Productivity

Improvement in SEDM

Himanshu Arora
LIP Intern
ATL – ASW 2018
 Objectives

• Reducing on machine Setup

time
• Offline setup
Improve OEE • Electrode Preset
• Reducing on machine
of SEDM by- programming time
• ESPER Implementation
• Reducing human
intervention to avoid errors
Die Sinking Electrical Discharge Machine ( SEDM)

The basic EDM process is really quite simple. An electrical spark

is created between an electrode and a work piece placed in a
dielectric medium. This electric spark produces intense
heat which melts and erodes the material in the proximity.

Various Parameters Advantages of SEDM Disadvantages of SEDM

Flushing Ability to machine intricate High power consumption
Impulse Current shapes with close tolerances Low MRR
Spark Gap Ability to machine very hard Additional cost for making
materials electrodes
Polarity
No damage caused to the Poor visibility over the
Electrode Material work piece machined part for the operator
Good surface finish to observe the process

What is Setup time?

Setup time it the time it takes to go from making the last work piece in the previous
production run to efficiently making the first good work piece in the next production run.
 Benefits of Offline Setting and Programming

Increase Improve
Incorporating Increase
company’s machining
JIT Profits.
productivity flexibility.

Double benefits No need of Can run any job Hours saved =

as savings in Inventory. at any time Profits Increased
setup time Making the without
provides and components overtaxing the
equivalent available at the operator or
increase in point of machine
production time requirement
 Analysing the cost of existing setup method
The company is currently spending a great percentage of each machine’s available time in setup.

Average time spend in setup on

each machine in a day(mins) 180 Available Time
Time saved by making offline
setup per machine (mins) 153
SEDM Mitsubishi machine
running cost per minute (rupees) 15
20.45%
Machining hours lost per month 63.75
79.55%
Machining hours lost in a year 765 Machining
Monetary lost per month on Time
both Mitsubishi machines Setup Time
combined due to setup time 1,14,750
Time lost on each machine for
programming(mins) 20
Monetary lost per month due to
programming time 15000
 What exactly is Presetting or Offline Setting?
Inline Set – Up –
Aligning ,Centering, Programming and Measuring electrode height on the machine itself.

Offline Set – Up –
Doing all the above activities away from the machine on a separate presetting station and
using the machine only for active machining.

Measurement 1
Offline Set-up Setup 1
Machining 1
Measurement 2
Setup 2
Machining 2
Inline Set - up Measuremnt 3
Setup 3
Machining 3
0 5 10 15 20
 Proposed Flow Chart

ROEDERS Electrode

Work
Offset
MACHINE
CMM CMM
SHOP(SEDM)
Electrode
Final
Preset
Inspection
EDM
program
Presetting
Station PROGRAMMING
Workpiece
CELL
(EROWA
Components) • ESPER EPX
Implementation
• Smart Electrode
 Presetting Trials

Trial 1 – Only taking the

work offset

Trial 2 – Only taking the

Stages of Implementation electrode preset

Trial 3 – Only implementing

offline programming (EPX
file generation)

Trial 4 – Taking everything

offline
Presetting Apparatus

Workpiece

Pallet

Chuck
 Trial 1 – Work Off Set
Meeting the prerequisites – Getting an Ideal Setup for the Presetting station

Setting up of Pneumatic
Connection and a Manual Preparing the measuring top and slider
Control Unit for the EROWA assembly
UPC
 Trial 1 - Work Off Set
Checking alignment
Taking work offset
in Z – axis using Dial
using CMM
Indicator
 Trial 1 - Work Off Set
Entering the Work off set
Preset Setting on
manually or importing
Machine
from Preset folder
 Trial 1- Work Off Set

Test on Machine

Attained
incorrect
Machining
coordinates
 Earlier Method of Electrode Setup
It takes 2 minutes for setting up each electrode and there are a
number of electrodes to be used for each job.
 Trial 2 – Electrode Preset
PROGRAM MADE IN
ELECTRODE PRESET
ESPERADVANCE WITH TEST ON MACHINE
TAKEN IN CMM
ELECTRODE PRESET

Correct
Correct
Machining
machining
Coordinates
coordinates
achieved
achieved
 Issues with the current setup

Measuring top is made of

Cast Iron and gets rusted EROWA Fixtures are heavy
and dirt accumulates in The current setup only and difficult to transport
between the slider allows alignment in z axis. from the presetting station
assembly; this often leads to the CMM machine.
to incorrect alignment.

Suggested Changes

Use of trolley based Use of a an automation

Use of a fixture that
measuring top made of or manual transport
allows alignment in axis
granite for high system for effortless
other than z as well.
precision. transfer of work piece.
 EROWA Presetting Fixtures
Fixture
UPC pallet ALU
Self Centring Vise 148P
Self Centring Vise 85P
Quick Chuck
Manual Control Unit
Clamp Set Base
Clamp Set Block
Clamp Set Jaw
Quick Chuck 50
Horizontal Holder
Clamp Set jaws
Universal Power Chuck
Chuck 50 RSA with base Application example of Self Centering Vise – Clamping multiple jobs
plate
Pallet Kit
Jaws for SCV
Power Chuck
UPC Magnetic Pallet
Realising the true potential of EROWA fixtures -Using the EROWA
fixtures efficiently
Price (INR)
700000

600000

500000

400000

300000

200000

100000

Total price comes out about Rupees 31.67 lakhs

 The Cost of Presetting

Investment Pay Off(Returns)

Average time spend in setup on each
machine in a day(mins) 180
EROWA fixtures 31,66,261 Time saved by making offline
presetting per machine (mins) 153
SEDM Mitsubishi Machine cost per
3d Presetting Station 50,000 minute (900/hr) 15
Hours saved per month 63.75
Total Fixed Costs 32,16,261 Hours saved in a year 765
CMM cost per Cost saving( per month) due to saved
minute(700 /hr) 11.66 time on both machines combined 11,4750
Time saved per day by offline
Time required per programming through EPX on each
day(minutes) 40.00 machine(mins) 20
Cost saving by offline programming
Variable Costs(CMM) per per month for both machines 15,000
month 11,660 Cost saving due to 1 less operator 22,000
Total cost saving per month 1,51,750
 Breaking Even
Fixed Costs (Initial Variable Costs Cost Savings per
Investment on per month for month or Pay Off per
EROWA components using CMM month due to time
and Presetting (INR) saved (INR)
station (INR)
32,16,261 11,660 1,51,750

Break Even 23
4000000
Months
3500000

3000000

2500000

2000000

1500000

1000000

500000

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Total Cost Payoff

 Conclusion
23 months is a very long time to break even. In order to fully
realise the benefits of presetting; we need to apply it to not
only on the SEDM machines but also on the VMC and Wire
EDM machines. But since it would be difficult to implement
such a change on such a large level ;what we can do is that
we first apply it to only the SEDM machines for the first six
months and then move over to other machines.

We can also establish a separate department for handling the

presetting process and allocate separate space and operators who
will solely work for presetting.

As seen in the trials ; the operators and supervisors are not very
willing and open to implementing this new method of presetting.
So they need to be educated and enlightened about offline setting
and its benefits in the long run.
Thank you