JPH09253936A - Manufacture of electric discharge machining electrode - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture an electric discharge processing electrode in a short term of works by forming a sheet material into each sectional form on the basis of the three-dimensional form data of the electric discharge processing electrode, and applying a conductive metal coat on the surface of the sheet layered product. SOLUTION: A master model 13 is designed by a three-dimensional CAD 12, and an electrode 14 is designed from the master model 13 by the three- dimensional CAD 12. The three-dimensional CAD data of this electrode 14 is loaded on a high-speed three-dimensional molding machine 15. The high-speed three-dimensional molding machine 15 forms a slice data from the three- dimensional CAD data, cuts a sheet such as paper into sectional forms by laser, and adheres them together to form an electrode model 1. A surface treatment coat layer 2, a chemical copper plating layer 3 and an electric copper plating layer 4 are formed on this electrode model 1 in this order.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electric discharge machining electrode in which electric discharge is caused between an electrode and a workpiece in a machining liquid to remove the material at a portion facing the electrode for machining. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In electrical discharge machining, it is easy to machine a two-dimensional or three-dimensional complex shape, there is no direction for finishing, and mirror finishing is possible depending on the machining conditions of the material.

Electrodes used in this electric discharge machining are made of copper, silver tungsten, conductive metal materials such as copper tungsten or graphite, and as a machining method for these electrodes, a machine for turning, milling and grinding according to a master model. Using the processing method and the master model (female mold) made of wood or gypsum, take the electroformed mother mold (male mold) with resin, rubber, and gypsum, and subject the surface to electroconductivity treatment (etching and chemical copper plating). After that, there is a copper electroforming method in which a copper plating layer is formed on the surface of the electrode reinforcing material using this electroforming mother die.

[0004]

In any of the above-mentioned conventional electrode machining methods, a master model is required, and this master model is made by hand, and the master model is manually shaped. The construction period is long. In either method, the construction period is lengthened by the amount of making the inverted type, and as a result, the cost is high.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to manufacture an electrode for electric discharge machining at a low cost in a short construction period without manual work.

[0006]

The method of the present invention for achieving the above object comprises the steps of forming a sheet-like material in the shape of each cross section based on the three-dimensional shape data of an electric discharge machining electrode, The method is characterized by comprising a step of laminating and adhering sheet materials to form a sheet laminate, and a step of applying a conductive metal coating to the surface of the sheet laminate.

The step of applying a conductive metal coating to the surface of the sheet laminate is a step of subjecting the sheet laminate to a surface treatment, and a step of applying a conductive metal coating by chemical plating,
Further, it comprises a step of applying a conductive metal film by electroplating.

The step of applying a conductive metal coating to the surface of the sheet laminate is a step of subjecting the sheet laminate to a surface treatment, a step of applying a conductive metal coating by sputtering, and further a step of electroplating to provide conductivity. And a step of applying a metal coating.

Further, the step of applying a conductive metal coating on the surface of the sheet laminate comprises a step of applying a conductive metal coating by thermal spraying.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 6 is an example of an electrode manufactured by the method of the present invention, and 1 is an electrode model formed into a required shape by a sheet laminate. A surface treatment coating layer 2, a chemical copper plating layer 3 and an electrolytic copper plating layer 4 are formed in this order on the surface of the electrode model 1. FIG. 2 is a top view of the electrode model 1 having the shape shown in FIG.
A cross-sectional shape, FIG. 3 is a BB cross-sectional shape of a central portion, and FIG. 4 is a CC cross-sectional shape of a lower portion.

FIG. 5 shows electric discharge machining by the electrode 6,
7 is a processing tank containing the processing liquid 8. This processing tank 7
The work W is placed on the bottom of the inside, and the electrode 6 mounted on the electrode holder 9 that is moved forward and backward by the electrode feed motor 10 and the work W are connected to the discharge generator 11, and the electrode 6 is brought close to the work W, An electric discharge is generated between the electrode 6 and the work W in the machining liquid 8 so that the material of the portion facing the electrode 6 is
It is removed according to the shape of and processed.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing the electrode 6 of FIG. 1 used in the above-mentioned electric discharge machining at a low cost in a short construction period without manual work.
The manufacturing method will be described below.

First, the outline of the method for forming the electrode model 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The master model 13 is designed by the three-dimensional CAD 12, and the electrode 14 is designed by the three-dimensional CAD 12 from the master model. Three-dimensional C of this electrode 14
Load AD data into the high-speed 3D molding machine 15
The electrode model 1 is modeled by the three-dimensional molding machine 15.

The high-speed three-dimensional molding machine 15 (Lamina)
ted Object Manufacturing)
Creates slice data from 3D CAD data,
This is a machine for cutting a sheet of paper or the like into a cross-sectional shape with a laser and laminating them to make a model, which is hereinafter abbreviated as LOM15.

