Wire Cutting Patents (Class 219/69.12)
  • Patent number: 11925986
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a turbine engine blade (16) including an active-surface wall (17) and a passive-surface wall (18) separated from one another, this blade (16) including a tip that has a closing wall grouping together the active-surface (17) and passive-surface (18) walls in the region of this tip to define the bottom (23) of a bathtub tip shape located at the tip of the blade, the method comprising a moulding step implementing a core defining the bathtub tip shape. According to the invention, there is a step of adding metal to the bottom (23) of the bathtub tip by means of a Direct Laser Additive Manufacturing (CLAD) method, to deposit material onto the bottom of the bathtub tip to form therein an inner partition (28) supported by the bottom thereof (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Matthieu Jean Luc Vollebregt, Coralie Guerard, Patrick Emilien Paul Emile Huchin
  • Patent number: 11904398
    Abstract: A high-speed reciprocating wire cutting process in which a wire electrode is transported and precisely guided across a machining area by means of a wire traveling circuit, whereas the cutting process is conducted by repeatedly: (a) running the wire electrode in a first direction until a first reciprocation position, (b) stopping and inverting the traveling direction of the wire electrode, (c) running the wire electrode in a second direction until a second reciprocation position, and (d) stopping and inverting the traveling direction of the wire electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Agie Charmilles SA
    Inventors: Reto Knaak, Enrico Costi, Roberto Feola, Niccolò Ferrazzi
  • Patent number: 11890691
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to make it possible to maintain a stable electric discharge and to achieve a stable quality and machining performance even when a work having a non-uniform composition is machined. A wire electric discharge machining device performs electric discharge machining on a work while controlling an inter-electrode distance between a wire and the work based on an inter-electrode voltage between the wire and the work so as to match a set target voltage. The wire electric discharge machining device includes an inter-electrode voltage measuring unit that measures the inter-electrode voltage, an actual amplitude calculating unit that calculates an amplitude of the measured inter-electrode voltage, and a target voltage correcting unit that corrects the target voltage in such a way that the calculated amplitude approaches the target amplitude that is set to a value larger than zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: MAKINO MILLING MACHINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Okamoto, Haruya Kurihara
  • Patent number: 11833603
    Abstract: An electrical discharge machining apparatus and an electrical discharge machining method with adjustable machining parameters comprise a carrier and an electrical discharge machining (EDM) unit. The carrier is used for placing a to-be-machined object defined with a machining target area. A discharge electrode of the electrical discharge machining (EDM) unit is used to cut the machining target area of the to-be-machined object along a first cutting direction with at least one machining parameter, the machining parameter is correspondingly adjusted when a specified parameter of the to-be-machined object changes to a first numerical value, thereby using the adjusted machining parameter to perform a second cutting step on the machining target area of the to-be-machined object. A segmented cutting technology for solving a problem that a cutting speed (mm2/min) is slowed down and a total cutting time is prolonged due to changes of the specified parameter of electrical discharge machining cutting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventors: Chwung-Shan Kou, Wen-Yung Yeh
  • Patent number: 11819936
    Abstract: A wire electrode feeding apparatus or the like is provided, suitable for feeding a wire electrode along its original path without deviating from its original path. A conversion unit 9 feeds the wire electrode from a feeding inlet 21 to a feeding outlet 25 using a machining liquid. A roller 23 changes the feeding direction of the wire electrode. A discharging unit 27 discharges the machining liquid toward the feeding outlet 25 in a direction tangential to the contact face of the roller 23, to generate a flow of the machining liquid. On the other hand, a diverted flow path for the machining liquid is defined along the contact face of the roller 23 from the feeding outlet 25 side to the feeding inlet 21 side. An intake unit 29 takes in air according to the pressure of the machining liquid to supply the air to the diverted flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Seibu Electric & Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Mitsuyasu, Yoshihiro Ito
  • Patent number: 11813684
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes: a detection unit configured to detect a contact state in which the wire electrode contacts the workpiece, and a contact release state in which the wire electrode that is in the contact state is separated from the workpiece; a vibration unit configured to, if the contact state is detected during the machining of the workpiece, stop relative movement of the wire electrode and vibrate the wire electrode about a stop position at which the relative movement of the wire electrode has been stopped; and a relative movement control unit configured to resume relative movement of the wire electrode if the contact release state is detected until a predetermined time elapses from when the contact state has been detected or until the number of times that the wire electrode is vibrated reaches a predetermined number of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masahide Yamaoka
  • Patent number: 11772176
