Premature change of generator settings

If the surface finish of the current machining stage is found to be of sufficient quality, you can change directly to the next machining stage to shorten machining time. Machining should then be aborted at the current point, the electrode removed from the cavity and machining continued at another point in the program, for example with a different orbit geometry and escape strategy.

Changing machining sequences
Changing machining sequences

The “Delete distance to go function is used to change generator settings prematurely. When jump labels are used, it removes all geometry elements and other NC commands until the selected jump label is reached. The NC program must meet various requirements to enable changes to be made to generator settings using this function.

The program sequence for changing generator settings is normally as follows:

  1. Execute a flushing process at a possible change position (e.g. end point of erosion on the path or radius = 0). This is where generator settings are changed.
  2. Deactivate the escape channel, if required.
  3. Deactivate the orbit channel, if required.
  4. Reorient the down channel, if required.
  5. Reactivate the orbit channel in its new orientation.
  6. Reactivate the escape channel.
  7. Continue the second geometry.

One way to set the generator change point to the end point of erosion on the path is to program an M01 function at the end of the path geometry. Before a flushing process of sufficient length is commanded, this optional stop in the escape channel must be activated using the corresponding control unit.

A second option for reaching a selected generator change point is to command a flushing process where the required distance and floating distance are identical. A flushing process can then be commanded to end immediately when the selected distance is reached.

By inserting conditions at the start of the second geometry that compare the current position with a specified value, the second geometry can contain different motion sequences depending on whether a generator change has taken place. A programming example for this application is shown in Premature change of generator settings.

Generator change sequence
Generator change sequence