Hole popping in a variety of materials can have varying results and sometimes becomes very frustrating. There are a couple of things users can do to make this process a little easier:
1). Brass tubes (Electrodes) can be used for steel for 90 % of your applications down to .008 diameter. We found that by going to copper electrodes below .008” wear rate improves and burn rate remains. The wear rate becomes extremely important in small hole applications. For harder material such as Carbide, it is strongly recommended to use Copper tubes as the wear rate using brass is more then double.
2). Most Hole Poppers filter the dielectric and never control the conductivity. Unstable conductivity causes erratic burn rates as well as increased wear. Keeping the dielectric too low can also have an effect on cutting speed. There are many ways to control this very important aspect to control and stabilize your burn:
- Control the conductivity with a separate filtration system that incorporates a resin system
- Using additives that increase conductivity can also help with burn rates in harder material. Many EDM consumable distributors carry additives just make sure you discuss your application so the proper recommendation can be made
To summarize, using the proper electrode material and dielectric have huge effects on burn rate as well as wear rate. Choosing the right combination is the key ingredient!
