POWER SOURCE FOR ELECTRIC DISCHARGE MACHINING

Abstract: A power source for an electric spark machine capable of generating machining pulses having a large peak value and a small pulse width contributing to increasing the machining rate. When the voltage applied between the work (W) and the tool electrode (P) from the power source for electric discharge machining is interrupted by the transistors (T1, T2), a feedback current caused by the energy stored in the stray inductances (L1, L2) is fed back to a high voltage smoothing capacitor (C2) via feedback diodes (D1, D2), and the capacitor is electrically charged up to a voltage that exceeds the power source voltage. Therefore, the feedback current suddenly rises. Thereafter, the transistor (T3) is rendered conductive in response to the output of the comparator (1) that is generated when the reference voltage (VL) is exceeded by a partial voltage that corresponds to the charging voltage of the capacitor, and the charge of the capacitor is fed back to the power source voltage smoothing capacitor (C1) via the transistor and impedance (Z).

Description: The present invention relates to an electric-discharge-machining power source for use in an electric discharge machine, and more particularly but not necessarily exclusively, to a transistor type electric-discharge-machining power source which is capable of increasing machining speed. In order to increase machining speed in electric discharge machining, it is desirable to use machining pulses which are large in peak value but small in pulse width. Conventionally, a capacitor type electric-discharge-machining power source is employed so as to generate machining pulses which satisfy the aforementioned requirement. Recently, a transistor type electric-discharge-machining power source is also employed, which has an electric current return circuit for protecting a transistor from a surge current which is generated attributable to energy, accumulated in a stray inductance in a discharge circuit of the electric-discharge-machining power source, when the transistor is turned off. One such power source, which is in accordance with the preamble of the attached claim, is disclosed in JP-A-60-207720. However, it is difficult to generate machining pulses having a large peak value and a small pulse width in the transistor type electric-discharge-machining power source since restrictions are found in increasing a power source voltage and decreasing stray inductance. The object of the present invention is to provide an electric-discharge-machining power source for an electric discharge machine, which is capable of generating machining pulses having a large peak value and a small pulse width, thereby attaining an improved machining speed. According to the present invention there is provided an electric-discharge-machining power source, comprising: electric power source means; switching means for permitting and prohibiting application of an electric power voltage from said electric power source means to between a workpiece and a tool electrode; a smoothing capacitor; and a return circuit path for returning a return electric current to said smoothing capacitor to charge it, said return electric current being generated due to presence of a stray inductance of a discharge circuit when the application of said electric power voltage is prohibited by operation of said switching means; characterised by: the smoothing capacitor being a high-voltage smoothing capacitor which is charged by said return electric current to a voltage beyond the power source voltage when the application of said electric power voltage is prohibited by operation of said switching means; discrimination means for generating an output when it is determined that a charge voltage of said smoothing capacitor exceeds a reference voltage; a second capacitor connected to said electric power source in parallel therewith; a second switching means responsive to the output from said discrimination means and interposedly arranged between said second capacitor and said return circuit path, and between said smoothing capacitor and said second capacitor; whereby operation of the second switching means in response to said output will transfer electric charge accumulated in said smoothing capacitor to said second capacitor when the charge voltage of said smoothing capacitor exceeds said reference voltage. As mentioned above, according to the present invention, a return electric current, which is generated due to the presence of energy accumulated in the stray inductance of the discharge circuit of the electric-discharge-machining power source when the application of the electric power voltage in between the workpiece and the tool electrode is prohibited by the switching means, is returned to the high-voltage smoothing capacitor so as to charge the same capacitor up to a voltage beyond the electric power voltage. Accordingly, it is possible to cause a return electric current to fall rapidly, to thereby generate machining pulses having a large peak value and a small pulse width, so that an improved machining speed is attained. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a main part of an electric-discharge-machining power source according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figs. 2A to 2F are timing charts showing a relationship among various signals appearing at various part of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a waveform diagram showing an electric discharge current in the arrangement of Fig. 1 in comparison with that of a conventional arrangement; Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a conventional electric-discharge-machining power source; and Figs. 5A and 5B are timing charts showing a relationship between a pulse train for ON/OFF control of a transistor and an electric discharge current in the arrangement of Fig. 4. Prior to an explanation of the present invention being given, a conventional transistor type electric-discharge-machining power source, having an electric current return circuit for transistor protection, will be explained