AMI MACHINING ARE EXPERTS IN SMALL HOLE ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING (HOLE POP)
Our small hole drilling capabilities include drilling deep holes through hard alloys, from all angles, using 0.004″ to 0.250″ diameter electrodes, to depths of 50 to 300 times diameter. Automatically, virtually burr-free.
Small hole EDM or “hole pop” EDM utilizes a hollow round electrode to EDM a hole through the workpiece. Like wire EDM, hole pop EDM uses spark erosion to remove material. Our machines use deionized water as a Dielectric fluid, which is pumped through the electrode during the EDM process for cooling and flushing of eroded particles.
CNC hole drilling EDM enables unattended drilling of multiple holes quickly and easily without the risks of manual positioning. Hole pop EDM is ideal for parts requiring start holes, vent holes, coolant holes, ejector-pin holes, or other blind holes. Instead of scrapping out expensive parts, broken taps and drill bits can be removed using small hole EDM.
AMI Machining’s Small Hole EDM Capabilities
- Capable of cutting most electrically conductive materials
- Machine hardened or heat-treated material
- Burr free holes
- Removal of broken drill bits and taps
- Coolant holes in hardened machine tool bits for taps, end mills, and drills
- Hole sizes as small as .13mm (.005″)
- Safety wire holes
- Holes through slanted or curved surfaces
- Oil galleries at up to 125x diameter
Contact Us to discuss your design and manufacturing needs.
Benefits of Small Hole EDM
Wire EDM Start Holes – Using small hole EDM multiple parts can be stacked to provide Wire EDM start holes; this multiplies productivity, saving you time and money.
These tungsten carbide parts were stacked 50 pieces tall using custom fixturing. A .4mm (.012″) diameter electrode was then used to drill a threading hole to Wire EDM the profile.
NO IMPACT CUTTING – Small Hole EDM allows the machining of hard, brittle, and fragile materials without impacts and stresses. Machining hardened or heat-treated material eliminates the risk of distortion from secondary treatments.
Speed and Consistency – EDM hole popping is perfect for fast, accurate, and deep hole drilling applications. Small holes once impossible to drill by conventional machine tools are now performed with EDM.