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Need to make an electrode to burn this feature

toolingTRI
Participant

Need to make an electrode to burn this feature

toolingTRI
Participant
Participant

I have taken some geometry from a 3D model of a mold I have in my shop right now.  I need to recreate the "fan gate" in the attached file using a plunge style EDM, so I need to make an electrode that is the opposite of the geometry there.  What you see is a 14mm cube with a "pocket" in the top face.  What I need is for that pocket geometry to be positive instead of negative; sticking out instead of into the part.  Keeping the 14mm cube the way it is but having the fan gate feature above the top face instead of below it.

 

I have managed to use the "pull/push" command with a negative value to send the bottom face beyond the top face and it looks like it should but it gives me an error and I can't get it to calculate.

 

I have also used the mirror command using the top face as the plane of reference and it, too, fails.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

James

 

https://a360.co/2UcvZCM 

 

toolingRVDCL_0-1624990899625.png

 

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engineguy
Mentor
Mentor
Accepted solution

@toolingTRI 

 

Have you tried just creating another block on top of the original that overlaps the original vertically and then just use the "Combine" function to subtract the original from the new block and you will be left with a protrusion instead of the hollow ???

Then just trim the block to size/chamfers etc, etc, job done 🙂

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toolingTRI
Participant
Participant
That sounds like a great solution! I will try that in the morning!

Thanks!
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engineguy
Mentor
Mentor

@toolingTRI 

 

Comes out something like this, up to you to "crunch the numbers" for total height, toolpath it etc, etc, the attached file is just for info 🙂

Electrode Positive.jpg

 

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toolingTRI
Participant
Participant

That looks perfect!!

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toolingTRI
Participant
Participant

@engineguy ...Thanks so much for creating the file and all.  I went through the steps to do it all myself so I could get it figured out.  Took me a couple tries but I finally got it.  Exactly what I needed!!

 

Thanks!!!

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engineguy
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Mentor

@toolingTRI 

 

Glad you were able to figure it out from the rough example I did, if it has you more able to tackle such jobs for the future then worth the time/effort.

Good Luck with the job 🙂 🙂

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John_Wright
Advocate
Advocate

Don't forget to leave a "spark gap" on your electrode shape (normally 0.1 to 0.5mm dependent on application) or the part will come out the wrong size. You can do this by using the offset tool. 🙂

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HughesTooling
Consultant
Consultant

@John_Wright wrote:

Don't forget to leave a "spark gap" on your electrode shape (normally 0.1 to 0.5mm dependent on application) or the part will come out the wrong size. You can do this by using the offset tool. 🙂


Offset will probably work on this simple part but on more complex parts it will fail so it's easier to use Stock To Leave and set a negative distance.

 

HughesTooling_0-1625061524100.png

 

Mark Hughes
Owner, Hughes Tooling
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toolingTRI
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Participant

So here's the finished product fresh of the mill.

 

Thanks, everyone, for all your help!!

 

 

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engineguy
Mentor
Mentor

@toolingTRI 

 

Glad to see it worked out for you, a little hand finishing/polishing and good to go and spark 🙂 🙂

 

Nice to see someone come back and show off the part that everyone helped with, makes the time/effort worthwhile, thanks 🙂

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