Our broken bolt, drill, and tap removal technology is the most cost-effective and precise method available in the market. Patented in 1942, AC metal disintegrators were made and distributed exclusively by Electro Arc for years before competitors entered the market. Electro Arc purchased Uni-Tek in 2004 and began making and distributing DC machines as well including the Bolt Eater. Electro Arc metal disintegration machines have been built in Michigan since the company began in 1947. These machines are known for their long-lasting design and easy-to-use configuration, allowing companies to apply the technology across industries.
See the Bolt Eater in Action:
You can use Electro Arc metal disintegration machines to quickly and easily remove the broken-off tap, drill, and or bolt without damaging your valuable equipment. In the infographic above, you can see the details of our precise spark erosion process. Please refer to the following recommendations to choose the right metal disintegrator for your needs.
How to choose the right metal disintegrator for your application:
Both AC and DC machines run 110 to 600 volts to vibrate AC machines make and break 50 or 60 times per second, while DC machines are at 120 times per second. DC power can maintain higher arc levels and sustain a larger arc. With DC machines you can use larger electrodes like square or hex-shaped carbon to drill faster and make larger holes.
You can use the Arc-er head with our portable metal disintegrators and you can use it directly with machines like a Bridgeport. The IQ head provides faster-cutting speed and can be used with larger electrodes. You will receive a Servo head with our DC machines.
Portable machines are great for on-site application. If you need to take the metal disintegrator to the part, a portable metal disintegrator is for you. Off-road vehicle repair, mining operations, submarines, and repairs on the line are some great examples that would benefit from a portable machine.
You will want a tabletop machine if you are working on parts that can be taken to the machine for disintegration. We offer tabletops ranging in sizes and can create custom table tops if needed.
We offer electrodes made of graphite, copper, and molybdenum. Depending on the hardness of your piece, you will want to choose the appropriate electrode. Please refer to our sizing charts to choose the best one for your needs.
Step 5. What kind of material are you working with?
If you are working with carbide, you will want to choose a machine with “C” in the model number such as our 2-SEC which is a more compact tabletop machine offering the durability and power to disintegrate carbide.
Electro Arc’s 3-S portable metal disintegrator is featured below. You do not need dielectric fluid to use Electro Arc machines, just coolant. The 3-S is easy on your pockets and convenient for you to use. Our metal disintegrators remove broken taps and drills without damage or coming into contact with the part. You can also use an Arc-er Head with other machine tools like the drill press in the video below:
What is a metal disintegrator?
You have probably heard a metal disintegrator referred to by many names including; tap extractor MDM machine, tap burner, tap zapper, and spark eroder. You can use these metal disintegration machines to remove broken bolts, broken taps, and broken drills without damaging your part. Cheap alternatives are available but can cause more damage or break easily. With an Electro Arc metal disintegrator, you get the precision, speed, and value without the headache of replacing parts on expensive equipment.
Broken tap removal service
You may experience broken taps in any situation, even when drilling and tapping a riffle, the risk of a broken tap is present. It may be tempting to use a simple cheap product like ex-out or Tap Magic, but as many of you know, this often makes the problem worse.
When you are working with broken taps it is important to remember that the center part is solid. Meaning the broken tap can be broken and essentially removed. Taps with a thread size smaller than M12 should be removed by breaking the center. In some cases, your tap will have a very large thread. If this is the case we advise that you divide it into halves for removal. You do not have to apply the electrode to the largest depth. When it reaches the desired depth just turn up the Arc-er head and begin to remove the debris. You can then continue the process of disintegration with your electrode. The power of a metal disintegrator is established by creating a series of electric arcs or discharges that erode the broken metals into smaller particles.
This produces sparks that move between the broken piece and the electrode cutting through the broken machine part. A puddle is created by the spark (also known as the hot plasma) as a result of the workpiece being melted by the electrical discharge produced by the electrode. The small amount of dielectric is vaporized which creates bubbles around the spark.
Sparks illustrated
It is important to keep your work area clean. A slower removal rate increases the rate of tear which is related to the rate of removal. The head is located in the flush area which helps to speed up the time for metal removal. The result of the removal also affects the size of the spark. Big and long sparks lead to a bigger depth and a rougher surface. For a finer finish, smaller sparks, a higher wear rate, and low removal rate are required. There are copper alloys that have been designed to maximize the process of spark eroding and offer better wear resistance and improved machinability.
Are you wondering what the best way to remove broken drill bits from metals is? Electro Arc has been providing high-quality broken tap, drill, stud, and bolt removal EDM / MDM machines since 1947. Our technology safely removes the broken drill in seconds without causing any damage to your part. Our spark erosion and metal disintegration technology can save you thousands of dollars by not causing damage to expensive parts. Please, take a moment to review how our spark eroders work.
