A spark erosion machine that includes two independently driven portals, each portal mounted on a portal carrier and bearing a header holding an electrode. The machine also has segmented container with a removable inner door separating two subcontainers and side walls forming hermetically sealable access doors.

A spark erosion machining apparatus with an electrode changing mechanism having electrode support members and a frame that are connected to the interior front wall of the tub that can be opened like a door Two pairs of levers are pivotally mounted on the frame. The free ends of the levers have a transverse beam with perpendicularly protruding electrode support members. The transverse beams with the electrode support members can be pivoted (using hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder pistons) from a rest position where they are near to the front wall of the tub into an operating position where the electric support members are in an essentially central portion of the tub.

A method for electroerosive machining of metal workpieces and related apparatus. The erosion head of an electroerosive machining apparatus is moved with a blank clamped in it to a machining device for machining the blank with a machine tool held in the machining device, preferably a rotating milling tool the erosin head, and moves the blank for machining relative to machine tool as directed by a control computer. The machining device is located below the erosion head, with a vertical or horizontal axis of rotation, the electrode, following its manufacture, form the blank, is moved while still held by the erosion head to the electroerosive machining apparatus. Alternatively, an additional clamping device can be provided constructed like the erosion head for holding an electrode blank for machining by the machining device, while a workpiece is machined by electroerosion using an electrode held by the erosion head.

A machining tool with an electric discharge truing and dressing apparatus comprising a spindle stock for containing and supporting a workpiece spindle which is driven for rotation while holding a workpiece or an electrode. A tool rest moves parallel and perpendicular to the spindle of the spindle stock and holds an electrode machining tool and a grinding wheel. An electricity feed element is disposed between a workpiece supportng portion of the spindle and the tool rest. A magazine is disposed at an outside area of a machining area of the tool rest and is adapted to store the workpiece and the electrode. A loading device is disposed between the magazine and the spindle. The grinding wheel on the tool rest is subjected to truing and dressing by feeding the electrode from the magazine to the spindle stock.

A method of forming an eroded pattern on a metal part using Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) comprising: forming a pattern of electrodes on the end of a piece of electrode material by using wire EDM, the pattern of electrodes being the pattern to be eroded on the metal part or being a portion of the pattern; and mounting the metal part for EDM with the pattern of electrodes being mounted for use as electrodes and the erosion of the pattern or portion of the pattern provided by the pattern of electrodes by EDM in the metal part.