Spark erosion is the process of vaporizing metal using a high-frequency spark discharge. Metal disintegrators are a subcategory of EDM, which is often referred to as Spark Erosion. Metal Disintegration Machining (MDM) is the process that Electro Arc machines use.  These machines are specifically used to remove broken bolts, taps, pins, screws etc. quickly   Â
"Spark Erosion" Applications:
Electro Arc Patented the Metal Disintegrator in 1942
If you are dealing with a broken screw, broken bolt, broken drill, or other broken tooling on a regular basis, you may have used a metal disintegrator to remove them. Metal disintegrators are specialized EDM machines originally patented in 1942 by Electro Arc.  This broken bolt removal tool is essential in industries such as power generation, off-road vehicles, mining, aircraft repair, and automotive repair.
Remove your Broken Tooling wwth Metal Disintegration Machining
Spark eroders use the process of spark erosion, also referred to as spark machining, or die sinking to remove material from a part with electrical discharges. This modern machining process is responsible for many of the manufactured processes that exist today. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) has a long history which has led to significant breakthroughs in technology. While EDM has a variety of applications, MDM has the targeted ability to remove broken bolts, broken pins, broken drills, and other broken tooling in minutes. Although metal disintegrators are in a sub-category of Electrical Discharge Machining called Metal Disintegration Machining, the process is still considered spark erosion, hence the name spark eroder. Part of this name has to do with the sparks that are created by this process, erosion obviously refers to the process which allows broken tooling to be removed with these machines. The term spark erosion is more popular in countries like England and India. This term is used because the principal is more commonly understood under this name than “metal disintegrator”. Â
In fact, Electro Arc used the term to refer to our own machines between 2008 and 2018. Uni-Tek had a patent on the name “Tap-Zapper” which became associated with many of these machines as well. Electro Arc kept the patent for a short time but also used the term to describe many of our AC metal disintegrating machines. We find that these terms can be confusing and have made an effort to clarify each machine’s model and its features to help you choose the best metal disintegrator for your application.
In the industry of metal disintegration machining, oftentimes there is misinformation about the terminology that is used to describe the machines, parts, and processes. We at Electro Arc Manufacturing are here to show you what is what when it comes to metal disintegration. Below are terms and proper definitions for processes and machinery-related items in the world of metal disintegration. People in different areas use different terms to refer to our machine process. Some are misleading. For our process, a real arc is essential. We don’t burn the material; we vaporize it to turn it into particles.
“EDM” is the correct term for a very different process. Electric Discharge Machining is much more precise than arc disintegration but also very slow. EDM machines are also MUCH more expensive. On the other hand, “MDM” stands for Metal Disintegration Machine, which is what we build. Terms like “spark eroder, spark erosion, spark burner, or spark disintegrator” are misleading and incorrect. Aside from superficial campfire embers, sparks are relatively low-power, momentary electrical effects like those in automotive spark plugs to ignite fuel. By contrast, our arc is a powerful current path operating at very high temperatures like in carbon-arc searchlights. Our arc process literally vaporizes the metal to be removed in a controlled way.
Metal Disintegration Machining (MDM)
Metal Disintegrators or MDM machines are manufactured for the specific purpose of removing broken tools from workpieces. The metal disintegration process removes a tap, bolt, or drill leaving the hole intact and allowing a part to be reclaimed. MDM removes material very fast. MDM uses a spark erosion process commonly used for destructive cutting. Typical application includes broken tool extraction (taps, drills, reamers, drill bits) metallurgical sample excavation, and bolt removal. There is no faster or efficient or cost-effective method to remove broken tools, studs, or fasteners than MDM.
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Electrical discharge machining (EDM), also known as spark machining, spark eroding, die sinking, wire burning or wire erosion, is a manufacturing process whereby a desired shape is obtained by using electrical discharges (sparks). Material is removed from the workpiece by a series of rapidly recurring current discharges between two electrodes, separated by a dielectric liquid and subject to an electric voltage. One of the electrodes is called the tool-electrode, or simply the “tool” or “electrode,” while the other is called the workpiece-electrode, or “workpiece.” The process depends upon the tool and workpiece not making actual contact. When the voltage between the two electrodes is increased, the intensity of the electric field in the volume between the electrodes becomes greater than the strength of the dielectric (at least in some places), which breaks down, allowing current to flow between the two electrodes. This phenomenon is the same as the breakdown of a capacitor (condenser) (see also breakdown voltage). As a result, the material is removed from the electrodes. Once the current stops (or is stopped, depending on the type of generator), the new liquid dielectric is usually conveyed into the inter-electrode volume, enabling the solid particles (debris) to be carried away and the insulating properties of the dielectric to be restored. Adding new liquid dielectric in the inter-electrode volume is commonly referred to as “flushing.” Also, after a current flow, the difference of potential between the electrodes is restored to what it was before the breakdown so that a new liquid dielectric breakdown can occur.
Spark erosion is sometimes miscommunicated as being metal disintegrating but it is not. Spark erosion is a form of EDM or electric discharge machining that is a machining technique principally used for hard metals and metals that are difficult to machine using traditional methods. EDM normally operates with materials that are electrically conductive and is designed to erode (remove) intricate depressions or contours from pre-hardened steel negating the requirement for heat treatment to soften and re-harden the steel. We use this method on many different types of metals and alloys, such as Monel, Titanium, Tool Steel, Tungsten Carbide, Tantalum, Super Duplex, and Inconel.
Spark Eroder, Spark Burner, or Spark Disintegrator (You may have heard these referred to as Metal Disintegrators)
Our metal disintegrators are sometimes referred to as Spark Eroders. This is a common term used throughout the UK. However, spark eroders produce sparks in the application, and metal disintegrators do not. So spark eroders are the machines that are used in the electric discharge machining field.
Metal disintegrators are primarily used for bolt removal, tap removal, stud removal, drill removal, and seized or broken bolts. The process can also be used for roll marking or branding for rebar identification, tool and die work, and metallurgical core sampling. The cutting action of a metal disintegrator is accomplished by creating a series of intermittent electric arcs that break down the hardest metals into minute particles. An electrode, held in the head of the disintegrator, vibrates as it cuts while coolant is pumped through the electrode to wash away the powdered metal.
Metal disintegrators or Metal Disintegration Machining (May be abbreviated as MDM in the machining industry) are primarily used for bolt removal, tap removal, stud removal, drill removal, and seized or broken bolts. Other terms used to describe these machines include bolt eater, tap zapper, and stud buster.
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
