At Petersfield-based Frazer Nash Manufacturing, the company has invested in its fourth Fanuc wire EDM, a RoboCut C600iB, which complements existing RoboCut 0C and 1C machines that have been running on the shop floor since the early 1990s.

EDM supervisor at Fraser Nash Manufacturing, Hayden Weeks, says: “We added the latest Fanuc RoboCut C600iB as we were looking for a machine that could accept larger parts. Moreover, some of our other machines are getting a little old now, so the new addition really speeds things up. The C600iB is at least 20 to 30% faster than our existing machines.
“Much of our work is in the food industry, so we do a lot of aluminium and titanium plates,” adds Weeks. “On the new machine at present is a 3D-printed alloy steel part and we’re cutting off the 3D printed base. From here, the job will go to five-axis machining.”
Programming of the machines is performed off-line using Fanuc CAMi software, which helps Frazer Nash perform cylindrical, conical and four-axis machining routines. Users can mirror CAMi software directly to the CNC screen by using the remote desktop function.
Fanuc’s B series has a host of newly developed features, and one in particular caught the attention of Frazer Nash: the EDM hole-drilling attachment. This bolt-on addition enables users to drill holes from 0.3 to 3.0 mm diameter through hardened steels and other challenging material types.
“An advantage of this system is that you don’t need to drill a plate before treatment or before it’s put on the wire machine,” says Weeks. “We load jobs straight on the machine, where the attachment will drill the hole. We can then centre-find the hole and feed the wire in for cutting operations.”
For further information www.fanuc.eu

GF Machining Solutions’ die-sink machines are equipped with 3DS, an intelligent surface texturing technology that reduces friction on the surface area of moulds and, as a consequence, enables injection-moulded parts manufacturers to improve their productivity and performance.

Injection moulding process productivity can be compromised by de-moulding issues caused in many instances by increasing part and polymer complexity. An effective and traditional way of overcoming these issues is to apply coatings to the mould surface, which reduce adhesion and friction, enabling moulded parts to be ejected quickly. This coating process occurs after the machining operations have been completed and, as such, adds time and cost to the whole manufacturing process.
A new, less time-consuming approach using advanced EDM die-sinking technology has been developed by GF Machining Solutions. In essence, the new approach can be adopted by mould makers with access to the company’s latest AgieCharmilles Form P and Form X die-sinking machines, which are equipped with the high-performance and digital Intelligent Speed Power Generator (ISPG) and 3DS, an on-board, intelligent surface texturing technology that can be accessed directly from the machines’ HMI control.
3DS technology smoothes the distance between the peaks and valleys on the mould surface, but not to a point where the peaks are eliminated. The technology stretches the surface RMS (root mean square) value without affecting the Ra value and, because the peaks are more evenly spread on the surface that is created in the mould, prevents sticking.
Owing to the reduced surface friction, moulds can be filled faster (shaving seconds off the moulding process) and moulded parts can be ejected quickly and effortlessly.
For manufacturers that make millions of injection-moulded parts, this capability enables significant cycle time reductions and the potential to make hundreds of thousands of additional parts.
For further information www.gfms.com

The world leader in kettle controls, Strix Ltd, has invested in the latest Sodick ALC600G wire erosion technology from Sodi-Tech EDM.

As a result of its investment, the 800-employee company has improved cutting speeds by 20-30%, saved significant sums in consumables and achieved far higher levels of reliability.
Global headquarters is near Castletown on the Isle of Man, which is supported by a manufacturing site just up the road, at Ramsey, and a manufacturing/assembly facility in Guangzhou, China.
“We’ve had two wire EDMs working 24-7 for the past 18 years, so the time had come to consider making the leap to the latest technology,” explains toolroom manager John Roy. “All of our press tooling is made from carbide, so wire EDM is the only realistic way
of manufacturing.”
The new ALC600G has replaced one of the older wire EDMs on site at Strix, and been set to work producing the press tooling – punches and dies – required to produce electrical components such as the bi-metal discs that respond to steam and switch off the kettle. Press tools are often manufactured to produce two or three different components simultaneously.
“Our new Sodick wire EDM is also used to produce replacement punch and die inserts for existing press tools,” says Roy. “We certainly have no shortage of work for the machine. It now runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our new Sodick has benefitted the toolmaking operation at Strix in so many ways. Not only is the cutting speed 20-30% faster than our previous machine, but it is a lot more reliable and uses far less wire.”
For further information www.sodi-techedm.co.uk