Duo Series of Wire EDMs Improve Accuracy, Speed

Makino’s (Auburn Hills, MI) next-generation wire EDMs, the DUO series, provide enhanced performance, accuracy, speed, ease of operation and maintenance with features such as dual wire guide options, a dual spark generator, dual anchored ball screws, and dual high-pressure flush pumps.

“This is really the next step in Makino’s wire EDM design,” says Jeff Kiszonas, Makino EDM product manager. “With recent technologies such as HEAT, SurfaceWIZARD and PICO guides, our machines have revolutionized EDM. The DUO series takes these advancements a step further, and will enhance our ability to serve more customer’s needs and provide the most technologically advanced, yet simple to operate, wire EDMs available.”

The DUO series features two models, the DUO 43 and DUO 64. Both models feature a 20-percent reduction in footprint size compared to their Makino SP-series counterparts. The sizes for the DUO 43 and 64 are 74.8 in x 102.3 in and 82.7 in x 122 in with X, Y, and Z axis travels of 17.7 in, 12.0 in, 12.6 in and 25.6 in, 15.7 in, 16.5 in respectively. This series was designed to provide a smaller footprint and ease of installation, without sacrificing work area.

DUAL USE OPERATION (DUO)
The DUO series features dual wire guide options, allowing the user to choose either V-guide or PICO Precision (round) wire guides.  Whether the application is small hole threading, threading small holes in close proximity, maintaining land accuracy in contoured stamping dies, cutting tapers up to 45 deg, or general WEDM job shop work, Makino is the only WEDM builder that provides a guide solution to every WEDM application. This option provides split precision guides for most general work including high tapers, and PICO precision guides for accurate threading of small holes in close proximity, highly accurate tapers and taper transitions up to 10 deg, and maintaining variable height land details.

DUO Spark Generator technology is featured, which utilizes unique spark waveforms with multiple ON and OFF times, almost like using two E-codes at one time. This assures delivery of consistent spark energy that provides superior performance in speed, finish, and accuracy, while improving energizer life and performance.

The series’ dual high-pressure flush pumps provide independent control of upper and lower head flushing jets. The pumps can provide pressure up to 290 PSI to improve roughing speeds and aid in producing superior surface finishes. By circulating through two pumps, one for each machine head, the DUO is able to improve efficiency over wire EDMs containing only a single pump, reduce mechanical failures, and achieve finer finishes. The pumps are independently controlled and monitored through the controller, allowing faster adaptation to changes during machining operations and providing higher quality parts in shorter cycle times. This design provides its greatest advantages during detached nozzle applications (poor flush), and further improves the performance of Makino’s HEAT technology.

With dual anchored ball screws, the DUO series provides a rigid construction for long-term sustained accuracy and precision. Backed up by a 10-year/20,000-hour ball screw guarantee, the DUO Series is built for long-term repeatability and reliability.

Other dual features include dual work tank doors to accommodate loading of large work pieces and work area access without draining and refilling the work tank, dual feedback to assure accuracy and repeatability of movement and positioning over a long period of time, unsubmerged dual filter banks with automatic water evacuation, dual control operation that allows use of either the mouse and keyboard or the full function remote hand box, and dual head protect functions for crash protection capability to help reduce or eliminate damage caused by unexpected collisions.

Improvements in design provide ease of operation and maintenance for operators. New features to the design include an air actuated access door for easy access to the work zone. The work tank opening has been widened and the knee plate removed to provide extended operating space. Improved maintenance features include centralized manual greasing points and external filter casing for easier filter cleaning.

Makino, Inc., 7680 Innovation Way, Mason, OH 45040-8003, 513-573-7200, Fax: 513-573-7360, www.makino.com.