A shift in the manufacturing process can be quite expensive, but if it’s the right step, then the pros outweigh the cons of making such an investment. The question is, how do you know whether that is indeed the case?

Staying specific with just CNC Wire EDM Manufacturing for this post, let’s go through its multiple applications and advantages over its alternatives first. This should allow us enough insight to determine which companies have the most to gain by making the switch.

photo credit: Peerawaz / Pixabay

Allows for Delicate Work

Delicate work in drilling, blanking, and punching is not easy with hard metals, but the CNC wire EDM machine has made it a lot easier now. This is possible because CNC wire EDM manufacturing brings the following advantages to manufacturing plants:

• Tight tolerance, as no extra cutting force is imposed on the piece being worked on
• The precision of a wire cutter, but controlled, maintained and repeated with flawless perfection via CNC automation
• Thermal treatments are unnecessary, negating the heat stress that would otherwise be imposed on the workpiece
• Can work with the same delicate precision on highly resistive, as well as brittle surfaces

Cost-Efficient

In the introduction, we mentioned that in order for a new manufacturing process to be implemented and incorporated into the business model, the costs must be justified enough to be reclassified as an investment, rather than an expense. CNC wire EDM machines bring that advantage to not just manufacturers, but also to companies who buy from them.

Due to the fact that CNC wire EDM manufacturing is a highly cost-effective process, customer companies can get a better price for new orders, despite receiving better and more precise products than before. This is possible because:

• Damage is almost nonexistent under normal circumstances, which cuts down on wastage and cost of workpieces
• Wire EDM machining is capable of cutting through even reinforced metal with relative ease, severely reducing energy consumption during the tougher cutting processes
• Precise cutting and lack of thermal damage means a minimal need for polishing expenses

Repeatability Allows for Complicated Machining

The accuracy, which is characteristic of CNC wire EDM machining, also allows for repeatability. What it means is that the same workpiece can be cut multiple times by the wire, producing complicated work with relative ease.

It should be noted that there is a marked difference between plain old wire EDM cutting and CNC wire EDM machining. Unlike the latter, the former is slower and can end up producing irregular designs. This is due to the fact that CNC wire EDM manufacturing is an automated process, while wire EDM cutting is a manual process, prone to human error and limitations.

While human workers possessing exceptional talent can perhaps replicate an intricate design with accuracy a few times, it’s the automation brought in by the CNC programming, which allows the wire EDM machine to create the same intricate designs as many times as needed, with zero deviations from the original design.