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process, in which the wire traveling speed VW is adapted in-process, while cutting. The method includes, determining the size of the crater occurring at each said determined position of each discharge along the engagement line of a wire and a work piece, and the current wire traveling speed; and continuously comparing the wire wearing model with one or more wire wearing limits, and adjusting the wire traveling speed according to the comparison of the actual wire wearing model and the one or more wire wearing limits. The wire electrical discharge machining process is conducted with reduced wire consumption, safely, efficiently and profitably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventor: Riccardo Di Campli
  • Patent number: 11766728
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a textured and coated electrode wire, comprising: selecting a copper-zinc alloy as a core material, preparing, by means of electroplating/hot-dipping, a metal zinc coating on a surface of the wire material, then performing pre-treatment on the coated electrode wire by means of discontinuous diffusion annealing to obtain a coated electrode wire material having a multi-layer structure of Zn/?-brass & ?-brass/?-brass, and then using multiple cold drawing treatments and a stress-relief annealing treatment to modify the electrode wire and obtain a textured and coated electrode wire material. Compared to conventional copper alloy electrode wires and zinc-coated electrode wires, the material has advantages of a fast cutting speed, low cutting cost, low environmental pollution, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: NINGBO KANGQIANG MICRO-ELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fang Zheng
  • Patent number: 11738402
    Abstract: Method for scanning a workpiece surface (2A) of a metal workpiece (2), in which a blowtorch (3) having a welding wire electrode (4) is moved relative to the workpiece surface (2A) to determine scanning values and a wire end (4A) of the welding wire electrode (4) is repeatedly moved towards the workpiece surface (2A), in each case until contact with the metal workpiece (2) at a scanning position (P) on the workpiece surface (2A) of the metal workpiece (2) is detected, and the wire end (4A) of the welding wire electrode (4) is subsequently moved back, the blowtorch (3) detecting scanning values (d) at scanning positions (P), at least in some cases multiple times, to determine scanning measurement errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Fronius International GmbH
    Inventors: Manuel Mayer, Andreas Waldhoer, Josef Artelsmair, Dominik Soellinger, Helmut Ennsbrunner, Andreas Hummelbrunner
  • Patent number: 11724324
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine performs electrical discharge machining on a workpiece by applying voltage across an electrode gap formed between a wire electrode and the workpiece to thereby generate electrical discharge while moving the wire electrode relative to the workpiece along a path specified by a machining program. The wire electrical discharge machine includes: a voltage detector for detecting a gap voltage across the gap; a facing area calculation unit for calculating, as a facing area, the area of a surface of the workpiece contained within a predetermined distance from the center axis of the wire electrode; an axis feed rate determination unit for determining an axis feed rate based on the gap voltage value detected by the voltage detector, and the facing area; and a movement control unit for performing control so that the wire electrode moves relative to the workpiece at the axis feed rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fuchen Chu
  • Patent number: 11579582
    Abstract: A tool for validating a wire-electric-discharge-machining (wEDM) operation to be performed using a wEDM machine comprises a body including an engagement feature shaped to removably hold a validation coupon to be machined in the wEDM operation, the validation coupon sized larger than a size of a cut-out to be made in a part using the wEDM machine. A method of manufacturing the tool and a wEDM machine assembly are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Visal Ing, Michel Frederick, Ghislain Hardy
  • Patent number: 11554433
    Abstract: A method of wire electric discharge machining (wEDM) a feature in a part includes using wEDM, cutting and detaching a slug from a portion of the part that is to be detached from the part to define the feature, and thereby defining a validation cut-out in the portion, and using wEDM, cutting and detaching the portion having the validation cut-out from the part and thereby defining the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Visal Ing, Ghislain Hardy, Joel Jean
  • Patent number: 11534847
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine for performing electrical discharge machining on a workpiece by applying voltage to a discharge gap between a wire electrode and the workpiece to generate electrical discharge while causing the wire electrode and the workpiece to move relative to each other, includes: an electrical discharge machining control unit for performing electrical discharge machining by applying voltage to the discharge gap while moving the wire electrode relative to the workpiece according to a machining program and a machining condition; an approach section identifying unit for identifying an approach section in a machining path for the wire electrode with respect to the workpiece, based on the machining program; and an adjustment unit for adjusting the machining condition based on a preset adjustment ratio. In this machine, the electrical discharge machining control unit performs electrical discharge machining control in the approach section, using the adjusted machining condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daiki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11534844
