EDM Grinding Wheel Dressing
Cost-efficient EDM dressing solution with Wire-Cut EDM (Wire EDM=EDW)
Affordable precision for metal-bond wheels
Proven results with Excetek NP-Series linear-motor EDM
High performance at moderate investment
Cost-Efficient EDM Dressing Solution for Everyday Production
An Excetek Wire-Cut EDM equipped with a HIWIN precision rotary table offers a practical and affordable solution to EDM dressing of metal-bond diamond and CBN grinding wheels.
While developed as a compact linear-motor EDM, the NP-Series has proven fully capable of executing precise rotary dressing cycles comparable to premium-class systems.
Wheels Longevity
Faster Process
Cost Saving
Thanks to Excetek’s rigid flat-linear drive structure and high-stability dielectric system, the process removes only the conductive bond material. The diamond grits remain intact and active – so the wheel is dressed without mechanical contact or damage. The addition of a HIWIN rotary table enables controlled circular or profile dressing on wheels up to Ø500 mm, ensuring excellent repeatability and consistent performance.
This configuration makes EDM dressing technology accessible to a broader range of toolrooms and grinding departments — providing the benefits of the process at a fraction of the cost of high-end installations.
Even smaller toolrooms can adopt this process cost-effectively.”
Grinding wheel dressing using Wire-Cut EDM has a long—though often overlooked—history, even among industry professionals.
As early as the 1980s, some advanced users of JAPAX Wire-Cut EDM machines developed their own rotating attachments to enable dressing and sharpening of diamond and CBN (cubic boron nitride) grinding wheels.
While these early solutions were largely artisan and improvised, they proved the feasibility and value of the method.
Overview of HIWIN RCV-125E
The HIWIN RCV-125E is an innovative direct drive rotary table primarily designed for applications requiring high precision and efficiency, particularly in industries like automotive, semiconductor, and medical fields.
The abbreviation RCV in its name means “Rotation + C-axis + Vertical” and this shows that the table can be used with a Wire-Cut EDM not only for rotating the workpiece (as when dressing grinding wheels), but also for precise angular positioning of the workpiece simultaneously with feeds along other axes (XYUV). That is, HIWIN RCV-125E is a multipurpose precision rotary table.
| Type | Underwater Direct Drive Rotary Table |
| Max Speed | 1000 rpm |
| Weight Reduction | Lightweight compared to mechanical types, about 60% lighter |
| Material | High strength Al alloy with aerospace ceramic coat |
| Insulation | Up to 80 times better than traditional systems |
| Protection Rating | IP68, meaning it is resistant to water and dust |
| Applications | Suitable for non-contact microprocesses such as EDM molding, drilling, wire cutting, and laser machining |
EDM dressing is applicable to CBN and diamond grinding wheels with electrically conductive bonding materials. This process enables high-precision profile shaping and the formation of very small corner radii.
Wire-Cut EDM technology can be used to dress grinding wheels that incorporate metal or hybrid (metal + resin) bonds, such as Resimet wheels. In EDM dressing, only the bond material is eroded, while the diamond grains—being dielectric—are not affected or deformed, ensuring their full cutting potential is preserved.
EDM Dressing with Flat Linear Motor EDM
Compared to conventional Wire-Cut EDMs with ball-screw or fancy shaft-cylinder (tubular shaft) drives, machines equipped with flat linear motors offer superior accuracy, longer service life, and higher dynamic stability. For this reason EDM dressing using flat linear motor drives is beneficial.
Relevant terms:
“MB wheels” refers to Metal Bond wheels — a type of grinding wheel where abrasive grains (typically diamond or CBN = cubic boron nitride) are held together by a metallic bonding matrix.
A Metal Bond (MB) grinding wheel is composed of:
Superabrasives: Diamond or CBN (for high-hardness materials)
Metallic bond matrix: Usually a mix of copper, tin, cobalt, iron, or other metals
The metal bond holds the abrasive grains in place and gradually wears down to expose fresh cutting edges.
EDM dressing is conducted in a dielectric medium—deionized water – which makes the process clean, dust-free, and environmentally friendly. No dust extraction system is required, unlike with mechanical dressing.
In contrast to conventional methods, Wire-Cut EDM dressing creates a more open, porous grinding surface with greater grit protrusion, allowing the wheel to cut more freely and aggressively, improving both cutting efficiency and coolant access.
This results in lower spindle loads for the same material removal rate and extended wheel life, as the diamond grits remain securely bonded and intact throughout the dressing process.
Grinding wheels dressed by EDM maintain their form for longer, and they support higher feed rates. This significantly boosts tool production in CNC tool & cutter grinders. The enhanced profile accuracy minimizes the need for compensation or rework, reducing cycle times and improving consistency.
EDM enables easy dressing of inner (concave) profiles, without applying mechanical stress to the grinding wheel. There are no “shadow” effects, and the direction of rotation is irrelevant.
Altogether, EDM dressing of metal bond wheels offers:
Higher productivity
Longer tool life
Improved surface quality
Faster return on investment
🏭 Brands of
Profile Grinding Machines:
🇯🇵 Amada
🇦🇺 ANCA
🇩🇪 EWAG
🇺🇸 Kellenberger
🇸🇪 Lidköping / UVA
🇯🇵 Mitsui Seiki
🇯🇵 Nachi-Fujikoshi
🇯🇵 Okamoto
🇨🇭 Rollomatic
🇩🇪 Saacke
🇩🇪 Schneeberger
