Carbide Products, Inc. is proud to announce the addition of EDM threading to our long list of capabilities. EDM threading is the best, most economical and, sometimes, only way of putting a threaded hole in cemented carbide, ceramics, hardened steel or other materials when tight tolerances and precision are required.

We utilize our Charmilles Model HD-20 High Speed Hole Drill to burn a start hole in the material. Then employing our Erowa electrode holders and management system fabricate tap drill electrodes and threading electrodes. Threading electrodes are matched to each other and timed to allow for multiple rough and finish die sinking routines on one of our Agie-Charmilles CNC sinker EDM’s. The resulting precision is extraordinary.

The advantages of EDM threading over conventional tapping methods include, but are not limited to, the following:

It will not disturb or distort surfaces adjacent to the tapped hole during the tapping process. (Ideal for thin wall and exotic materials found in medical instruments as well as cemented carbides and ceramic where there is not sufficient material to allow for invar plugs or in the event a threaded feature is added after sintering.)
Makes repairing a tapped hole in a hardened or carbide tool a breeze.
Tapping steel after it has been hardened improves the quality of the hole when there is concern with distortion in heat-treating.
Adding a tapped hole to a hardened tool after a redesign or forgetting to do so in the first place becomes exponentially easier.
Process does not involve displacing material but burning it which results in ability to hold tighter tolerances and sharper threads.

We are currently threading holes in multiple sizes of solid carbide grinding spindles but have ability to thread very small sizes from 2mm up to a reasonably large size hole. Your application is our challenge.

Please allow Carbide Products, Inc. to become the source for all of your EDM Threading needs!