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes: a gap voltage detector for detecting a voltage across an electrode gap; a first voltage control unit for applying a first voltage to the electrode gap; a discharge determiner for determining whether or not the electrode gap is in a discharging state during application of the first voltage; and a second voltage control unit for supplying a machining current through the electrode gap when the electrode gap is in a discharging state. After a supply of the machining current to the electrode gap, even when a discharge is induced by the next application of the first voltage to the electrode gap, the second voltage control unit prohibits application of a second voltage to the electrode gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11511362
    Abstract: A conductive electrode wire for use in an electric discharge machine (EDM) is provided, comprising a core wire comprised of one single metal or an alloy of multiple metals with a coating deposited by the electro-plasma process, wherein such coatings are alloys of zinc and nickel. A process for treating a surface of an electrically conductive workpiece, such as a core wire, is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: CAP Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Edward O. Daigle, Pratheesh George
  • Patent number: 11491566
    Abstract: An electrode guide assembly for an EDM process includes a guide tube having a first end and a second end, a fluid feed portion, a fluid return portion, and an electrode. The guide tube has a set of at least two supporting protrusions, with the protrusions projecting radially inwardly from an inner diametral surface of the guide tube. The electrode is slidably accommodated within the guide tube, with an outer diametral surface of the electrode abutting against the set of supporting protrusions. The first end of the guide tube is in fluid communication with the second end of the guide tube to thereby provide a fluid feed channel, and the second end of the guide tube is in fluid communication with the first end of the guide tube to thereby provide a fluid return channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventor: Christopher J. Preece
  • Patent number: 11440114
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a wire electric discharge machine which has a simple configuration and can make a wire electrode fed to a machining position rotate around an axis. The wire electric discharge machine for machining a workpiece includes an upper wire guide and a lower wire guide, which stretch a wire electrode therebetween, and a rotator. A position of the rotator is changed, whereby the wire electrode is rotated around an axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SODICK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Inoue, Masashi Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11433469
    Abstract: A vibration assisted wire machining device is provided, the vibration assisted wire machining device allows a metal wire to be driven by a bi-axial sinusoidal vibration source during a wire machining process, wherein the bi-axial sinusoidal waveforms have the same amplitude, and preferably, the bi-axial sinusoidal waveforms are synchronous and always have a vibration phase difference of 90 degrees. Therefore, the present invention can reduce wire breakage risks and improve wire-cutting efficiency, and raise machining stability and material removal rate of a wire-electrical discharge machining (Wire-EDM) process performed on a workpiece, as well as achieve desirable precision of a geometric shape. It also relates to a vibration assisted wire machining device that enables metal wires associated with the abrasive slurry formed of hard abrasive grains, for performing bi-axial vibration assisted abrasive cutting or abrasive grinding on the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: NATIONAL KAOHSIUNG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: Wen-Jeng Hsue
  • Patent number: 11420277
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine for machining a workpiece by generating electric discharge at a discharge gap between the workpiece and a wire electrode includes: a machining current setting unit for setting the magnitude of a normal machining current depending on the discharge gap state at application of a discharge induction voltage at the previous time or previous times; and a machining current control unit configured to control a main discharge circuit so as to supply the normal machining current to the discharge gap when the present discharge gap state is the normal state, control the main discharge circuit so as to supply a short-circuit machining current smaller than a predetermined current to the gap when the discharge gap state is the short-circuited state, and control the main discharge circuit so as not to supply any machining current to the gap when the discharge gap state is the open state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yousuke Tsuchiya, Tomoyuki Furuta
  • Patent number: 11376682
    Abstract: A method and device for removing an electromagnetic core, the method including: using an electromagnet to magnetize or demagnetize a metallic upper nozzle when a magneto-conductive workpiece is cut off in a WEDM manner; attracting a core capable of being completely cut off and separated in the workpiece; utilizing the metallic upper nozzle to detect whether attracted; if the core is attracted, moving the core to a target area; demagnetizing and dropping the core in a trash area. The device is applied to a WEDM machine; after the metallic magneto-conductive upper nozzle is magnetized by the electromagnet, the upper nozzle is used to attract the magneto-conductive core; a metallic water spray cover is utilized to detect whether the core is attracted; the core is moved to the target area by a motion system of the WEDM machine, and dropped in a trash device after the upper nozzle is demagnetized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ACCUTEX TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jui Fang Liang, Cheng Ying Lin
  • Patent number: 11370046
