Quest for investment leads to Sodick wire EDM

The Engineering Quest, a family-owned precision engineering firm established in the 1970s, has made a substantial investment in advanced manufacturing technology by acquiring a Sodick ALC400G wire EDM machine equipped with state-of-the-art micro-wire. The decision signifies more than a simple equipment upgrade; it exemplifies how forward-thinking manufacturers are responding to the evolving demands of high-precision industries, particularly in medical device manufacturing.

The Sodick ALC400G utilises rigid linear motor drives across the X, Y, U and V axes, combined with absolute linear scales to ensure positioning accuracy backed by Sodick’s 10-year positioning guarantee. Central to the machine’s capability is its micro-wire functionality, which accommodates wire diameters as fine as 0.03 mm. This technology proved crucial in the purchasing decision, as no other machine in its class could meet the micron tolerance demands of the company.

This ultra-fine wire capability creates incredibly small and detailed features that would be impossible to achieve through conventional machining methods. In addition, the machine is configured to utilise water-based dielectric fluid instead of oil, primarily to meet the stringent cleanliness requirements essential for surgical instruments.

The ALC400G incorporates Sodick’s Smart Pulse Wire control system, which utilises a Windows-based operating system and a 19-inch horizontal multi-touchscreen interface. The machine features Intelligent Q³vic EDW technology, an automatic programming system that can import 3D CAD files and automatically detect machinable profiles, extracting machining contours with minimal operator intervention.

“The machine has been on site at Quest producing good components for about nine months now and we’re continuing to expand our learning curve to maximise the machine’s potential,” says Will Sharpe, operations manager at The Engineering Quest. “The next step is to implement automated re-tooling and re-fixturing.”

More information https://sodi-tech.co.uk/

Dubral optimises cutting precision and quality

Dubral, a Portuguese company specialising in the manufacture of aluminium and PVC carpentry products such as hinges, once again trusts ONA as its supplier of EDM machines. The acquisition of the ONA AV35 model has allowed the company to improve precision in its cutting and raise the standard of quality in its manufacturing process, increasing efficiency and productivity.

In Dubral’s constant search for improvements it faced the challenge of finding a solution that guaranteed maximum precision and quality, with a specific effective travel of 600 x 400 x 400 mm. All this without compromising efficiency and maintaining minimal maintenance costs. In response to this demanding requirement, the 120-employee company turned to ONA.

The solution presented by ONA was its AV35 wire EDM, equipped with a mineral filter. This machine, which incorporates the latest EDM technology, met all the required specifications, offering high performance and low maintenance costs. With the implementation of the AV35, Dubral can make precision cuts in special alloys, raising the quality standard of its manufacturing process.

“It’s very gratifying for us to arrive at our premises every morning and witness the way in which the ONA machine continues working,” say Dubral’s executive directors Carla Costa and João Costa.

The AV35 model is not the only ONA EDM machine present on site. Dubral had already demonstrated its trust in the manufacturer with the previous acquisition of an NX3 die-sink EDM. This latest collaboration reflects the company’s satisfaction with the performance, quality and reliability of ONA products.

More information www.onaedm.com

CHMER wins Taiwan Excellence Gold Award

The CHMER UA432L green energy three-in-one wire cutting machine has won the 33rd Taiwan Excellence Gold Award, while its GV5043L high-precision wire cutting machine won the Taiwan Excellence Award. Both machines shine together, meeting the smart, green energy and high-precision manufacturing needs of precision moulds and parts processing.

CHMER is the first wire cutting machine manufacturer in Taiwan to obtain ISO14955 green machine tool certification. The UA432L is also the first wire cutting machine in Taiwan to receive the Green Machine Tool Energy Saving Gold Mark.

General manager Wang Chenhong of Qinghong Mechatronics says: CHMER actively seeks innovative solutions for non-traditional processing and green intelligent manufacturing. The award-winning honours of UA432L and GV5043L affirm our unremitting pursuit of smart machinery and green machine tools. We hope to help our customers improve precision machining and production efficiency through innovation and respond to the global net-zero carbon emission challenge.”


