Wire electrical discharge machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427232-B2
Application number	US-201715651271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

A wire electrical discharge machine includes a filter for removing machined swarf produced by electrical discharge machining from a working fluid, and a heating device for heating the working fluid stored inside the filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wire electrical discharge machine for performing electrical discharge machining on a workpiece to be machined in a working fluid of deionized water, comprising:
a filter configured to remove machined swarf produced by electrical discharge machining from the working fluid;
a heating device configured to heat the working fluid stored inside the filter, wherein the heating device is configured to heat the working fluid up to, at least, a predetermined temperature at which magnesium contained in the machined swarf in the working fluid changes to magnesium hydroxide;
a storage tank configured to accommodate the filter;
a work tank configured to store the working fluid to perform electrical discharge machining;
a dirty fluid tank configured to temporarily store the working fluid containing the machined swarf discharged from the work tank; and
a duct configured to connect the dirty fluid tank and the filter in order to flow the working fluid from the dirty fluid tank to the filter,
wherein the heating device is configured to heat the working fluid stored in the storage tank,
the heating device is configured to further heat the working fluid in the duct.

2. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank includes a shutter configured to either store or not store the working fluid, and is configured to store the working fluid therein by closing the shutter at time of heating by the heating device so as to immerse the filter in the working fluid.

3. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is a clean fluid tank configured to store the working fluid with the machined swarf removed by the filter.

4. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the heating device is configured to heat the working fluid containing the machined swarf, stored in, at least, one of the work tank and the dirty fluid tank.

5. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device includes a heating element configured to heat the working fluid using heat from the heating element.

6. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device is configured to heat the working fluid in the wire electrical discharge machine by supplying the working fluid having a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, which is higher than a temperature of the working fluid in the wire electrical discharge machine, to the wire electrical discharge machine.

7. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device configured to control operation of the heating device,
wherein when an operator performs control of turning off power to the wire electrical discharge machine, the control device is configured to actuate the heating device to start heating the working fluid, and when a predetermined time elapses from start of heating, the control device is configured to stop the operation of the heating device to terminate heating of the working fluid and is configured to turn off the power to the wire electrical discharge machine.

8. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device configured to control operation of the heating device,
wherein when an operator performs control of giving an instruction to replace the filter, the control device is configured to actuate the heating device to start heating the working fluid, and when a predetermined time elapses from start of heating, the control device is configured to stop the operation of the heating device to terminate the heating of the working fluid and is configured to notify the operator that the filter can be replaced.

9. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control device configured to control operation of the heating device; and
a concentration detector configured to detect concentration of machined swarf in the working fluid,
wherein when the concentration detector detects a concentration equal to or higher than a threshold, the control device is configured to actuate the heating device to start heating of the working fluid, and when a predetermined time elapses from start of heating, the control device is configured to stop the operation of the heating device to terminate the heating of the working fluid.

10. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device configured to control operation of the heating device,
wherein when an alarm for stopping operation of the wire electrical discharge machine is raised, the control device is configured to actuate the heating device to start heating of the working fluid, and when a predetermined time elapses from start of heating, the control device is configured to stop the operation of the heating device to terminate the heating of the working fluid.

11. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device configured to control operation of the heating device,
wherein when a machining condition for machining the workpiece containing magnesium is selected by an operator, the control device permits the working fluid to be heated.

12. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device configured to control operation of the heating device,
wherein when the workpiece to be machined, selected by an operator, is formed of a material containing magnesium, the control device permits the working fluid to be heated.

13. A wire electrical discharge machine for performing electrical discharge machining on a workpiece to be machined in a working fluid of deionized water, comprising:
a filter configured to remove machined swarf produced by electrical discharge machining from the working fluid;
a heating device configured to heat the working fluid stored inside the filter, wherein the heating device is configured to heat the working fluid up to, at least, a predetermined temperature at which magnesium contained in the machined swarf in the working fluid changes to magnesium hydroxide; and
a storage tank configured to accommodate the filter,
wherein the heating device is configured to heat the working fluid stored in the storage tank,
the storage tank includes a shutter configured to either store or not store the working fluid, and is configured to store the working fluid therein by closing the shutter at time of heating by the heating device so as to immerse the filter in the working fluid.

14. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a work tank configured to store the working fluid in order to perform electrical discharge machining; and
a dirty fluid tank configured to temporarily store the working fluid containing the machined swarf, discharged from the work tank,
wherein the heating device is configured to heat the working fluid containing the machined swarf, stored in, at least, one of the work tank and the dirty fluid tank.

15. The wire electrical discharge machine according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a work tank configured to store the working fluid to perform electrical discharge machining;
a dirty fluid tank configured to temporarily store the working fluid containing the machined swarf, discharged from the work tank; and
a duct configured to connect the dirty fluid tank and the filter in order to flow the working fluid from the dirty fluid tank to the filter,
wherein the heating device is configured to fur

Assignees

• Fanuc Corp

Inventors

• Nishikawa Ryou
• Hasegawa Yasuo

Classifications

• B01D35/143

  Filter condition indicators · CPC title

• B23H7/08

  Wire electrodes · CPC title

• B23H7/36

  Supply or regeneration of working media · CPC title

• B01D37/048

  by temperature measuring · CPC title

• B23H7/02 Primary

  Wire-cutting · CPC title