    Abstract: A device for machining a part by electrical discharge machining using an electrode wire. The device includes equipment for holding the electrode wire taut and driving the wire to translate longitudinally, in proximity to the part to be machined, in a sparking zone. The device further includes equipment for making a stream of dielectric liquid flow through the sparking zone between the electrode wire and the part to be machined. An electrical power source generates electrical pulses that cause sparks in the sparking zone between the electrode wire and the part to be machined. The quantity of gas bubbles present in the sparking zone is measured, and a signal is produced, representative of the quantity of bubbles, the signal being delivered to a controller. The controller modifies machining parameters so as to maintain the value of the signal within a suitable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: THERMOCOMPACT
    Inventors: Michel Ly, Gérald Sanchez
  • Patent number: 11298766
    Abstract: A control device for a wire electric discharge machine includes: a shape analysis portion which looks ahead a machining program, and analyzes a machined shape of a workpiece; a machining path creation portion which creates machining paths of identical circular arc shape offsetting from a machined shape analyzed, wherein the offset value differs for the machining paths, and shape of a corner part are identical circular arc shape; a machining path creation portion which creates machining paths of concentric circle shape offsetting from a machined shape analyzed, wherein the offset value differs for the machining paths, and shape of a corner part are concentric circle shape; and a machining path selection portion which selects either of the machining paths of identical circular arc shape and concentric circle shape, based on at least one among the machining program, machined shape analyzed, and the machining paths of identical circular arc shape and concentric circle shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenichiro Shirai
  • Patent number: 11285555
    Abstract: In a wire electrical discharge machining device, a wire electrode released from a wire bobbin can be supplied toward a wire electrical discharge machining portion without generating permanently bending or twisting. A first pulley, which receives a wire electrode fed out from a wire bobbin and delivers the wire electrode to the downstream side, is disposed to wind the wire electrode WE to a first delivery position of an outer peripheral portion opposite to a first reception position across a central portion in a radial direction and deliver the wire electrode WE downward. The first pulley is swingable in the horizontal direction with one end in the radial direction as a fulcrum. The swing fulcrum is disposed, in the width direction of the wire bobbin, within a range from one end to the other end in the width direction of the wire bobbin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akio Hosaka
  • Patent number: 11203076
    Abstract: A wire cut electric discharge machining apparatus cannot maintain high machining accuracy because the arm may expand/contract as it receives more heat from the machining fluid. The wire cut electric discharge machining apparatus has guide parts that guide a wire and arms that support the guide parts, wherein at least one of the guide parts has a machining fluid ejection nozzle, and at least one of the arms has an ejection connection pipe and a thermal insulation part. The ejection connection pipe is a hole penetrating the arm and supplies the machining fluid to the machining fluid ejection nozzle, and the thermal insulation part covers the inner peripheral surface of the ejection connection pipe to thermally insulate the inner hole of the ejection connection pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11185939
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machining apparatus includes: a processing tank, a lower-side wire guide assembly, a lower arm, a direction changing pulley, a winding roller, and a conveying device. The conveying device comprises a high-pressure jet flow generator and a suction pipe. The high-pressure jet flow generator is provided between the direction changing pulley and the winding roller on a side of a front end of a lower arm, and spouts a high-pressure jet flow toward a direction of the winding roller so that a wire electrode is guided only by a restraining force of the high-pressure jet flow and sent flying to the direction of the winding roller with the high-pressure jet flow. The suction pipe is provided on an exit side of the winding roller, and sucks and captures a tip of the wire electrode sent by the high-pressure jet flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: SODICK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Sakaguchi, Tsuyoshi Takeda, Tsubasa Kuragaya
  • Patent number: 11161189
    Abstract: A method for controlling a wire electrical discharge machining process, wherein the method comprises the following steps: dividing a workpiece height HWP into a number NS of vertical sections S of the workpiece, setting a defined observation period TM, NDTM, 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Inventor: Rino D'Amario
  • Patent number: 11117207
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes a guide pipe arranged in a path along which a wire electrode is fed from a feed roller to a workpiece, and formed with an insertion hole through which the wire electrode is inserted, a compressed air supply device configured to supply compressed air to the insertion hole so that compressed air flows through the insertion hole along a feed direction of the wire electrode, a database configured to store data indicative of a relationship between rigidity information of the wire electrode and pressure information of compressed air, and a controller configured to set pressure of the compressed air supplied to the insertion hole, based on the rigidity information of the wire electrode fed to the workpiece and the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keita Hada