CHMERs’ UA432L demonstrates its strength in energy conservation and carbon reduction from multiple aspects, including: a new three-in-one design that greatly reduces footprint, which can be 20% less than traditional models; the ‘High-Efficiency Energy Management System’ (HEMS) that reduces overall processing energy consumption by 40%; and a built-in green processing mode which cuts copper wire consumption by 42%

The GV5043L linear motor-driven wire cutting machine focuses on high-end applications. It features independently developed linear motor technology to ensure friction-free, backlash-free and low-energy operation, making it suitable for the manufacture of complex parts and precision moulds. The machine combines high precision and stable performance, says CHMER.


Looking ahead, CHMER will focus more on new business opportunities in the machine tool industry using AI and further energy-saving technologies.

More information www.chmer.com/en

Twin machines erode circular saws automatically

For all that the new Vollmer QS 860 and QSF 860 disc erosion machines may look the same and have virtually identical construction, they do in fact have some key differences. One twin sharpens the free surfaces of PCD circular saws, while the other sharpens the flank-free surfaces.

Intuitive control, integrated measuring equipment and handling systems ensure automated machining, while digitalisation by means of standard IoT gateway, data entry station and DCN operation optimise the erosion processes for the production and maintenance of PCD circular saws.

With its hardness rating of 10, diamond really is the king of machining. Circular saws tipped with PCD achieve long operating lives in metal and even highly abrasive composite material machining. To ensure that PCD circular saws retain their sharpness, Vollmer launched two new disc erosion machines.

With the QS 860 and QSF 860 twins, saw manufacturers can produce their PCD circular saws with different geometries and diameters from 80 to 860 mm. It is also possible to resharpen existing PCD circular saws. Vollmer’s ND handling systems, which automatically load up to three machines – with up to 650 PCD circular saw blades depending on the model and specification – ensure unmanned machining around the clock.

Both machines have a robust design, complete CNC control and measuring equipment for fully automated set-up and work processes. They have measuring sensors that record all relevant parameters and deliver precise 3D measurement accuracy. The sensors detect newly inserted teeth and sharpen these to size, while the feed pawls automatically detect broken teeth and determine the tooth pitches so that manual adjustment is unnecessary.

Thanks to Vollmer’s tried-and-tested operation, users can control and programme the QS 860 and QSF 860 via touchscreen or keypad. More information www.vollmer-group.com

Precision, productivity and process efficiencies

GF Machining Solutions says its new CUT F 600 is a thermally-stable wire EDM machine that automatically identifies and adapts wire speed during the cutting performance, leading to improved productivity and process reliability.

The CUT F 600 wire EDM is designed to balance precision with productivity for accurate machining and high surface finishes. Designed for ease of use and flexibility, the machine features the UNIQUA control, ISPS (Intelligent Spark Protection System) and iWire intelligent functions and the radio frequency identification (RFID) Smart Wire system. It also offers design improvements for thermal stabilisation, vibration control and precise machine movements.

The iWire function automatically identifies and adapts wire speed to changing erosion height conditions during the wire EDM process. According to the company, this capability eliminates wire breakage while reducing overall wire consumption per job. The iWire function works in tandem with the company’s ISPS, both of which are accessed via the Uniqua control.

Additionally, iWire not only recognises exactly where sparks are occurring during the wire EDM process but also measures and identifies the position of each spark along the length of the wire. Knowing the exact location of a spark enables iWire to adapt the wire spool speed automatically.

For precise machine movements, vibration control and overall process stability, CUT F series machines provide use the work tank and dielectric fluid to cool the machine’s axis optical encoders. A further design innovation is the incorporation of higher accuracy machine ball screws that improve both positioning accuracy and smooth operation.

The CUT F 600’s Uniqua HMI features a 19″ vertical touchscreen, full keyboard and mouse.

More information www.gfms.com