with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. A machining power source shown in Fig. 4 comprises transistors T1 and T2 each having a base to which a common pulse train G1, G2 (Fig. 5A) is applied. When the transistors T1, T2 are turned ON, a voltage V0 across terminals of an electric power source E is applied in between a workpiece W and a tool electrode P so that an electric discharge occurs therebetween, accompanied with generation of an electric discharge current i . The differential value of the electric discharge current i with respect to time is represented by the following equation (1), in other words, the electric discharge current i increases linearly with elapse of time, as shown in Fig. 5B. di/dt = (V0-VG)/(L1+L2) (1) where VG represents a gap voltage between the workpiece W and the electrode P , and L1, L2 each represent a stray inductance of a discharge circuit of the electric-discharge-machining power source, respectively. When the transistors T1, T2 are turned OFF, the electric discharge current i , which is generated attributable to energy accumulated in the stray inductances L1, L2, flows between the workpiece W and the electrode P through a capacitor C1 for smoothing the power source voltage and diodes D1, D2 for electric current return. As shown in Fig. 5b, this discharge current i decreases linearly with elapse of time, in accordance with the following equation (2). di/dt = (-V0-VG)/(L1+L2) (2) After all, when the transistors T1, T2 are turned ON and OFF, a machining pulse is generated, which is triangle in waveform which assumes a peak value upon the transistors being turned OFF and is symmetric with respect to the point of time at which the peak value appears. As apparent from equation (1), the larger power source voltage V0 goes, the steeper the rise of the electric discharge current i will be, so that the peak value of the discharge current will increase. However, conventionally, it is difficult to generate machining pulses having a large peak value and a small pulse width in a transistor type electric-discharge-machining power source accompanied with restrictions in increasing the power source voltage V0 and decreasing the stray inductances L1, L2. In the following, with reference to Figs. 1 - 3, a transistor type electric-discharge-machining power source according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained. Referring to Fig. 1, the electric-discharge-machining power source is basically constructed in the same manner as the arrangement of Fig. 4. That is, the electric-discharge-machining power source comprises an electric power source E and a capacitor C1 connected in parallel therewith for smoothing the power source voltage. The power source E has its positive terminal connected to the workpiece W through a transistor T2, and its negative terminal connected to the tool electrode P through a transistor T1 which copperates with another transistor T2 to form switching means. These transistors T1, T2 each have a base supplied from a control circuit (not shown) with a pulse train G1, G2 for control of a transistor ON-OFF operation. A diode D1 for electric current return has its anode connected to a lead wire which connects the negative terminal of the power source E with the emitter of the transistor T1. Further, the anode of an electric current returning diode D2 is connected to another lead wire which connects the collector of the transistor T1 with the electrode P . In Fig. 1, reference symbols L1, L2 represent stray inductances of a discharge circuit of the electric-discharge-machining power source, and V0, VG represent the power source voltage and the gap voltage, respectively. In the following, an essential part of the electric-discharge-machining power source will be explained. Reference symbol C2 indicates a high-voltage smoothing capacitor having one end connected to the negative terminal of the power source E and another end connected to the cathode of the diode D2. Connected to the capacitor C2 in parallel therewith is a voltage divider consisting of resistors R1, R2 whose junction is connected to one input terminal of a comparator 1 having another input terminal to which a reference voltage VL is applied. An output terminal of the comparator 1 is connected to the base of a transistor T3 which serves as a second switching means, and which has the collector connected to a junction of the capacitor C2 and the resistor R1 and the emitter connected to the positive terminal of the power source E through an impedance Z . Reference symbol D3 indicates a fly-wheel diode connected in parallel with a coil, in case that the same coil forms the just-mentioned impedance Z . Next, operation of the electric-discharge-machining power source constructed as mentioned above will be explained. In response to the control pulse trains G1, G2 applied from the control circuit (not shown) to the bases of the transistors T1, T2, these transistors are repetitively turned ON and OFF. When the transistors are turned ON, the power source voltage V0 is applied through the transistors to the gap between the workpiece W and the electrode P . Upon generation of electric discharge between the workpiece and the electrode, the electric discharge current i1, represented by the following equation (3) corresponding to equation (1), flows along a path directing from the positive terminal of the power source E to the negative terminal thereof through the transistor T2, workpiece W , electrode P and transistor T1. As shown in Fig. 2B, the discharge current i1 increases linearly with elapse of time. di1/dt = (V0-VG)/(L1+L2) (3) When the transistors T1, T2 are turned OFF, a return electric current i2 is generated attributable to energy accumulated in the stray inductances L1, L2, and flows along a path directing from one end of the high-voltage smoothing capacitor C2, connected to the negative terminal of the power source E , to the other end thereof through the diode D1, workpiece W , electrode P and diode D2, so as to charge the capacitor C2. This return electric current i2 (i.e., the discharge electric