  • Patent number: 11110532
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine having an auto wire feeding function includes: guide parts arranged on a wire feed path along which the wire electrode is fed so as to guide the feeding of the wire electrode; fluid paths formed with the guide parts to supply a compressed fluid to the wire feed path; a compressed fluid supply device to supply the compressed fluid to the fluid paths; a tension detector to detect the tension of the wire electrode; and a control device that controls the compressed fluid supply device so as to supply the compressed fluid to the fluid paths, and based on the detection result from the tension detector, determines whether or not the wire electrode has reached a supply position of one of the fluid paths on the wire feed path to which the fluid has been supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hikaru Yamane
  • Patent number: 11097365
    Abstract: The wire electric discharge machining device includes a wire bobbin configured to wind and hold a wire electrode, a wire delivery roller configured to draw the wire electrode from the wire bobbin and deliver the wire electrode continuously toward a work-piece, a brake motor configured to apply a load to the wire bobbin in a direction against the drawing of the wire electrode, rotation speed detector configured to detect a rotation speed of the wire bobbin, an emptiness determination device configured to determine that the wire bobbin reaches an empty state based on a rapid change in the rotation speed of the wire bobbin detected by the rotation speed detector, and a drive control part configured to stop the drive of the wire delivery roller when the emptiness determination device determines that the wire bobbin reaches the empty state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Sakaguchi, Kohei Matsuura, Hirotoshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 11091820
    Abstract: An electrode wire for use in an electrical discharge machining apparatus includes a metallic core and a layer of gamma phase brass disposed over the metallic core. Particles of beta phase brass are interspersed within the gamma phase brass layer. An oxide layer including zinc is disposed over the gamma phase brass layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: THERMOCOMPACT
    Inventor: Dandridge Tomalin
  • Patent number: 11084112
    Abstract: The specification discloses an electrical discharge machining (EDM) system and method capable of defining an unlimited number of waveforms. The system and method define logical waveforms using a plurality of time slices, each having a voltage and a width. The time slices are applied to the system power section where they are amplified and delivered to the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: JOHNSON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Kim Michael Grotenhuis
  • Patent number: 11033975
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine for performing electrical discharge machining on a workpiece to be machined by applying voltage to an electrode gap formed between a wire electrode and the workpiece to generate electrical discharge at the electrode gap under predetermined machining conditions while conveying the wire electrode along a transfer path, includes: a wire breakage detector for detecting a breakage of the wire electrode; a position calculator for calculating the breakage position of the wire electrode in the transfer path; and an adjustment unit for adjusting the machining conditions when the breakage position is in a predetermined section of the transfer path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Abe, Hiroyuki Furukawa
  • Patent number: 11013158
    Abstract: An RFI/EMI shielding material composed of a conductive multi-fiber having a plurality of metalized monofilaments, each monofilament including a composite core of copper clad stainless steel or low carbon steel reduced to an intermediate diameter, and at least one layer of metal or metal alloy electroplated on the clad copper of the composite core, where each of the monofilaments is drawn after electroplating to a final diameter less than the intermediate diameter, in the range of about 45-78 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: MICROMETAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas F. Burke
  • Patent number: 10987746
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machining apparatus includes upper and lower wire guide units including wire guides configured to position and guide a wire electrode and a jet nozzle configured to supply a jet flow coaxially with the wire electrode, and a core holding pad having a through-hole passing therethrough in an upward/downward direction, and in which a plurality of protrusion sections having an equal distance from upper surfaces thereof to a lower surface of the workpiece are formed. The core holding pad is disposed on the lower wire guide unit such that the core holding pad approaches the lower surface of the workpiece as closely as possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Sodick Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 10974333
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes a wire feeding hole position acquisition unit configured to obtain a position of a wire feeding hole that allows for insertion and feeding of a wire electrode. In this wire electrical discharge machine, when the position of the wire feeding hole obtained by the wire feeding hole position acquisition unit is deviated from a wire feeding position defined by a machining program, a wire feeding control unit controls a machine main body to move the wire electrode to the position of the wire feeding hole and feed the wire electrode there, and a machining control unit controls the machine main body to perform electrical discharge machining on a workpiece with the wire electrode while moving the wire electrode on a path segment between a position where the wire electrode has been fed and the wire feeding position defined by the machining program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kaoru Hiraga
