Wire Erosion

Wire erosion is a machining method for use on hard metals that would be almost impossible to machine with traditional techniques.  It is also sometimes known as EDM and ‘spark machining’ because of the way it works to shape the metal or work piece.

Wire erosion removes and shapes metal by producing a series of rapid and repetitive electrical discharges.  These discharges are passed between an electrode and the work piece, creating a set of successively deeper craters until the desired shape has been achieved.

Wire erosion is particularly well suited to cutting intricate shapes and contours that grinders and other cutting tools would have difficulty to produce.  Unfortunately wire erosion is a method that only works on materials that are electrically conductive though.