ETG Speeds-Up EDM Drilling With New Winbro Machine

6 February 2022

For manufacturers that need to produce holes and features in challenging materials and components, EDM drilling is often the only feasible solution when precision and component integrity is critical. Now, the Engineering Technology Group (ETG) introduces the Winbro HSD6-GT High-Speed EDM Drilling System from Winbro Group Technologies to accommodate such exacting demands on large components.

The Winbro HSD6-GT has been developed from the original and highly successful Winbro HSD6 platform to take advantage of the latest design, control and process concepts employed in high-speed EDM for large annular parts with a weight capacity up to 500kg. To accommodate heavy-duty parts, the Winbro HSD6-GT provides a spacious work envelope with 1050 by 540 by 720mm of travel in the X, Y and Z linear axes. To enable single-set up and drilling on all faces of the component, the machine also has a rotary A-axis of +210°/-60°, a B-axis of +100°/-200° and a continuous C-axis for unparalleled flexibility.

The next-generation Winbro HSD6-GT demonstrates industry-leading precision and repeatability with a linear and rotary accuracy of 0.015mm and 0.007° respectively. Equally impressive is the repeatability credentials of this machine with linear repeatability of 0.010mm and rotary repeatability of 0.003°. This uncompromising level of precision is the industry benchmark for high-speed EDM drilling and can be credited to several integrated innovations such as the patented 6-point probing system and optical on-machine inspection.

The patented 6-point probing system ensures accurate positioning of the component prior to drilling and allows precision positioning using simple fixturing systems. Complementing this is a laser opticator that provides complete optical on-machine inspection to guarantee accurate hole positioning. Whilst the laser opticator and 6-point probing system underpin the precision performance of the Winbro HSD6-GT, the integrated signature analysis system monitors drilling performance in real-time to reduce the requirement for manual inspection. The culmination of these exciting innovations provides complete process control and confidence for the end-user.

Perfect for the production of round holes, shaped oval holes and seal slots up to 5 times faster than conventional EDM machines, the Winbro HSD6-GT can precisely and efficiently create holes from 0.3mm to 25mm diameter and up to 100mm deep. Furthermore, with its advanced shaped hole generation technology, the HSD6-GT can generate complex 2D and 3D diffuser holes that are commonplace in the production of aerospace combustor components and large IGT blades and vanes.

The tooling system on this exciting new machine incorporates a single-point Automatic Electrode Change (AEC) system that can accommodate up to 12 electrodes. This works in conjunction with the multi-tool configuration that can support up to 45 individually-sensed tools. Additionally, the tooling system supports single-point rotating or static electrodes.