Makino U6 H.E.A.T Extreme Wire EDM technology

The Makino U6 H.E.A.T. Extreme Wire Electrical Discharge Machine (Wire EDM) is the fastest in the industry. Its innovative EDM technology uses a 0.016” (0.400mm) coated wire to achieve the fastest feed rates possible— twice as fast as traditional 0.010″ brass wire.  The U6 can also be outfitted with wire sizes down to 0.004” (0.100mm) for the most precise cuts.

Built on the popular Makino platform, the U6 stands out from other types of EDM machines by lowering manufacturing costs while boosting productivity.  The combination of new EDM machine technology and new high-gauge EDM wire increases cutting speed, not wire consumption.

U6 H.E.A.T. EXTREME allows you to balance speed with wire consumption costs better than before. Benefits include:

• High-capacity dual CNC digital flush pumps give you more production power and adaptive intelligence for flushing.
• HyperDrive Extreme’s wire guide and threading system provide reliable automatic threading of 0.016” Ø wire with extremely low maintenance.
• HEAT Extreme machine technology delivers optimal performance and reliability.
• Specially engineered EDM wire increases machining speeds while preventing wire breaks.
• Makino’s new wire machine is also ATHENA voice-enabled, giving you hands-free control of the machine and easing training for new workers.

With its increased speed, U6 H.E.A.T. EXTREME EDM machine technology is ideal for:

• Aerospace part and medical part manufacturing (with significant gains in productivity for 3D printed part cut-offs)
• Tall machined or tall die and mold parts
• Difficult machine alloys, such as nickel
• Job shops

Technical Specifications

Heightened engineering focus has been applied to the U6 H.E.A.T. EXTREME design to improve precision, minimize cost, maximize speed and impact machine maintenance.

Improve precision

• Compared to other types of EDM machines, the U6 H.E.A.T EXTREME EDM technology is able to produce finer surface finishes down to 4µinRa (0.1µmRa), using the optional Crystal Machining fine finish circuit.
• Makino’s HyperCut technology use precision-based settings that produce high accuracy and a very fine surface finish. Settings are developed for 0.008”/0.010”/0.012” (0.20, 0.25, 0.3mm) wires, which produce a 16µinRa (0.4µmRa) surface finish with 3-Pass Machining (1 Rough Cut & 2 Skim Cuts).
• Tool-Less Energizer Indexing quickly indexes power contacts precisely without the need for tools or special measuring devices, savings[1]  time and ensuring every index of the Energizer is properly used.
• Makino’s active Pro-Tech Circuit protects the workpiece by preventing rusting or oxidation during long hours of operation, preserving the integrity of the entire piece.

Minimize cost

• The Makino Machine Condition settings database leads to less wire consumption. Compared to other types of EDM machines, U6 H.E.A.T EXTREME technology significantly reduces long-term operational costs that improve efficiency and impact profit by minimizing expense. The settings database is designed for low wire consumption. Our engineers have been able to create E-settings for all wire diameter sizes and material types. These have been developed with an ideal, optimized mix of speed, accuracy, and surface finish capability while minimizing the amount of consumed wire.
• The downtime cost and expense of a Wire Chopper are eliminated. The Makino pinch roller system cleans and dries the wire before passing through the rear Pinch Rollers. This prevents wire slippage against the rollers and allows the used wire to lay flat in the collection bin while significantly extending the life of the rollers and bearings, as they are not exposed to the water and abrasive debris.

Maximize speed

• The U6 H.E.A.T. EXTREME EDM wire machine is capable of producing the highest level of machining speed using 0.016” (0.4mm)  wire. This new EDM technology also maintains the ability to operate with 0.004” (0.1mm) wire.
• Achieve the world’s fastest machining speeds in Good and Pour Flush applications. The machine is standard with a large (x4) filter filtration system and utilizes (x2) independent CNC-controlled high capacity flush pumps that provide double the horsepower for flushing to ensure fast and reliable productivity.

Machine maintenance and operator ease

• Wire Guide Removal and Installation doesn’t need Calibration. (The Wire Guides can be removed for cleaning and reinstalled without the need to perform time-consuming Vertical Alignment Calibration.)
• The eco-friendly Filter Air Purge Function automatically purges the main filters. The machine technology uses air to remove the excess pre-conditioned water and weight from the filters before replacement.  It improves operator safety by preventing the typical water spillage and slip hazards that are created when replacing filters. The Filter Air Purge Function also drastically reduces the weight of the used filter prior to replacement.
• The Integrated Filter Pressure and Conductivity Monitoring eliminates the need for an operator to manually monitor an analog gauge that can be overlooked and result in machine issues. The Hyper-i control digitally integrates and monitors the filtration pressure and conductivity level of the water and will prompt the operator to replace these consumable items when necessary. This eliminates the responsibility of the operator to manually monitor these water quality systems via an analog gauge.
• Compared to other types of EDM machines, the U6 H.E.A.T. EXTREME machine layout uses a space-saving design. This design integrates the di-electrode reservoir into the base casting, which improves the machine’s thermal stability while minimizing the footprint size. Work tank access is excellent using the pneumatic rise and fall front door and allows access to the underside of the workpiece or lower machine head even with a large workpiece on the 4-sided hardened stainless-steel machine table. The automated work tank door system has a mid-height level function for greater flexibility and includes safety features that prevent the door from being lowered when water is in the work tank.
• Makino’s Hyper-i control delivers an intuitive and familiar touch. Pinch/Swipe/Drag operations are similar to smartphones and tablets and utilize a straightforward 3-Step operation process of Program/Setup/Run.  The efficient and user-friendly Hyper-i control interface is standardized for all Makino Wire and RAM EDM machines and streamlines training. The control is equipped with digital onboard electronic manuals, instructional training videos, and advanced E-Tech Doctor help functions. These empower the operator with integrated and convenient resources right at their fingertips.
• The wire machine comes equipped with the HyperConnect IoT connectivity package that provides remote machine monitoring functions. It also allows the operation of any networked PC software, such as any CAD/CAM software, to be run directly at the machine.
• Athena voice command operation is available with the Hyper-i control. The groundbreaking Athena system offers machine voice control capability that assists the operator and augments machine operation to help offset and address industry skillset issues.  Athena’s voice interaction improves operator capability and enhances machine operation of common tasks, providing convenient processing information to the operator.

No other Wire Electrical Discharge Machine can provide this level of advanced productivity, operational efficiency, and simplified machine interface capability than the Makino U6 H.E.A.T. Extreme.

U6 H.E.A.T. Extreme enhancements:

• External 30-Amp Generator Booster Unit (60 Amps total power)
• HyperDrive Extreme PICO Guide & Automatic Wire Threading System
• Additional Wire Drive enhancements for reliable Automatic Wire Threading of 0.016” (0.4mm) wire
• 0.016” (0.4mm) Wire Guides

This content was originally published on the Makino website.