Electro Arc’s unique process disintegrates only the center out of a broken tap or drill leaving its threads intact. You can use this process to cut square or round shapes to back out studs or bolts or to remove large studs with a series of cuts. Emboss identification on rolls of steel, bore, and counterbore holes. You can reclaim expensive parts and provide immediate repairs on all types of equipment. Thus you will experience fewer production overruns and late deliveries.
At Electro Arc we know that time is important to you. How often can you get things done faster without sacrificing quality? Not very often. You will find a different experience with Electro Arc’s metal disintegrators (spark eroders). We have been providing the world with the highest quality EDM portable and table top machines since 1947. We are celebrating 75 years of local metal disintegrator production.
SAVE TIME WHEN YOU USE AN ELECTRO ARC METAL DISINTEGRATOR– You can remove broken taps, drills, and bolts in seconds. This doesn’t have to be a long process using a cheap machine that may even not get the job done. Other technology can take up to hours to get done.
SAVE MONEY – When you use an Electro Arc metal disintegrator, you can return to normal operations fast! You will save money that could be lost on downtimes, and salvage expensive parts that can be destroyed using a cheap disintegrator or spark erosion machine, or due to the broken bolt, tap, or dowel. Scrap fewer parts and take advantage of quick problem-solving that lasts for years.
QUALITY – All of our machines are made to order, 50-65% of the parts are machined right here in our shop. Every machine is assembled and tested here in Dexter, Michigan. you can count on faster, more efficient, and the most cost-effective method to remove broken tools, studs, taps, bolts, drills or fasteners. These machines leave the hole intact which will minimize damage to expensive parts.
DURABILITY – Electro Arcs’ reputation precedes us. Our machines are built to last, we have customers using machines that are 40+ years old! Our machines stand up to the rough environment of shops, factories, production facilities, and outdoor use in mines, on off-road machinery, and in military applications.
SUPPORT – We have logs of every machine we have ever sold. If we made it, we repair it. We sell accessories including molybdenum electrodes (also made on-site) to support your machine.
We manufacture DC and AC machines. Our metal disintegrators work well with all hardened metals like High-Speed steel tooling. Our portable machines are versatile and ideal for use in many fields to quickly remove a broken tap, drill, or bolt and continue normal operations. Our DC machines are great for Carbides and soft cast metals.
These Electrodes are different and are usually less expensive. Moly electrodes have a higher melting temperature which means that it will break down or erode more of the broken tool, tap, or drill rather than the electrode.
For Molybdenum Electrodes the diameters start at .020″
Graphite has several advantages over other materials. It is resistant to thermal shock. It is the only material in which mechanical properties increase with temperature. It has a low CTE for geometrical stability. It is easily machined. It does not melt but sublimes at very high temperature (3,400ºC), and finally, its density is lower (five times less than copper) which means lighter electrodes. Graphite removes material better than copper or copper-tungsten while wearing slower. The wear rate tends to diminish as the discharge increases, unlike copper, whose wear increases at higher currents. Therefore, graphite is suited for the machining of large electrodes since working with a high current intensity provides decreased roughing time.
Although graphite is prone to abnormal discharge, this can be eliminated through quality flushing, and lowering the intensity of discharge during negative polarity machining. However, as a result of this tradeoff, machining tungsten carbides is more difficult than with copper-tungsten electrodes. Also, since graphite is a ceramic, it is sensitive to mechanical shock, and consequently must be handled and machined with care.
For Graphite Electrodes the diameters start at 3/8″(9.5 mm)
For Graphite Electrodes the minimum power supply requirements are 15 KVA or higher
Always Make Sure To Pick The Right Type Of Electrode
Molybdenum (Moly) Electrodes
Moly Electrodes have a higher melting temperature which means you will erode more of the broken tool and less of the electrode making Moly less expensive to use than other materials.
Graphite Electrodes
When removing large bolts .750″ to 19 mm and up use Graphite Electrodes for optimum performance and value. Graphite Electrodes only work on metal disintegrators with 20KVA or DC power supply.
Square, Hex, and custom Graphite Electrodes are available upon request.
