L-Shaped Curved Hole Creation by Means of Electrical Discharge Machining and an Electrode Curved Motion Generator

The study deals with the manufacture of curved holes for water channels in moulds, which are difficult to machine. As holes are generally formed by drilling operations, curved holes are formed approximately as a combination of straight holes, which leads to interference with the smooth stream of coolant and also the low efficiency and unstable performance of cooling of the mould. To solve the problem and to create a curved hole, we devised a simple mechanism, which consists of a helical compression spring, wires, pulleys, and an electrode for electrical discharge machining, which is installed on an electrical discharge machine (EDM). The device allows the electrode to move along a curved line. From experimental results, it is found that the device enables the machining of a curved hole. In addition, the device can make an L-shaped curved hole by connecting two curved holes machined from two perpendicular directions.