequently, core processing may be performed by a corresponding dedicated apparatus. Also, the core processing may be performed by a single common apparatus. The robot unit 17 mounts and collects the workpiece so as to allow these wire electrical discharge machining apparatuses to effectively operate, thereby providing wire electrical discharge machining with improved efficiency for the overall system.

A wire electrical discharge machining system allows a wire electrical discharge machining device and a robot to operate in conjunction with each other with high efficiency. A wire electrical discharge machining system 1 includes wire electrical discharge machining devices 7, 11, and 15, and a robot unit 17 that mounts a workpiece on the wire electrical discharge machining device. The wire electrical discharge machining devices 7, 11, and 15 may each perform either rough machining with supported cores or finishing machining after the cores are removed. Subsequently, core processing may be performed by a corresponding dedicated apparatus. Also, the core processing may be performed by a single common apparatus. The robot unit 17 mounts and collects the workpiece so as to allow these wire electrical discharge machining apparatuses to effectively operate, thereby providing wire electrical discharge machining with improved efficiency for the overall system.

A method for controlling a wire electrical discharge machining process, wherein the method comprises the following steps: dividing a workpiece height H.sub.WP into a number N.sub.S of vertical sections S of the workpiece, setting a defined observation period T.sub.M, N.sub.DTM, with each discharge Di, determining a discharge position of each discharge, counting the number of discharges determining any numbers of discharges and adjusting at least one process parameter.

A method for controlling a wire electrical discharge machining process, wherein the method comprises the following steps: dividing a workpiece height H.sub.WP into a number N.sub.S of vertical sections S of the workpiece, setting a defined observation period T.sub.M, N.sub.DTM, with each discharge Di, determining a discharge position of each discharge, counting the number of discharges determining any numbers of discharges and adjusting at least one process parameter.

High-speed wire electrochemical-discharge cutting method (HS-WECDM), in which a work piece is processed by means of a wire electrode, in which consecutive negative polarity pulses are applied at said wire electrode, thereby at least partially developing discrete electrical discharges, wherein the method further includes, applying positive polarity pulses at the wire electrode between the negative pulses, and that an ignition occurring with each positive polarity pulse is immediately detected, and that the positive polarity pulses are immediately interrupted.

High-speed wire electrochemical-discharge cutting method (HS-WECDM), in which a work piece is processed by means of a wire electrode, in which consecutive negative polarity pulses are applied at said wire electrode, thereby at least partially developing discrete electrical discharges, wherein the method further includes, applying positive polarity pulses at the wire electrode between the negative pulses, and that an ignition occurring with each positive polarity pulse is immediately detected, and that the positive polarity pulses are immediately interrupted.