Subcontractor Electro-Discharge places eight-machine EDM order with Agie Charmilles to boost capacity

In November 2012, the Netherton, West Midlands-based company won a significant new contract requiring for the manufacture of thousands of high precision, complex EDM parts throughout 2013, which meant the company's existing machining capacity would be soon under pressure. Electro-Discharge's general manager, Rupin Vadera, explains: "The new business contract prompted us to review our EDM capacity again, and it soon became clear that even by running our existing machines around the clock, we would still need to substantially increase our EDM machining resource. "We approached a number of EDM machine suppliers with our requirements, which we had determined would be five new wire EDM machines, two new die-sink machines and one new EDM hole driller. "GF AgieCharmilles acted quickly, providing us with virtually instant quotations, and proposed a new machine installation schedule (for the eighth machines) that would be completed by the end of February 2013." The five new GF AgieCharmilles wire EDM machines acquired by Electro-Discharge are all CUT 300 models. These have a cutting speed up to 500 mm²/min and feature ECONOTEC Technology, which allows the use of larger (and cheaper) diameter brass wire for rough cutting operations. The machines run 24/7 at Electro-Discharge's facility and feature GF AgieCharmilles' AWT Technology (automatic wire threading), which delivers thread cycle times of 15 seconds (spark-to-spark). The machines' productivity and efficiency is further enhanced by the integration of fast measuring cycles (3-point set-up); rapid filling and/or emptying of work tanks (30 seconds), and the detection of 'missing' guide holes and automatic movement to the next guide hole, to ensure continuous production. The CUT 300 machines also feature GF AgieCharmilles' CleanCut digital generator technology, which, as well as delivering fast cutting speeds, ensures exceptional surface finishes (Ra 0.1 micron). Furthermore, the CUT 300's ability to machine titanium and titanium alloys (without the creation of the re-cast layer or micro-cracking) meant it was ideally suited to meet the particularly stringent Nadcap quality requirements and provide the company's aerospace customers with a Nadcap accredited service (AS7116, AS9100 REV: C, ISO 9001-2008 and Rolls-Royce SABRe9000). Electro-Discharge also installed two new FORM 20 die-sink machines as part of its EDM upgrade strategy. The company's existing spark erosion machines, although still performing well, were not as 'fast' as newer machines on the market and this, along with issues like excessive electrode wear, caused a few production headaches. Explains Mr Vadera: "The new FORM 20 machines may be compact, but they are jam-packed with productivity- and performance-enhancing features. "One of their key selling points is that they are equipped with GF AgieCharmilles' IQ (Zero Wear) Technology. Since acquiring the new machines, we have found that our copper electrodes can be used/re-used to machine 20 parts, whereas before we invested in the FORM 20s, electrodes needed to be re-machined, or new ones produced, after manufacturing only 2 - 3 parts." Less time and cost is spent manufacturing new (replacement) electrodes and this has resulted in shorter lead times. Furthermore low or no electrode wear helps improve cycle times and ensures that high accuracies and repeatability's are consistently achieved. The new FORM 20 machines are also equipped with a 4-position tool (electrode) changer, which increases their productivity potential and allows the machines to run unattended overnight and/or over the weekends. Mr Vadera again: "When I heard about the FORM 20 machine's performance, in terms of speed, surface finish, electrode wear characteristics etc – I was sceptical. "We asked Agie Charmilles to undertake a series of trials to put the machine through its paces and on the basis of the results, we invested in two machines straight away." Electro-Discharge now has 33 EDM machines in its machine tool portfolio and the eight new machines delivered in double-quick time by Agie Charmilles have helped the company win significant new business since their installation.