current in a state where the transistors T1, T2 are turned OFF) decreases in accordance with the following equation (4). di2/dt = (-VC-VG)/(L1+L2) (4) In the above equation, VC represents the voltage across the capacitor C2. The capacitor C2 is rapidly charged by the return electric current i2 up to the charge voltage VC beyond the power source voltage V0. In a state where the charge voltage VC exceeds the power source voltage V0, the differential value di2/dt of the return electric current (i.e., the discharge electric current upon the transistors being turned OFF) represented by equation (4) is larger than the differential value di1/dt of the discharge current when the transistors are turned ON, in other words, the fall of the return electric current i2 is steeper than the rise of the discharge current i1 (Figs. 2B and 2C). After all, as shown in Fig. 2D, the discharge current i (=i1+i2) has it trianglar waveform which is unsymmetric with respect to the point of time at which the discharge current assumes its peak value. During the time the capacitor C2 is charged, the comparator 1 is supplied at its one input terminal with a divided voltage VH, corresponding to the charge voltage VC of the capacitor, from the voltage divider. When the divided voltage VH exceeds the reference voltage VL with increase in the capacitor charge voltage VC (Fig. 2E), the transistor T3 is supplied at its base with a High-level output signal G3 (Fig. 2F) from the comparator 1, and is rendered to be conductive, whereby the return electric current i2 flows along a path directing from one end of the power-source-voltage smoothing capacitor C1 to the other end thereof through the diode D1, workpiece W , electrode P , diode D2, transistor T3 and impedance Z , so as to charge the capacitor C1. Further, the electric charge accumulated in the capacitor C2 is returned to the capacitor C1 through the transistor T3 and the impedance Z , so as to prevent an excessive increase in the charge voltage of the capacitor C2. According to the electric-discharge-machining power source of the present embodiment, it is possible to attain the discharge current having a peak value which is larger than that of the discharge current in the conventional arrangement shown in Fig. 4. Next, reasons for saying so will be explained with reference to Fig. 3. The arrangement of the embodiment is common to the conventional arrangement in that the electric discharge current increases during a first time period starting at that point of time t1 at which the transistor is turned ON to start the generation of the discharge current and ending at that point of time at which the transistor is turned OFF and the dicharge current has its peak value, and decreases during a second time period starting at that time at which the transistor is turned OFF and ending at that point of time t2 at which the generation of the electric discharge current is terminated. However, in the arrangement of the embodiment wherein the discharge current rapidly falls as shown by a solid line in Fig. 3, the second time period (return-current generation time period) is considerably smaller than the first time period, as distinct from the case of the conventional arrangement wherein the discharge current falls as shown by a dotted line in Fig. 3 so that the first and second time periods are substantially equal to each other. Accordingly, If the pulsive discharge current having the same pulse width of τ is generated, the peak value Ip of the discharge current in the arrangement according to the embodiment is larger than the peak value Ip' in the conventional arrangement. If the generated discharge current has the same peak value, the pulse width of the discharge current in the apparatus of the embodiment is shorter than that in the conventional apparatus. Meanwhile, a pulsive discharge current, which has a regular pulse width and a regular peak value, can be attained by the use of a control circuit of a type disclosed, e.g., in Japanese Patent Publication No. 44-13195 from which pulse trains G1, G2 having a reduced variation in pulse width during the electric discharge machining are supplied.

Claims: An electric-discharge-machining power source, comprising: electric power source means (E); switching means (T1,T2) for permitting and prohibiting application of an electric power voltage (VO) from said electric power source means (E) to between a workpiece (W) and a tool electrode (P); a smoothing capacitor (C2); and a return circuit path for returning a return electric current to said smoothing capacitor (C2) to charge it, said return electric current being generated due to presence of a stray inductance (L1,L2) of a discharge circuit when the application of said electric power voltage (VO) is prohibited by operation of said switching means (T1,T2); the smoothing capacitor (C2) being a high-voltage smoothing capacitor which is charged by said return electric current to a voltage (VC) beyond the power source voltage (VO) when the application of said electric power voltage (VO) is prohibited by operation of said switching means (T1,T2); characterised in that it further comprises: discrimination means (1,R1,R2) for generating an output (G3) when it is determined that a charge voltage (VC) of said smoothing capacitor (C2) exceeds a reference voltage; a second capacitor (C1) connected to said electric power source (E) in parallel therewith; a second switching means (T3) responsive to the output (G3) from said discrimination means (1,R1,R2) and interposedly arranged between said second capacitor (C1) and said return circuit path, and between said smoothing capacitor (C2) and said second capacitor (C1); whereby operation of the second switching means (T3) in response to said output (G3) will transfer electric charge accumulated in said smoothing capacitor (C2) to said second capacitor (C1) when the charge voltage (VC) of said smoothing capacitor (C2) exceeds said reference voltage.

Inventors: IZUMIYA, SYUNZO, OBARA, HARUKI
Applicants: FANUC LTD.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B23H1
IPC codes: B23H1