  • Patent number: 10974346
    Abstract: According to a laser cutting method, a processed part is laser-cut so that the processed part doesn't drop off from a sheet-shaped workpiece. In the laser cutting method, a cut slit of a pressing protrusion, which is curved due to a laser cutting process along an outline of the processed part and then presses a peripheral surface of the processed part, is preliminarily formed around the processed part to be cut out from the workpiece. Then, the laser cutting process is carried out along the outline of the processed part. The pressing protrusion curves toward the processed part due to the laser cutting process of the processed part, and then the processed part is retained by the pressing protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: AMADA HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yingjun Jin, Hitoshi Omata, Hiroaki Ishiguro, Takuya Okamoto, Hideo Hara, Masato Kunihiro
  • Patent number: 10960478
    Abstract: An electric discharge machine is configured to perform electric discharge machining on a workpiece in a working fluid stored in a work-pan. The electric discharge machine includes: a measurement piping coupled to the work-pan and having an air space inside; a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the air space; and a working fluid supply portion configured to supply the working fluid to the measurement piping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mizuho Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 10835975
    Abstract: A device for identifying a spark-erosion wire conditioned on a coil includes a radio tag, rigidly connected to the coil and accessible for reading data that it supports, identification data of the wire, supported by the radio tag, a data-reading device, associated with a wire spark-erosion machine, capable of reading the identification data supported by the radio tag of the coil, and capable of transmitting the identification data to the wire spark-erosion machine, an acquisition device for generating and recording over time as identification data, in the radio tag, historical data selected from the group that consists of historical usage data describing usage conditions of the wire supported by the coil and historical constraint data describing physical constraints to which the wire supported by the coil is subjected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: THERMOCOMPACT
    Inventors: Philippe Descaillot, Michel Ly, Gilles Mollard, Blanche Ouvrard
  • Patent number: 10792745
    Abstract: A controller for a wire electrical discharge machine that machines a workpiece along a machining path by relatively moving the workpiece and a wire electrode to each other while generating electric discharge across an electrode gap between the workpiece and the wire electrode, includes: a machining surface state acquisition unit configured to acquire the state of a machining surface of the workpiece; and a machining path setting unit configured to specify an excessively machined portion of the workpiece based on the acquired state of the machining surface and set an approach point at which the wire electrode is made to approach the machining surface from a machining start point, so as to avoid the excessively machined portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryou Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 10792743
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes: a travelling route formed of multiple divisional regions, through which a wire electrode is fed by an auto wire feeding mechanism; and a memory storing failure evaluation reference data on the auto wire feeding for every divisional region. The wire electrical discharge machine detects failure of the auto wire feeding and locate the tip position of the wire electrode at the time of failure and causes a controller to determine whether to perform or stop retry of the auto wire feeding based on the located tip position and the failure evaluation reference data for every divisional region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hikaru Yamane
  • Patent number: 10786857
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine has a tank containing a working fluid, a table in the tank for mounting a workpiece, upper and lower guides supporting a wire electrode, a measurement device detachable from or movable relative to an upper guide part having the upper guide, and including a sensor for measuring the workpiece after machining, a plate thickness acquisition unit for acquiring a plate thickness of the workpiece, a level detection unit for detecting a level of the working fluid in the tank, and a level adjustment unit for adjusting the level of the working fluid when measuring the workpiece on the basis of the relative position of the upper guide and the measurement device body, a position of the upper guide, and the plate thickness, to a level not lower than a height of an upper surface of the workpiece and not higher than the measurement device body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10780513
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machining system includes a securing device that is placed at a cut position where a workpiece on a holding unit has been cut by wire electrical discharge machining when the wire electrical discharge machining has been performed on the workpiece held on the holding unit to reach a predetermined position before the completion of machining and that individually attracts a cut-out portion from the workpiece and a remaining portion on the workpiece at the cut position where the workpiece has been cut, thereby securing the cut-out portion to the remaining portion, and a robot is configured to individually attract both the cut-out portion and the remaining portion with the securing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takurou Oonishi, Takashi Nagatomi
  • Patent number: 10759010
