Method and system for wire electro-discharge machining a component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11338381-B2
Application number	US-201916523417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2019
Priority date	Jul 26, 2019
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

Methods and systems for wire-electro discharge machining of components are described. The method comprises machining a first component by moving a wire-EDM electrode along a first set of cutting paths associated with a plurality of cutting passes, the cutting paths determined based on a desired profile shape of the component, obtaining a cutting parameter of the first component post-machining, determining a first modified cutting path for a second component based on the cutting parameter, and machining the second component by moving the wire-EDM electrode along a second set of cutting paths associated with the plurality of cutting passes, the second set of cutting paths comprising the first modified cutting path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for wire-electro discharge machining (wire-EDM) components, the method comprising:
machining a first component by moving a wire-EDM electrode along a first set of cutting paths associated with a plurality of cutting passes, the cutting paths determined based on a desired profile shape of the component;
obtaining a cutting parameter of the first component post-machining;
determining a first modified cutting path for a second component based on the cutting parameter; and
machining the second component by moving the wire-EDM electrode along a second set of cutting paths associated with the plurality of cutting passes, the second set of cutting paths comprising the first modified cutting path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a first modified cutting path comprises:
separating the profile shape of the component into a plurality of zones;
mapping the plurality of zones to the cutting parameter;
selecting at least one zone from the plurality of zones; and
determining an offset to be applied to an original cutting path for the at least one zone to obtain the first modified cutting path.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the offset comprises selecting a positive or negative value to be added to the original cutting path for the at least one zone within a positive and negative offset limit.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting at least one zone comprises comparing the cutting parameter to a reference and selecting at least one zone that deviates from the reference by more than a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining a cutting parameter of the second component post-machining;
determining a second modified cutting path for a third component based on the cutting parameter of the second component; and
machining the third component by moving the wire-EDM electrode along a third set of cutting paths, the third set of cutting paths comprising the second modified cutting path.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cutting passes comprises a first cutting pass, a second cutting pass, and a third cutting pass, and wherein the first modified cutting path is determined for the second component based on the cutting parameter of the first component associated with the second cutting pass or the third cutting pass.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first modified cutting path is determined based on the cutting parameter associated with the second cutting pass of the second component, and wherein the first modified cutting path is for the first cutting pass of the second component.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutting parameter is a displacement speed of the wire-EDM electrode for at least one of the plurality of cutting passes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component is a turbine disc having a plurality of firtree profile slots.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cutting parameter is from one of the firtree profile slots having a fastest cutting time.

11. A system for Wire-electro discharge machining (EDM) components, the system comprising:
a processing unit; and
a non-transitory memory having stored thereon program instructions executable by the processing unit for:
machining a first component by moving a wire-EDM electrode along a first set of cutting paths associated with a plurality of cutting passes, the cutting paths determined based on a desired profile shape of the component;
obtaining a cutting parameter of the first component post-machining;
determining a first modified cutting path for a second component based on the cutting parameter; and
machining the second component by moving the wire-EDM electrode along a second set of cutting paths associated with the plurality of cutting passes, the second set of cutting paths comprising the first modified cutting path.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein determining a first modified cutting path comprises:
separating the profile shape of the component into a plurality of zones;
mapping the plurality of zones to the cutting parameter;
selecting at least one zone from the plurality of zones; and
determining an offset to be applied to an original cutting path for the at least one zone to obtain the first modified cutting path.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein determining the offset comprises selecting a positive or negative value to be added to the original cutting path for the at least one zone within a positive and negative offset limit.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein selecting at least one zone comprises comparing the cutting parameter to a reference and selecting at least one zone that deviates from the reference by more than a threshold.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing unit for:
obtaining a cutting parameter of the second component post-machining;
determining a second modified cutting path for a third component based on the cutting parameter of the second component; and
machining the third component by moving the wire-EDM electrode along a third set of cutting paths, the third set of cutting paths comprising the second modified cutting path.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of cutting passes comprises a first cutting pass, a second cutting pass, and a third cutting pass, and wherein the first modified cutting path is determined for the second component based on the cutting parameter of the first component associated with the second cutting pass or the third cutting pass.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first modified cutting path is determined based on the cutting parameter associated with the second cutting pass of the second component, and wherein the first modified cutting path is for the first cutting pass of the second component.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the cutting parameter is a displacement speed of the wire-EDM electrode for at least one of the plurality of cutting passes.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the component is a turbine disc having a plurality of firtree profile slots.

20. A method for wire-electro discharge machining (wire-EDM) components, the method comprising:
machining a first component by moving a wire-EDM electrode along a first set of cutting paths associated with a plurality of cutting passes, the cutting paths determined based on a desired profile shape of the component;
obtaining a displacement speed of the wire-EDM electrode for the first component post-machining;
determining a first modified cutting path for a second component based on the displacement speed; and
machining the second component using the first modified cutting path.

Assignees

• Pratt & Whitney Canada

Inventors

• Jean Joel
• Hardy Ghislain
• Ing Visal

Classifications

• G05B2219/45043

  EDM machine, wire cutting · CPC title

• G05B19/4097

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/45221

  Edm, electrical discharge machining, electroerosion, ecm, chemical · CPC title

• B23H7/20 Primary

  for program control, e.g. adaptive · CPC title

• B23H7/065

  Electric circuits specially adapted therefor · CPC title