Fast wire EDM uses two different wires for roughing, finishing

GF Machining Solutions’s CUT 2000S wire EDM with WorkPartner 1+ automation produces high quality surface finishes on medical parts because of its capaiblity to use two completely different types of wire for roughing and finishing.

The company claims the EDM is the fastest on the market thanks to the new Intelligent Power Generator (IPG) with Direct Power Supply (DPS) module. The machines have been shown to reduce machining time by 30 per cent and produce high quality surface finishes of Ra 0.08 µm, easily meeting the stringent criteria for Swiss quality.

GF AgieCharmilles’ Automatic Wire Changer (AWC) paves the way to more versatility and process control because it allows the use of different diameter wires and wires of different materials. For example, a main cut can be done with a coated wire or larger diameter wire to boost cutting speed, then be automatically changed for a trim cut with standard wire to reduce running costs. 

New optionally available Threading-Expert module significantly boosts productivity by ensuring dependable threading under difficult conditions. It is a retractable device that drives the wire from the upper guide to the upper surface start hole or, depending on the hole diameter, to the lower guide through a fine, slotted tube. The result is uncomplicated wire threading, even under the most difficult conditions.

Also as optional is the GF AgieCharmilles IVU Advance – integrated vision unit – takes micro machining to the next level and ensures 100 per cent reliable machining results. The non-contact, vision-based measurement system locates and measures the part edges and scans contours with a charge coupled device (CCD) camera featuring a light-sensitive pixel array. The IVU allows manufacturers to overcome the limitations and cost issues of on-machine part location associated with using the EDM’s wire.

With the addition of WorkPartner 1+, a compact solution that offers maximum magazine capacity while using minimum floor space, the productivity of the CUT 2000 increases. It can load one or two machines and up to four chucks.

The CUT 2000 S is the successor of GF Machining Solutions’ CUT 2000/3000 range. It accommodates wires as thin as 0.002 in. (0.0508 mm) in diameter to cut micro parts and tiny details, and is equipped with Vision 5 numerical control, a powerful tool for easily organizing and managing several unattended jobs in parallel. Further, GF Machining Solutions’ 3D probing system significantly speeds part setup.

GF Machining Solutions