In this video we are going to demonstrate how to restore your IQ head back to the 20,000 factory setting for this is necessary when you realize that your IQ head is not operating optimally but this can be demonstrated and duplicated by pulling down on the Chuck lock nut and focusing right here on the collar at the top of the spindle assembly. If you just pull straight down you will notice that there is to much play or too little or none at all. We are going to rotate it counterclockwise, once you get it to come to a complete stop stop you’re going to rotate it clockwise 1/3 turn while we do our 1/3 turn we are going to tighten back down the screw on the collar and this should get us right back to the 20,000 factory setting. There is one more step that we are going to take, moving you up top on the spindle and show you how to adjust the spring. In this segment we are going to show you how to set the spring adjustment for optimal head vibration and we do this by first of all making sure that we have our power stroke set at 100%. We want to turn on our head vibration. We want to take our Allen wrench turn clockwise, to decrease spring tension. During our rotating here we are paying close attention to how the sound is resonating. We want a nice smooth sound coming from the machine. The second component is it should be difficult to stall the machine by pushing upon the brass fitting, it sounds like we’re almost there. so now that we achieved the optimal head vibration, we take our button head screw, here we go ahead and wait make sure that the slot on the spring adjustment is in line and it appears as though it is. We make sure we put that back in place and now we have achieved setting the head at the 20,000 factory setting and fine-tuning it for optimal head vibration and you can enjoy smooth operation of your metal disintegrator. You can also refer to your manual we have pictures and instructions detailing how to adjust your IQ head.
Electro Arc was purchased by Stillion Industries in 2019. You can still access old Metal Disintegration troubleshooting videos like this one, we also have a new YouTube channel and a website for machine owners with resources at metal-disintegrators.com
The following is a transcription of the above video. Please reach out to us here with any questions or concerns.
Hi and welcome to Electro ARC. Today we’re going to be demonstrating our DC direct current output disintegrating transformer which is optimally suited for removing broken carbide tooling. We have a broken 12 mm carbide drill selector. We’ve determined that we need to use a 312,000 electrode to remove the broken carbide drill. The electrode is inserted into the disintegrator head. The machine is equipped with a disintegrator DC head and automatic servo feed, stop and start switches and depth stop. To begin the process i bring my electrode down on the broken tool, drop my splash bag, cover the edges with a rag, and using the start stop switches I begin the process. It tells us that we need 18 up through 9 by 32 in. Our machines can meet the needs of any part size shape or configuration. We’ve gone through and removed some of the loose bits of carbide drill left in the hole and there’s still a little bit of the drill down in the hole that’s not loose yet. So we’re going to take the disintegrator back down and we are still going to go with 1 in increments. As you can see, the head backed out and that’s indicating that we have another loose piece of drill bit, so I can go in there and should be able to rummage around and find it, lets get our head out of the way and then with our compressed air we can clean out the hole and I can see bits of material down in there for us to pick out with some pics and pliers. What we’ve done here is using our pics and and needle nose pliers is bring the chunks of the drill out of the hole and got to the solid drill and using a twisting action removed it from the hole leaving a clean hole undamaged for future use.
In the above video, Electro Arc’s 2-DVC DC metal disintegrating machine demonstrates the removal of broken carbide tooling. Equipped with our servo head with auto-feed allows for easy remote start and stop. Disintegrate up to 1 1/4 inch diameter in one pass. See more broken bolt removal examples.
Did you know that you can use Electro Arc tap removers to remove broken rivets? You can see a demonstration of our Bolt Eater machine removing a rivet in the above YouTube video. Electro Arc began offering the Bolt Eater(TM) in 2004 when we expanded our metal disintegrator line to include DC machines. You can use our metal disintegrating machines to remove broken bolts, screws, dowels, rivets, taps and so much more!
More videos like these are available on Electro Arc’s old Youtube channel. If you are interested in a metal disintegrator but are not sure which one might be the right choice, you will want to check out our machine builder. This new feature takes you through the choices of AC or DC metal disintegrators, portable or tabletop versions, and the disintegrating head and column options offered with each of our 40 different metal disintegrating models.
Here is a transcript for the video Above:
Hello welcome to Electro Arc today we’re going to be removing an aluminum rivet using a portable DC metal disintegrator. We are taking the time to put a rivet into a vise using a demonstration fixture we have here with our portable colony cross-arm to simulate a larger part in a demonstration like this. So to begin a process we’re going to drop a splash bag and only remove the cap of the rivet. Now with the drop bag in place we can now turn on our metal disintegrator and disentegrate the cap on the rivet. The servo head is taking over the burning process. I think we’re through the cap now so we can raise our splash bag and see if our cap is loose. The cap is loose and actually pops right off in my hand. Aftter removing the cap of our aluminum rivet we then inverted it in our demonstration assembly and now we are going to disintegrate the depth of the threads I begin the process the same way lower my Splash bag and turn on my disintegrator.
Electro Arc metal disintegrators have many applications across industries, since purchasing Electro Arc in 2019 Stillion Industries has started a new YouTube channel to provide demonstrations of broken bolt removal and resources for metal disintegrator and Ames tester owners.
Remove Broken Dowel Pins with your Metal Disintegrator:
Electro Arc manufactures a full line of metal disintegrators both large and small, portables, table tops, AC and DC power supplies, and custom configurations to fit every application. Our AC power supply is ideally suited for hardened materials such as high-speed tooling. The DC power supply is superior at removing carbide tooling. We have multiple power supplies for removing taps as small as 0-80, and up to bolts/studs over 4” diameter in one pass. Our disintegrators are 10 times faster than other disintegrator manufacturers and are easy to operate.
