Low cost, high performance wire EDM takes UK by storm

Launched at the beginning of the year, the new CUT 20 machine has attracted precision toolmakers and component manufacturers alike, with demand for the machine showing no sign of diminishing, says the company. “In the 11 months from January to November this year we sold 22 new CUT 20 machines,” said Steve Sylvester, managing director at AgieCharmilles. “This beats, by some distance, sales of the machine in other European countries. And sales leads and enquiries for the CUT 20 are growing month by month.” Nine of the machines were sold to completely new GF AgieCharmilles customers, it is reported. The machine’s price (below £55,000), low operating costs plus its high-performance, precision, reliability and versatility have all contributed to its sales success, it is claimed. Mr Sylvester expands: “The machine delivers exceptional cutting performance (250 mm2/min), surface finish (Ra 0.25 µm) and precision (glass scales for X and Y axes), handles wire diameters from 0.15 – 0.30 mm, and optimises the EDM erosion process by reducing the number of passes required to achieve the desired accuracy and surface finish requirements. “Furthermore, owing to its Automatic Wire Thread capability, the CUT 20 provides customers with additional process reliability for unmanned and lights-out operations.”