The moment I watched this video, I thought to myself, "This is such an innovative product." It is a portable sinker EDM that can be utilized to extract broken taps and drill bits. EDM, or Electrical Discharge Machining, can effectively dissolve metal akin to Marvin the Martian's Ray Gun. It's an interesting method and there exist components that can't be produced in any other manner.
This little gizmo applies EDM to the problem of removing a broken tap or drill bit from the workpiece. This is a problem we've all had at one time or another that generally leads to some strong language. If you've got a workpiece you've invested a lot of work in, it's very expensive to start over. You need to remove the broken tap without damaging the workpiece, and this little machine from EDM Tech Center might be just the ticket.
Check it out:
There are no cutting forces to speak of for this application, so a compact Z-axis on a magnetic mount can do the job. The bulkiest part is the power supply and controller which is still about the size of a battery charger.
Handy!
What's handier? Never breaking the tap in the first place. The best way to minimize stress on your taps is to pick a drill size that minimizes torque while maximizing thread strength. That's almost never the drill size the usual tapping charts give. So check out our article with Drill Tap Chart and Special Thread Percentage Calculator to get the scoop.
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