TUCKER, Ga.—Atlanta EDM & Machine Co., a job shop specializing in prototype and production electrical discharge machining (EDM) services, has developed a proprietary technology that the company says enables faster and more accurate machining of components for the medical industry. Although the specifics of the technology were not disclosed, Atlanta EDM attributes its greater speed and accuracy to a successful blending of custom EDM and lights-out automation. The company has invested extensively in automation tooling and management software that are said to maximize the use of its EDM technology.
Technologies that tweak the proper voltages, such as on and off times, are critical to optimized performance, according to CEO Bill McKlveen, an electrical engineer with a background in digital design and power.
“The out-of-the-box technologies are fine for some basic cuts,” said McKlveen in a statement. “But when seconds count, being able to rely on our modifications of the spark technology allows us to maximize performance and pass along speed and, ultimately, savings to our customers.”
Many of the problems encountered in production EDM involve bores and net geometry that need to be cut over tall blanks. Even if the resulting parts are thin, economy of scale necessitates the stacking of thin parts for cost efficiency. Often, the EDM will cut parts stacked on top of each other as high as 50 tall. Cutting 50 high at one time is efficient, but it can cause tapers of holes and inaccurate profiles.
Atlanta EDM, however, says that its proprietary technology has “pushed the limit of the machines with break-neck speed” while yielding accurate, consistent, and cost-effective parts over a high-production volume. The thin, flat parts, which require tolerances as fine as 0.0002 inch, are routinely grouped and cut over these tall spans of material.
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