EDM/ECM CHALLENGING FEATURES MADE EASY
opportunities of erosion/grinding machines
from Vollmer for developing uted PCD
tooling, especially with the rise of composite
materials in the aerospace industry,” states
Ford.
FLEXIBILITY PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY
Bringing the rst Vollmer QXD200 machine
to the US in 2006, STF Precision initially
struggled to break the aerospace sector, but
fortunately the exibility of the QXD200
provided the opportunity to extend its
offering for the automotive market.
“We started to get into the production of
cutting tools for piston production,” says
Ford. “We began making groove tools, as
well as insert and form cutters. With an
ability to produce tools to a tolerance of less
than ±2 micron and form angles below ±15
minutes, we found a niche manufacturing
cutters for use on high silicone content
materials.”
A further two QXD200 machines arrived
between 2008 and 2010 for the production
of milling cutters, reamers and drills, with a
QXD250 installed in 2012. STF Precision
soon progressed into more complex
geometry PCD form tools for the automotive
market which, in 2014, resulted in the
arrival of its rst Vollmer wire erosion
machine.
“Our customers were requesting more
complex internal form tools and large
diameter milling cutters, and once again we
turned to Vollmer,” says Ford. “The QWD760
is a great machine and we were so happy
Arthur Watts of A&M
bids farewell to a
trusted friend
with it that we installed a QWD760H
featuring a 12-station automated loader
soon after. With our complex-geometry
automotive tools taking upwards of three
hours to process, the 12-station QWD760H
can run for days without operator
intervention.”
One of the latest Vollmer machine to
arrive at STF Precision is a VPulse 500 wire
EDM, which features the optional HR
external workpiece storage and automation
system that enables the processing of up to
16 tools with a maximum diameter and
length of 300 and 500 mm respectively.
Back in the UK, such is the key
importance of EDM technology to many
businesses that it is not just the arrival of a
new machine that can cause a stir, but its
departure. The very rst wire erosion
machine to be installed at Smethwick-based
subcontractor A&M EDM has reached the
end of its working life after 17 years
(https://is.gd/doyocu). Company bosses
estimate that the Sodick A325 used over
30,000 miles of wire during its time in
service, the equivalent of ying from the
West Midlands to Sydney three times.
Arthur Watts, co-founder of A&M, says:
“Decommissioning the A325 is a milestone;
the machine has been an incredible
workhorse and it feels like a close colleague
is leaving.” The A325 wire eroder repaid its
purchase price many times over, spending
an average cutting time of over 4,000 hours
in each of its 17 years on site.
Watts concludes: “When we bought the
A325, it was a top-of-the-range wire eroder
that could hold its own against any
competition. We’ve now replaced it with a
new Sodick ALC600G, with 600 by 400 by
350 mm capacity, which we hope will give us
the same incredible service.”
Latest wire EDM development news in brief
GF Machining Solutions has introduced Smart wire technology
equipped with radio frequency identi cation (RFID) chips that
enables customers to exploit the potential of their AgieCharmilles
Cut P wire EDM machines and, simultaneously, achieve Industry
4.0-level process control. Thanks to Smart wire’s monitoring
capabilities, the machine operator always knows how much wire is
available for current jobs. The moment a spool of Smart wire is
installed, the Cut P machine recognises and logs the wire length.
As a result, the user knows, at a glance, the status of wire spool
and whether there is enough wire to complete the cutting operation
without stoppages or interruptions. At the same time, wire
traceability is enhanced by data in the machine report, including
date of manufacture, type, lot and expiration date. More details:
https://is.gd/olutoq
Erodex has launched what the company describes as the fastest
EDM speed wire available in the UK: GapStar One. Working in
partnership with Berkenhoff in Germany, the wire increases speeds
by 40-60%, compared with standard brass wire, and typically 10%
when compared to its Boline H product, says the company. This
gain is achieved in both rough and skim cuts, without necessarily
adjusting current settings. Furthermore, thanks to Berkenhoff’s
newly developed TrimPac coating, a surface nish of 0.25 Ra can
be expected, as well as increased stiffness and straightness for
automatic threading. GapStar One is available from stock in tensile
strengths of 900 and 500 N. The wire is compatible with all brands
of machines and comes in most spool sizes. More details:
https://is.gd/ubixac
62 www.machinery.co.uk @MachineryTweets March 2020
/doyocu)
/olutoq
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