As a small subcontract toolmaking and machining business, Precision Engineering Services (Buxton) Ltd has carved a niche in the production of press and mould tools for the construction and DIY sectors. As part of these activities, the business undertakes a significant amount of wire EDM work, which is why it has just invested in a Mitsubishi MV1200S wire EDM machine from the Engineering Technology Group (ETG).

The Buxton-based manufacturer has a selection of manual and CNC machine tools as well as a die-sink EDM machine and a wire EDM. However, with the company’s 12-year-old Mitsubishi BA8 wire EDM being the busiest machine, its precision levels were sadly diminishing after more than a decade of non-stop operation.

“After more than 10 years of non-stop running, the ball screws on our existing Mitsubishi BA8 wire EDM were deteriorating and maintaining precision was becoming more of a challenge,” explains managing director Chris Barlow.“We knew that a new machine would be the best route forward. With linear drive technology and tubular shaft motors instead of ball screws, the new MV1200S has a 12-year accuracy warranty and an optical drive system that provides circular accuracy within 1μm, so we won’t have this concern in the future.”

With regard to overall cutting time, Barlowsays: “The speed of cutting is always restricted by the wire. However, features that would take four passes to finish on the BA8 are now possible in three or sometimes two passes with our new MV1200S. This improves our productivity by 25% and even 50% in some cases.”

This impressive productivity improvement is credit to the new V350 generator, which has a significantly higher effective clock rate.
For further information www.engtechgroup.com