More successful Hufschmiedworkshop
Bobingen, April 25, 2025 – On April 8, 2025, the Technology Center of the Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme in Bobingen in Augsburg, the focus was on the efficient production of electrodes for EDM. In addition to the presentation of the special tools Graftor and C-Razor, the focus was also on materials, machines, and CAM strategies. Hufschmied Partner invited: Gustav Blome GmbH, MHT GmbH Merz & Haag, OPEN MIND Technologies AG, REGO-FIX AG, Röders GmbH and Zimmer & Kreim GmbH & Co. KG.
The workshop's theme was "Graphite vs. Copper – Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of copper and graphite in electrode manufacturing." Before the host presented his specialized tools theoretically and in a live demonstration, representatives from the partner companies spoke. The speaker from Gustav Blome, a specialized supplier of EDM equipment, opened with a presentation on graphite. OPEN MIND presented the module and process for programming electrodes in the CAD/CAM system. hyperMILL. Röders Tec, whose machine was later used for milling, explained machine technology and its importance for the cost-effective production of precise electrodes. REGO-FIX focused on tool clamping, and MHT on optimal cooling and lubrication.
Live demo
The demo component, shaped like a wristwatch, was milled on the Röders Tec RXP 501 DS, once from graphite and once from copper. With the Graftor tools, feed rates of up to 8200 mm/min at 24 rpm were achieved. The copper milling also impressed with its speed. For example, trochoidal roughing achieved 000 mm/min at 11 rpm. The special tools for both graphite and copper are combined roughing/finishing tools. Their special geometries, combined with the selected milling paths, machining conditions, and parameters, ensure exceptionally smooth operation. The participants were able to see for themselves that this results in outstanding surface finishes.
"Of course, we weren't able to definitively settle the debate about whether copper or graphite is the better choice for electrodes. However, we were able to demonstrate through highly efficient processes that the economic viability of electrode production is becoming less and less of a counterargument," says Christel Hufschmied, managing director of the Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme GmbH"I think it has become clear that machining strategies, the selection of the right tools, and a high-precision machine expand the possibilities of electrode production and thus also of sinking EDM, both technically and economically."