You will find any of our small portable tap removers are far superior to the competitor. Our machines are built to last!
Supplies and Accessories The right consumables and add-ons
We can remove any type of metallic tooling, such as carbide or hardened steels, or any conductive metal part. Each of our metal disintegrators can use large-diameter electrodes. Our molybdenum (moly) electrodes have a higher melting point, which means you use less of an electrode in the process.
Our disintegrators come with everything you need to operate the machine including a coolant tank, pump, and motor plus free starter set of electrodes and collets. We offer portable magnetic base fixtures that use powerful permanent magnets for secure holding power.
All machines (including tabletop models) are built with cabinet-mounted wheels, handles, and/or usually lift eye rings for easy portability. To optimize portability, Electro Arc has put our disintegrators on heavy-duty trolleys. Everything you need goes with you in one convenient, easy-to-move cart, this includes a power supply, coolant tank, magnetic fixture, remote control, and lockable toolbox for storing electrodes and accessories for everything the operator will need on the job.
We offer multiple disintegrating heads available from small portable to larger heavy-duty heads with auto feed, servo feed, and manual feed options. Our disintegrating heads have been designed to handle the smallest and largest electrode. Our “in the quill head” or IQ delivers the precision and performance needed for small tap extraction to large turbine bolt removal. The Electro Arc head assembly is servo motor driven, hard-chrome finished quill and precision ground rack-and-pinion system. The Quill rides on the precision-honed bronze bushing, keeping .002” TOR tolerance. This provides smooth, positive, and accurate head feed. This is an exceptionally robust and accurate system that will provide a lifetime of trouble-free service. All our disintegrating heads can operate in any direction, including inverted or horizontal. All of our disintegrators come with a complete coolant system including a pump and motor and there is no need for a separate bath. Our disintegrators do not use an EDM dielectric fluid.
No need to submerse a part in dielectric fluid. Coolant is pumped through the head, and electrode directly to the point of disintegration, preventing heat distortion of your part, and also flushes disintegrated particles, which maximizes efficiency. We are the preeminent manufacturer of metal disintegrators. We have been building and designing easy-to-use, operator-friendly machines longer than any manufacturer in the world. All our machines are simple to operate, including easy to read current monitor/ammeter and no other gauges that need to be monitored.
Our disintegrators do not require an experienced operator. A competitor’s machine has warning indicators, pressure gauges, and several adjustments for the operator during and after the disintegrating process that are unnecessary and make operation more complex. Electro Arc has taken all these unnecessary problems and engineered the disintegrator to be worry-free. All our machines are high quality manufactured with warranties.
We have the ability to custom engineer machines for special purposes. Machines can be built to operate on nearly any input voltage. Machines can be CE or CSA-certified. Readily available parts and service to keep your machine operating for many years. Experienced staff provides the best-recommended solution and service for your individual needs.
All new machines include a minimum 1-year warranty. We do not use pneumatically (air) driven disintegrating heads, nor a mechanical swivel joint. Air is compressible and because air is compressible, it does not provide the kind of direct, mechanically positive characteristics of an electro-mechanical system. Therefore, the pneumatic system is prone to variations in either air pressure or coolant pressure. These variations in pressure cause the head movement to be erratic and choppy with less precision. Pneumatic systems are also prone to corrosion and other problems due to ingress of foreign particles and moisture. Electro Arc’s electro-mechanical system has none of these problems or exposures. We have an optional remote control with a start/stop or a remote that has all the machine controls. The operator should not have to fiddle around with adjustments to efficiently run the disintegrator.
We also have fixtures including a 3,000-pound permanent magnetic base which secures our rigid column and cross-arm. These hard chromed steel slides offer years of trouble-free service and there are no mechanical adjustments to make. One of our competitors uses an adjustable coolant pump with an alarm that alerts the operator if coolant pressure becomes dangerously high. The alarm gives the operator a chance to make pump adjustments before system failure. Electro Arc uses a factory-set pressure regulator, thereby eliminating the possibility of operator error with respect to the coolant pressure. Electro Arc (EA) machines do have an indicator light alerting the operator to any potential low coolant level.
A competitor’s machine has 8 axes of movement. Electro Arc’s machines has 7 axes of movement. Electro Arc’s machine positioning capability within the machine’s working envelope is identical to that of our competitor. Therefore, 8 machine movements are superfluous – adding the additional movement to machine complexity offers no functional reason, with more that can go wrong. We very much appreciate your consideration, and again, we believe that a thoughtful comparison of the disintegrators demonstrates that Electro Arc provides more value.
Metric Starter Set$532.50
