What is EDM?

Electrical discharge machining

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) uses electrical discharge to remove material from blocks of metal and is also known as electro-discharge erosion.  

The basic process is really quite simple and can be very useful when considering different manufacturing methods for your design project.  

An electrical spark between the electrode and metal is created

Due to the electricity flow the spark generates heat up to 8000 – 12000 degrees Celsius (damn hot).  The spark however is very skillfully controlled and makes sure to only alter the very surface of the part.  Because of this the composition of the material below the surface is not affected by the heat.  

Wire EDM is another variation which is conducted while submerged in purified water (deionized). The water’s conductivity makes for a great dielectric environment for EDM.  The purified water also works as a coolant and helps erode irregularities in the material.

For more information and all your EDM needs the team at ALNO are happy to help.

Contact ALNO

 

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Australia’s productivity falls again

A United States Bureau of Labor Statistics report comparing 19 developed nations has ranked Australian manufacturing as the least productive.

The Australian Financial Review cites findings that Australia’s productivity fell four per cent last year – the biggest drop in any country – with only Japan and Italy also seeing negative results. 15 of the 19 countries had seen a positive result for last year.

The report measured “real value added in national currency units” to reduce exchange rates skewing results.
For the period 2007 to 2011, only Germany and Finland did worse than Australia, which saw a reduction in productivity of 0.5 per cent for the period.

The Czech Republic saw the greatest productivity growth for 2010-11, surging 10.1 per cent. It also managed productivity gains of between 8.3 and 13.0 per cent for every measured period in the report since 2000.

The United States’ manufacturing sector has bettered its productivity by 6.1 per cent for 2000-2007 and 3.8 per cent for 2007-2011. It has lately been seeing an industrial resurgence, which has been hailed by some as a “manufacturing renaissance”.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics report continues recent poor results for Australia’s manufacturing productivity when compared to other countries. Last month the Deloitte 2013 Global Manufacturing Index survey, pooling the views of 550 CEOs, showed Australia placing 16th in terms of how competitive it was perceived to be.