The structure of the LOM 15 is, as shown in FIG. 6, a table 30 which is moved upward by a table lifting motor 31 connected to a height encoder 32, and a laser X-axis feed which is arranged above the table 30. Motor 2
5, a laser 24 controlled in the XY axis direction by the laser 5 and the laser Y-axis feed motor 26, and a limit switch 28 which is controlled in the X-axis direction by the heater roller feed motor 29 in parallel with the laser 24. And a heater roller 27 that is installed.

Further, a roll-shaped sheet rotating motor 34 for rewinding the roll-shaped sheet 33 in which the adhesive-coated sheet is wound in a roll shape, and a rewound sheet 33a are provided above the table 30. Laser 2
4 and below the heater roller 27, a guide roller 35 that feeds and runs between the roller 4 and the heater roller 27, a feed roller 36 that is rotated by a sheet feed motor 37, and a discharge sheet winding motor 39
And a take-up shaft 38 for taking up the sheet 33a that is discharged by passing through the feed roller 36.

The laser X-axis feed motor 25, the laser Y-axis feed motor 26, the heater roller feed motor 2
9, a table raising motor 31, a roll-shaped sheet rotating motor 34, a sheet feeding motor 37, and a discharge sheet winding motor 39 are connected online to a three-dimensional CAD.
It is controlled by the control device 50 incorporated in the LOM 15 which inputs the three-dimensional CAD data of the floppy transferred from 12.

A method of forming the electrode model 1 by the LOM 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 15. In FIG. 7, the sheet feed motor 37 and the roll-shaped sheet rotation motor 34 are interlocked to feed the sheet 33a by a set pitch. When the sheet 33a is fed by the sheet feeding motor 37, the torque becomes less than or equal to the torque set by a torque limiter (not shown), so that the rotation of the discharged sheet winding motor 39 is transmitted to the winding shaft 38 via the torque limiter. The sheet 33a is wound up. When the sheet 33a is wound up in this manner, the torque becomes higher than the set value, and the rotation of the discharge sheet winding motor 39 slips by the torque limiter.

In FIG. 8, the limit switch 28 is being modeled by the heater roller feeding motor 29.
It is moved to a position where it can contact a. Further, when the table 30 is raised by the table raising motor 31 and the limit switch 28 hits the model 1a during modeling, the table 3 is moved.
The rise of 0 stops.

In FIG. 9, the heater roller 27 is reciprocated in the X-axis direction by the heater roller feeding motor 29 to melt the adhesive (hot melt) on the back surface of the sheet 33a and attach the sheet 33a to the modeling model 1a.

In FIG. 10, the laser X-axis feed motor 25 and the laser Y-axis feed motor 26 move the laser 24 in the X- and Y-axis line directions to produce a laser beam 24a.
The sheet 33a is cut into the sectional shape of the electrode 14 by.

By repeating the above operation, the modeling model 1a is provided with a large number of cut edges 40 and cut lines of the outer frame 41 as shown in FIG. 11, and the sheet laminated body 1b as shown in FIG. Is obtained.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the outer frame 41 is removed, and as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the cut edges 40 are sequentially removed to obtain the electrode model 1 composed of the sheet laminated body 1b. Of.

Now, it is necessary to apply a conductive metal film such as copper on the surface of the electrode model 1 formed by the LOM 15.
As a method for forming the conductive metal coating such as copper, electroplating or plasma spraying is suitable. In the electroplating method, it is necessary to pretreat the surface of the electrode model 1 made of the sheet laminated body 1b.

In this pretreatment, as shown in FIG. 16, the surface of the electrode model 1 is brushed with a resin-based paint (a). This is to fill the steps on the surface of the electrode model 1 to facilitate plating.

Next, the electrode model 1 is dipped (b) in the degreasing liquid tank 16 to remove the hand grease and the like, and then immersed (c) in the chemical etching tank 17 to impart hydrophilicity. Further, it is immersed (d) in the sensitivity-imparting liquid tank 18 to adsorb a reducing metal salt,
Finally, it is immersed (e) in the activation imparting liquid tank 19 to adsorb a metal having a catalytic action (gold, silver, palladium, rhodium, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 17, the surface-treated electrode model 1 was treated with copper sulfate, Rochelle salt, formaldehyde,
The chemical copper plating tank 20 containing the stabilizer is dipped to form the chemical copper plating layer 3, and further, as shown in FIG. The electrolytic copper plating layer 4 is applied by immersing it in the electrolytic copper plating bath 21. (Claim 2)

