4300+ hours
I’m using the BX17 arc generator to wire-EDM machine parts for model engineering. I am the first customer of BAXEDM and purchased my generator about 1.5 year ago. So far I have machined with the generator for 4300+ hours without any problems and have been able to make many parts. About 10 years ago I built the first home-build wire EDM machine and also built my own generator. When the BAXEDM generator became available I decided to purchase one because it was more advanced and powerful than mine, since my competence lies in mechanics and not in electronics. I’m a really happy user. The only downside I can think of is that the BX17 was hard to integrate into my existing CNC solution, as my CNC control cannot move backwards. The design of the BX17 is such that it is only easy to implement with CNC controllers that can move backwards, for example Dynomotion.
The good kind of sparks
In 2013 I built a small tabletop wire EDM just to see if I could, and partly because I needed one. No information was available, so I improvised and built the machine around an Arduino working as a G-code interpreter and a very simple RC generator from scrap parts. It worked, but it was very slow, and the project stayed there for years. I prototyped a PWM generator I wasn’t fond of, and everything halted.
Then Mike contacted me about building a wire EDM. In months he had a working machine, and not long after he announced a generator with serious output power and advanced gap measurement. I got mine in December 2018, with other parts from the shop, and spent the time I could spare rebuilding the electronics, recoding the Arduino and fitting the generator on the wall.
The first cuts didn’t work as I hoped. I had interference into the controller. After a long discussion of what to try, the machine cut without issues. I’m able to cut fast, accurately, and productively enough to offer wire EDM work to customers. The customer support has been amazing. Definitely worth it, especially for retrofitters.
Custom EDM tools, on a bench
The combination of the BX17 arc generator and Dynomotion controller allows many different custom EDM tools. I built a small-hole EDM drilling machine, and am working on a wire EDM now. It’s convenient to have benchtop-sized machines, since most commercial EDM tools are huge free-standing devices.
Packed like a real product
After receiving the generator, the first thing I noticed was how professionally it was packed. Delivery was prompt, 10 days to the other side of the world. The generator is professionally made. Even the logo is cut by wire EDM, on that generator, as a check of the process. The machine I’m developing is a 6-axis wire EDM, four of them interpolating, still being built. The customer support is great.
For a retrofit, not only a hobby
We got the generator some time ago. The product looks very good and works according to our expectations. We are preparing the modernization of several old WEDM machines. One of the biggest problems is the generator. Using the BaxEDM BX17, we were able to launch the cut in a very short time. Worth recommending, not only for hobbyists but for professionals.
Not an Arduino in a box
I took the covers off. It is well made, with solid connections, a considered layout, and good parts, including the power supplies, which are the most abused parts. This is not a hobbyist selling an Arduino and some transistors in a box.
A useful performance boost
I initially made my own generator from existing designs, but could not get useful performance. With the BX17, my custom wire EDM got a huge performance boost. The technical support has been superb. I recommend it to DIY EDM builders.
A firmware update the same afternoon
I was delighted to find BaxEDM while digging into building my own EDM power supply. The amount of work the generator saved is monumental. In every aspect I have tested so far it is extremely well built, and BaxEDM is incredibly responsive. I wanted a single-shot mode, one discharge per trigger. I emailed Mike on a Saturday morning, and on Saturday afternoon he called to say the firmware was updated and a download was available. I would buy another unit. I did: I bought another generator for my work.
