Materials and Sinker EDM: what works and what does not
Sinker EDM is a spark erosion process that forms a cavity with a shaped electrode in dielectric fluid. It is used for producing blind cavities, deep ribs and fine detail in hardened material. This entry explains what it is, what the numbers on a data sheet mean, and what to put on a drawing.
It is written from the point of view of the buyer and the drawing office: the values that are realistic in production, the ones that cost money, and the way the result is verified. Where an industry sets the requirement, oil and gas is used as the example: materials that work harden and still have to be certified.
What works with it
The material and the process are chosen together. For work involving Sinker EDM the usual choice is H13 tool steel, for the reason that electrode manufacture and the number of electrodes.
- %s – the default, because it balances cost, availability and machinability.
- Stainless grades – chosen where corrosion resistance or cleaning rules decide the material.
- Aluminium grades – chosen where weight or thermal conductivity matters more than strength.
- Engineering plastics – chosen where insulation, weight or chemical resistance is the point.
What to watch
Material behaviour changes the process before it changes the drawing. A grade that work hardens needs a different tool geometry and a different feed, and a certificate requirement such as in-house approval with dimensional reports has to be on the order before the bar is cut.
| Specification | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Typical tolerance | ±0.01 mm, ±0.005 mm with a finishing circuit |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.4 to 3.2 µm |
| Corner radius | 0.05 mm achievable with a sharp electrode |
| Metal removal rate | up to 400 mm³/min roughing |
| Electrode wear | 0.1 to 1 per cent in finishing |
| Recast layer | 5 to 50 µm, removed where the part is loaded |
Applications
Sinker EDM is used for producing blind cavities, deep ribs and fine detail in hardened material, and in practice it appears most often in mould cavities, forging dies, turbine components, deep ribbed housings.
How it fits into a machining route
Sinker EDM is one operation in a sequence: roughing to leave even stock, any stress relieving the geometry needs, semi finishing, then the finishing operation that holds the tolerance. The order is what keeps the result stable as the machine warms up and the batch runs.The route is fixed before the first part is cut, and it is the route rather than the individual setting that holds the result: electrode manufacture and the number of electrodes. Where a drawing calls for something the route cannot hold economically, that is raised at quotation rather than after the parts are made.
Standards, documentation and what is issued
The documentation requirement is in-house approval with dimensional reports. Material is supplied against a certificate where the application calls for it, inspection results are recorded with the job, and the records are kept so that a repeat order can be compared with the first instead of being measured from scratch.
CMM and a comparator for the profile is the verification step. Where a customer format or a standard report is required, it is agreed before the batch starts, because a report written after the event is a report nobody can use.
Frequently asked questions
What tolerance should be specified for Sinker EDM?
±0.01 mm is realistic in production. Tightening it beyond the functional requirement increases cost without improving the part.
Which material is usually used?
H13 tool steel is the usual choice, supplied against in-house approval with dimensional reports.
How is the result verified?
CMM and a comparator for the profile, with the results recorded so a repeat order can be compared with the first.
What is the most common mistake?
The recast layer left on a fatigue loaded part.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
A realistic cycle is 4 to 20 hours for a cavity, and the cost driver is electrode manufacture and the number of electrodes.
Related capability
If you are specifying Sinker EDM on a drawing and want a second opinion on the route, send the model and the quantity. The first response is a manufacturability review with the likely risk points and a quotation, so the decision can be made on facts rather than on a price alone.
Machining, inspection and documentation are handled in one place, which is why the dimensional report and the material certificate arrive with the parts rather than after them.
Related entries
These entries sit next to Sinker EDM in the encyclopedia: Reaming and Boring, Honing, Duplex 2205 Stainless Steel. Reading them together gives a fuller picture of how the process, the material and the measurement affect each other.