    Abstract: A method for repairing an upstream rail of a turbine engine turbine casing, the casing including a casing body extending along a longitudinal axis, the upstream rail including: a base including a radial surface, extending substantially radially from the casing body; a plate including an upper surface, extending substantially along the longitudinal axis; and a connection portion between the base and the plate, including a concave surface connecting the radial surface and the upper surface, the concave surface and the radial surface extending on either side of an edge, the method including: covering a surface with a solder, the surface including the upper surface and the concave surface, such that the solder extends substantially until the edge; and a step of machining the covered surface, in a single action, in the direction of the radial surface, and at least until the edge, so as to reshape the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Nicolas Daniel Delaporte, Marina Wilma Bilioniere, Thierry Michel Breugnot, Didier Noël Durand
  • Patent number: 10730127
    Abstract: A control device includes a speed setting unit configured to set a relative movement speed of a wire electrode with respect to a workpiece depending on the average of gap voltage per unit time, i.e., average gap voltage, and set the relative movement speed so as to move the wire electrode backward when the average gap voltage is less than a threshold, and a map compensation unit configured to change the threshold from a first threshold that is set when the amount of change in the average gap voltage is lower than a predetermined variation, to a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, when the average gap voltage has changed in a decreasing direction and the amount of change in the average gap voltage becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryou Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 10639735
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes: an electrode unit for supplying a machining current to an electrode gap; a switch for changing impedance between a machining power source and the electrode unit; and a controller for, at the time of a core retaining process, controlling the switch to set the impedance to be higher than the impedance in a cutting process and thereby suppressing the machining current flowing through the electrode gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Furuta, Yasuo Nakashima, Akiyoshi Kawahara
  • Patent number: 10632554
    Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine for performing electrical discharge machining on a workpiece by applying voltage across an electrode gap between a wire electrode stretched between an upper nozzle and a lower nozzle and the workpiece to generate electrical discharges, includes a lifting mechanism configured to move the workpiece in the travelling direction of the wire electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohito Oosawa
  • Patent number: 10549369
    Abstract: The numerical controller creates a machining path on which a wire electrode is moved by analyzing blocks of a machining program, and creates interpolation data indicating an amount of movement for each interpolation period on the machining path. Further, the numerical controller calculates a length of the wire electrode used for machining (machined surface length) for each interpolation period, calculates a consumption amount of the wire electrode for each interpolation period, calculates a compensation amount for compensating the amount of movement based on the interpolation data, on the basis of the calculated consumption amount and compensates the amount of movement indicated by the interpolation data, based on the calculated compensation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Tsukasa Hanaoka, Kazuhiko Murakawa
  • Patent number: 10549367
    Abstract: A numerical controller for controlling a wire electrical discharge machine generates section data such that a machining path commanded by a machining program is divided into sections with a sufficient distance, generates data such that the individual sections are re-approximated to a straight line or a circular arc based on the generated section data, and adjusts an operation of the wire electrical discharge machine at a corner portion and a circular-arc portion of the machining path, based on the re-approximation section data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventor: Yuji Tuboguchi
  • Patent number: 10507539
    Abstract: A wire electric discharge machine configured to interrupt a program operation if a connection hole for connecting a wire electrode is located in a position deviated from a wire electrode connection position on a machining path so that connection by a wire electrode connection unit is not completed and store the wire electrode connection position, and to restart the program operation after performing machining such that the wire electrode is returned to the wire electrode connection position by automatic control and machining to widen a machined groove portion in the wire electrode connection position, when subjected to a re-machining operation after manual connection of the wire electrode in the position of the connection hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Abe, Kaoru Hiraga
  • Patent number: 10503147
    Abstract: A program generating apparatus includes a machining program generating unit configured to generate a machining program for controlling a wire electrical discharge machine so as to machine a workpiece in accordance with a machining shape of the workpiece input by a user and so as to fix a core which is produced when the workpiece is machined, to the workpiece. In the program generating apparatus, a core handling program generating unit generates a core handling program for controlling a robot so as to remove the core from the workpiece by applying an impact to the core in accordance with the input machining shape of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaoru Hiraga, Shouta Irie