With modern wire EDM machines utilizing CNC (the Computer Control, or the brains of the machine if you will) for production, there is a user-interface device, the computer, where the worker will input the required data for design that will eventually guide the wire EDM machine during the passes and cuts in the process of creating the final product. Moreover, like any computer today, software is needed to run the equipment. This is no different in wire EDM. The CNC Controller and the software application comprise the wire EDM technology. In much the same way that many different software applications for word processing or email exist, so to are there numerous wire EDM technology software applications for wire EDM machine CNC controllers, nearly all of which integrate with varying AutoCAD or similar CAD/CAM software. Today, developers can create the object in AutoCAD, designing tensile strength, variances, etc. and provide that to a wire EDM shop that will then plug this design into the wire EDM Technology software, which will in turn drive the machine, turning out the final product. Some of the more popular wire EDM technology software applications today, which are typically supported on Windows Operating System machines, include: -PEPS Wire EDM, developed and distributed by Camtek -VISI-wire, developed and distributed by Vero International Software -TracTrix, developed and distributed by Trixsystems Each wire EDM machine CNC controller will have its own requirements as to what software can be used. However, nearly all software today can incorporate and use files with numerous extensions, e.g. ".DWG" files from AutoCAD, to decrease the time from development to production. Furthermore, by being able to pull the commands for wire EDM from the developer's CAD file, the final product will have no variance from the developer's final vision of that product before production. |
