Rock Deformation – Direct Shear Component

Project Name: Rock Deformation – Direct Shear Component

Industry Sector:
Research – Environmental Science (Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences)

Our client has a worldwide reputation for excellence and is at the leading edge of research into experimental rock deformation. They work with the layers of rock inside the earth, producing conditions from the brittle crust to the upper mantle, in order to help understand earthquakes, mountain building and mantle flow. Most of the equipment they use is designed and manufactured in the UK.

Client Requirement:
From a stock 20.0 x 56.0 mm stainless steel 17-4 bar, we were asked to produce a Ø 2.0 mm drilled hole through the centre of the steel bar with three perpendicular Ø 2.0 mm holes drilled to the bar’s centreline. We also had to machine an L-shaped component with a serrated face along the longitudinal axis with three Ø 10.0 mm recessed apertures concentric to the Ø 2.0 mm drilled holes as well as manufacture three Ø 9.85 x 2.2 mm discs from porous stainless steel to be press fitted into the apertures.

Type of Work:

All 3 EDM Technologies – Wire EDM (WEDM), Die Sink (Spark Erosion) and Small Hole EDM Drilling were required.

Work Carried Out:
For the first part of the project a Sodick K1CN small hole EDM drilling machine was used to machine the four Ø 2.0 mm drilled holes. A die sink or spark erosion process was then used to produce the concentric Ø 10.0 mm recessed apertures. To carry out the spark erosion process we used an industry 4.0 Sodick AD55L machine. Three Ø 9.85 x 2.2 mm discs were machined using the wire erosion process. Using an industry 4.0 Sodick VL600Q machine, wire erosion technology with Ø 0.10 mm wire was able to produce the serrated face – with a tooth depth of only 0.2 mm.

Similar components of varying dimensions have also been produced using the various EDM technologies that we have available in our workshop.

To get an idea of what we produced for this specific project, have a look at the photograph of the modelled components included.

Below: Modelled Components

For more information about Wire EDM (WEDM), Die Sink (Spark Erosion) or Small Hole EDM Drilling ring Cheshire Wire Erosion on 01270 753323.