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Wire EDM of parts up to 10,000
lbs. and 27-1/2 in. thick
Adron was the first wire
EDM job shop to apply wire electrical discharge machining to ultra-large
work pieces, which can weigh up to 10,000 lbs. As the first US shop
to utilize the largest EDM machine available, the Mitsubishi 400H1,
Adron has more than a dozen years experience in working with very
large precision parts for every industry from aerospace to consumer
products. Our contouring capacity is 32 in. x 40 in. x 18 in. thick.
We also have permanently modified a Mitsubishi 110HA to accept parts
up to 27-1/2 in. thick, with full taper capability up to 21-1/2
in.
Tall Parts
Pushing the
envelope for wire EDM capabilities in throughput time, work piece
size, and intricacy is Adron’s mission. This 38 in. thick part
illustrates our “no limits” philosophy of wire EDM and our
capability to accomplish what other shops would term “impossible”
jobs. We modified a Mitsubishi 110 bridge machine by increasing it
10 in. to cut up to 22 in. with full tapering. With some unique
modifications, still on the machine in the tank, we were able to cut
38 in. deep hourglass shaped openings through an aluminum part. This
out-of-the-ordinary job was critical to the success of the
customer’s project.
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Heavyweight Parts
A 10,000-lb. part has become
a typical Adron job. We have had 9,600-lb. molds on our largest Mitsubishi
machine, which we modified for cutting big molds and parts. This 8,700-pound,
40 in. x 46 in. x 16 in. thick block is typical of the large core
and cavity work Adron performs for the plastic injection mold industry.
Our wire EDM reduced the number of operations from six to two and
did not destroy the core, which in this case weighs 2,300 lbs. This
mold is for a residential recycling bin.
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Large cutting dimensions
The large
cutting dimensions of the Mitsubishi 400 made it ideal for a 2-1/2
lbs., 28 in. diameter part for NASA’s Genesis Mission. We were able
to complete the job in one set-up, assuring accuracy.
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Precise alignment of
curved 36 in. lengths
For metal sculptor Merlin
Rostad, wire EDM achieved the precise alignment he desired. Forty-nine
curved lengths were cut from a single block of aircraft grade aluminum
measuring 13-1/2 in. x 13-1/2 in. x 36 inches tall.
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Thin ribs
We have cut
a number of 22-in. thick parts with thin ribs for wind tunnel
balances, on the machine, contained, and holding tolerances. For the
NASA wind tunnel component shown here, we cut precision strain gage
ribs through 22-inch stainless steel.
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