EDM Fluid Level Control via Reservoir Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques for wire electrical discharge machines fail to accurately determine the total machining fluid amount, leading to potential overflow and quality changes during fluid addition, which can affect machining accuracy and productivity.
Innovation Solution
An electrical discharge machine with a machining fluid adding system that specifies and adds a controlled amount of fluid based on reservoir capacity and current levels, preventing overflow and minimizing quality changes, using sensors and valves to manage fluid addition during specific permission periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the machining fluid surface is monitored using float switch or voltage detection in each reservoir, then the fluid level can be controlled, but the total machining fluid amount cannot be determined accurately leading to potential overflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple reservoirs into a single controlled system where the total fluid amount is managed collectively. The control unit integrates information from all reservoirs and coordinates the adding device to add fluid to the appropriate reservoir based on overall system needs, preventing overflow while maintaining accurate total amount control.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it monitors fluid levels in individual reservoirs, calculates total fluid amount, determines which reservoir needs refilling, controls the adding device, and prevents overflow. This multi-functional approach resolves the contradiction by centralizing control intelligence.
2Productivity
If machining fluid is added during machining, then continuous operation can be maintained, but fluid quality may greatly change affecting machining accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors fluid levels continuously and prepares to add fluid before the reservoir becomes completely empty. By detecting low fluid levels in advance and adding fluid proactively, the system maintains continuous operation while preventing the quality degradation that would occur with delayed addition or overflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time feedback from fluid level detection to control the adding device. The control unit continuously monitors reservoir levels and adjusts fluid addition based on actual conditions, ensuring fluid is added at optimal times to maintain quality while enabling continuous machining operation.
3Ease of operation
If only the surface of machining fluid in each reservoir is monitored, then individual reservoir levels can be controlled, but overflow occurs when fluid returns from machining tank
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested control structure where individual reservoir monitoring is nested within an overall system control framework. Each reservoir has its own level detection, but the control unit provides an outer layer of coordination that monitors total fluid amount and controls the adding device to prevent overflow in any reservoir while managing the entire system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures continuous unattended operation with high-precision machining by preventing reservoir overflow and maintaining fluid quality, allowing for accurate and controlled machining fluid replenishment.
Implementation Method 1
a voltage application device configured to apply voltage between the electrode and the grounded machining tank and/or table, and the grounded machining tank and/or table
Implementation Method 2
a voltage is applied to a machining gap between an electrode and the workpiece to generate electrical discharge, whereby the workpiece is subjected to machining
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical discharge machine of the present invention is provided with a machining tank stored with a machining fluid in which a workpiece is immersed for electrical discharge machining, a reservoir unit configured to store the machining fluid in order to supply to and recover the machining fluid from the machining tank, a machining tank non-storage condition detecting unit configured to detect that the machining fluid is not stored in the machining tank, an addable amount specifying unit configured to specify the amount of the machining fluid stored in the reservoir unit when it is detected that the machining fluid is not stored in the machining tank and specify an addable amount, which is an addable machining fluid amount, based on the capacity of the reservoir unit and the amount of the machining fluid stored in the reservoir unit, and a machining fluid adding unit configured to add the machining fluid in the addable amount or less.