Anca's EDG3 and SparX Erosion Generator Cut Cycle Times

Anca’s EDG3 (Electro Discharge Grinding 3) machine with Anca Motion’s SparX Erosion Generator has leveraged the tech of its high-performance Rotary Electro Discharge Machining (EDM) platform for what the company says is best-in-class tool geometries and market-leading cycle times.

Anca designs its EDG machines to produce brazed shear-fluted, helical solid-tipped, veined and chevron tools. To handle this tooling variety, Anca EDG3 maintains an optimum spark erosion gap — fundamental to high efficiency — for both simple 2D and complex 3D path interpolations using the company’s Intelligent Adaptive Control (IAC).

IAC utilizes the Anca Motion AMD5x control system’s EtherCAT functionality to synchronize machine movements with generator performance, maintaining the optimum spark gap even as geometry changes simultaneously on up to five axes.

Spark properties change based on the eroded material, a problem as most PCD wafers, sintered PCD, chevron tools and solid-tipped tools are formed onto carbide backing. When eroding along the PCD-carbide border, parameters optimized for PCD over-erode the carbide backing and preferentially erode the cobalt binder, forming a brittle border along the cutting edge and causing premature tooling wear. Anca reduces these issues with its Adaptive Spark Control (ASC).

ASC leverages the Anca Motion SparX Erosion Generator’s DSP (Digital Signal Processors) and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). The generator monitors and adapts sparks in real time based on material being eroded and other process factors. The resulting benefits lengthen tool life, reduce tool wear and lower tooling costs. Anca says testing on tooling for Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) machining showed a 100% tool life increase.

The Anca Motion SparX Erosion Generator supports both extra-heavy roughing and ultra-fine finishing, utilizing pico-pulse technology for high energy-density ablation. The resulting control optimizes feedrates, surface quality and cycle times — Anca reports a 50% decrease in cycle time compared to competitor machines.