Absolute’s EDM Technical Director Answers Programming Question for EDM Today Magazine

Mark Cicchetti, Absolute Machine Tools’ EDM technical director, was asked by EDM Today Magazine to weigh in on a question about EDM Programming. Find out what he had to say below!

Question: Can I start my program somewhere in the middle with skims and bypass all the first cuts? Also, how do I set the E-Cond and Wire Offsets if the header in the program gets bypassed?

Mark’s Answer: All the AccuteX wire EDM machines have a function called N-CODE SET, which is found on the Monitor Screen. For AU, EZ and SP models, there is a 3 step process.

• Use the S.PT button on the remote to return back to the program start point.
• Find the sequence number where you would like to begin. Usually, it’s the line after the M20/M60 AWT command. Go to the Command Line and type M (move to) N (sequence number) followed by the sequence number, and press enter. The machine will move directly to the Thread Point or Start Point for that operation.
• From the Monitor Screen, press the N-CODE SET and type the desired sequence number and press enter. The control will begin quickly reading from the top, setting all the E-Cond, Wire Offset registers and any other user variables in the program. Use the AWT button to thread the wire if necessary, and press CYCLE START from the remote and you are off and running.

AccuteX has simplified the function on newer models. The AL, GE and AU series incorporate all the steps into one function.

• From the Monitor Screen select N-CODE SET and type the desired sequence number. Highlight the SET N Code and Move option and click OK. Click the USE MEMORIZED (1ST START POINT).

The control will begin quickly reading from the top, setting all the E-Cond, Wire Offset registers and any other user variables in the program, then rapid directly to the proper location. Use the AWT button to thread the wire if necessary, and press CYCLE START from the remote.  You are now off and running!

Have more questions for Mark about EDM operations or looking for your next wire EDM machine? Contact him today at mcicchetti@absolutemachine.com.