Further, as another method, FIG.
The electrode model 1 whose surface is coated with a resin-based paint is coated with a urethane-based paint so that copper is easily attached to the surface of the electrode model 1, and the surface treatment is performed. As shown in FIG. A copper target 44 as a raw material and an electrode model 1 which faces the copper target 44 and is rotated by a rotary motor 45 are arranged, the copper target 44 is negatively applied to blow argon gas into the vacuum chamber 43, and a vacuum pump is pulled. Then, the copper target 44 is hit with argon gas to cause copper particles of the material to fly out, and a copper coating similar to the chemical copper plating layer 3 is sputtered on the surface of the rotating electrode model 1 to perform electrolytic copper plating. The electrolytic copper plating layer 4 is formed in the bath 21. (Claim 3)

In this case, (b) to (e) shown in FIG.
The process and the pretreatment step of the process of FIG. 17 are omitted, and the process of FIG.
Since only the step of brush-painting the resin-based paint on the surface of (a) is completed, the period of the pretreatment step is shortened.

In the above-described embodiment, the chemical plating and the electroplating or the chemical plating and the sputtering are used together because the chemical plating or the sputtering alone cannot form a film having a thickness necessary for electric discharge machining. Is.

Further, as another method, the electrode model 1 shown in FIGS. 16A to 16E and FIG.
As shown in (1), an argon gas and copper powder are introduced, and an ultrahigh temperature jet is ejected from a nozzle 42 composed of a cathode and an anode to form a copper coating on the surface of the electrode model 1 by plasma spraying. (Claim 4)

In this case, (b) to (e) shown in FIG.
The processing and the pretreatment steps of the processing of FIG. 17 are omitted, and LOM1
Only one step of forming a copper coating on the surface of the electrode model 1 shaped in 5 by the plasma spraying method is required, which also shortens the construction period remarkably. The thermal spraying method is not limited to the above plasma thermal spraying method, and a gas thermal spraying method or an arc thermal spraying method can be applied.

In the present invention, the master model is machined by hand, and the master model is used in a much shorter period of time and at a lower cost than the conventional method of machining the electrode by the machining method or the copper electroforming method. Can be manufactured in.

The fact that it can be manufactured in this short period of time and at low cost is of course advantageous for the manufacture of electrodes for electrical discharge machining of the product of the final design, and a trial product in which trial and error is repeated is produced. It is extremely useful as an electrode for electrical discharge machining.

The sheet material of the electrode model 1 modeled by LOM15 is not only the paper coated with the adhesive, but also the resin sheet coated with the adhesive, the metal sheet, or the sheet made of ceramic and resin. The one coated with an adhesive is used.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to form a master model or an inversion model of an electrode used for electric discharge machining by hand, and even an electrode having a complicated shape can be produced in a short period of time. It can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an example of an electrode manufactured by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG.

FIG. 5: State diagram of electrical discharge machining

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view of the method of the present invention.

FIG. 7

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an electrode model forming process.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a surface treatment process of an electrode model.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a surface treatment process of an electrode model.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of an electroplating process for applying a conductive metal film to an electrode model.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of a sputtering process of applying a conductive metal film to an electrode model.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of a plasma spraying process of applying a conductive metal coating to an electrode model.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Electrode Model 1a Model during Modeling 1b Sheet Laminate 2 Surface Treatment Coating Layer 3 Chemical Copper Plating Layer 4 Electrocopper Plating Layer 12 3D CAD 15 High Speed 3D Molding Machine (LOM) 16 Degreasing Liquid Tank 17 Chemical Etching Tank 18 Sensitive Application liquid tank 19 Activation application liquid tank 20 Chemical copper plating tank 21 Electrolytic copper plating tank 24 Laser 27 Heater roller 30 Table 33a Sheet 42 Nozzle (plasma spraying) 43 Vacuum tank 50 Control device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A step of forming a sheet-shaped material in a shape of each cross-section based on three-dimensional shape data of an electric discharge machining electrode,
A method of manufacturing an electric discharge machining electrode, comprising: a step of laminating and adhering the sheet materials to form a sheet laminate; and a step of applying a conductive metal coating to the surface of the sheet laminate. 2. The step of applying a conductive metal coating to the surface of the sheet laminate, the step of subjecting the sheet laminate to a surface treatment, the step of applying a conductive metal coating by chemical plating, and the further step of conducting by electroplating. The method for producing an electrode for electric discharge machining according to claim 1, comprising a step of applying a conductive metal coating. 3. The step of applying a conductive metal coating to the surface of the sheet laminate, the step of subjecting the sheet laminate to a surface treatment, the step of applying a conductive metal coating by sputtering, and further the conductivity by electroplating. The method for producing an electrode for electric discharge machining according to claim 1, comprising a step of applying a metal coating. 4. The method of manufacturing an electrode for electrical discharge machining according to claim 1, wherein the step of applying a conductive metal film on the surface of the sheet laminate comprises a step of applying a conductive metal film by thermal spraying.