Alan Spargo Ltd in High Wycombe has chosen to invest in two new Fanuc wire erosion machines. Established in 1975, the company offers two core services: a press tool service and a subcontract machining service, which includes grinding and EDM.

“Despite having 20 years’ experience of working with Fanuc machines, we fully investigated the marketplace when we began looking for new technology,” says director Peter Spargo. “However, the Fanuc machines remained on top, so we stuck with what we knew.”
The company purchased two Fanuc Robocut 600iA wire models, a decision that was heavily influenced by the service, longevity and overall performance of existing Fanuc machines at Alan Spargo. That said, there were additional factors that helped steer the decision.
“When comparing the Fanuc brand against other machines, one important factor was the level of accuracy that could be achieved,” says Spargo. “We do a lot of motorsport work and high-precision, multi-stage tooling, for which accuracy is critical. When operating the new Fanuc machines, we can achieve tolerances of ±3 µm. Another consideration was the reliability of the machines, which makes them ideal for unmanned operations.
“We can monitor the machines from a mobile phone or tablet when we aren’t on the premises,” he continues. “This has been particularly useful for the guys who come in and out over the weekend to keep the machines running. When we are busy, we are probably running the machines for 400-500 hours a week, so uptime is critical.”
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