Patent ID: 8093528

Claim:
A method for electrical discharge machining (EDM) a workpiece using a train of machining pulses wherein the machining pulses are applied to a working gap between the workpiece and an electrode during a machining time comprising: dividing the machining time into a sensing interval during which reference values are captured from the machining pulses and into a machining interval during which no reference values are captured from the machining pulses, the sensing interval including at least one of a first sensing interval after implementation of a jump motion of the electrode in the working gap and a second sensing interval after application of an extended pause time to at least some of the machining pulses, the extended pause time being longer than a pause time of other ones of the machining pulses; sensing an electrical parameter of a current machining pulse applied to the working gap; deriving at least one characteristic value from the sensed electrical parameter; comparing the at least one characteristic value to at least one of the reference values captured on the basis of at least one earlier machining pulse; and initiating an action depending on a result of comparing the at least one characteristic value to the at least one of the reference values.