EDM Brands?

[Perp]

When it comes to EDM machines I really do not know much. If I were looking at purchasing a New or late model machine, what would be some of the pitfalls to avoid and options that I should be happy to pay for. Who are the major manacturers and which are worth the money. I am looking for profesional Equipment, not hobby stuff.

Any replies are appreciated.

Thanks

[Klox]

Are you looking at sinking or wire edm's? There's lots of manufacturers. Charmilles (Swiss), Agie (Swiss), Hitachi (Japanese, some models are assembled in eastern Europe), Sodick (Japanese/US), Ona (Spanish). Then there's a lot of Taiwanese ones on the market also. I would personally go for either a Japanese or Swiss machine. I have experience on Hitachi & Charmilles wedm's. Both are very good.....

[Perp]

We are looking for wire EDM, I should have been more specific.

Thanks for the reply Klox.

Any additional information from you guys would be great.

[Colin]

Try Tom Truty at Techstar info@techstar-edm.com . Tom reconditions Agie machines. He might have Swiss quality, at a reasonable price. Also excellent back up, based in Chicago.

Regards, Colin

[tludas]

We presently have 2 Mitsubishi Wire EDM machines. Would you consider outsourcing your wire work? We are able to do wire work, including edm hole drill, at very reasonable rates. We can do prototypes, as well as production. If this is something you are interested in, you can reach me at:

Ted Ludas, President @

Universal Tooling, Inc.
103 Elsie Ave.
Crest Hill, IL 60403
PH: 815-722-8080

When it comes to EDM machines I really do not know much. If I were looking at purchasing a New or late model machine, what would be some of the pitfalls to avoid and options that I should be happy to pay for. Who are the major manacturers and which are worth the money. I am looking for profesional Equipment, not hobby stuff.

Any replies are appreciated.

Thanks

[Perp]

Thank you for the offer, but at this time I feel It would best benifit us to buy and run our own machine.

[Brett]

Try looking at the following web site: www.mcwilliamsedm.com.

McWilliams is well known in the industry for the last 30 years or so and they are the largest rebuilder of Sodick Wire EDM Machines in the USA. You can call Jeff at 704-598-6616 out of their North Carolina office or Kurt at 248-437-6616 out of their Michigan office. I checked and they do have inventory of finished reconditioned machines for immediate sale.

[cb1]

i have run 5 different brands of edm's, this is some advice i can give.
go with a new machine not used, you will get better financing rates,
and the prices have come down a fair bit.
hight of cut- how big(thick) will your parts be?
-i say for the little extra cost get somthing with over 10in,so your not limited
as much.
-automatic wire feed is a must have(won't be on older model)
for lights out cutting.
-check to see if the model has modem so you can fix problems on line
while your at home(yes you can run the machine if your not there) i loved that, if you have a long run or big setup.
-some machines have a tank that lowers so you can fit big stuff.
build lots of jigs so if your running small stuff you can set up 10 or 50 parts
set your program and go home.
there are lots of brands and different price ranges, so do lots of research

[Klox]

Perp, what type of wire edm jobs do you have in mind. Tools or components? What software do you have? Do you need software too? If you plan on a variety of jobs also keep in mind that there are clamping systems on the market that saves setup time and ensures accuracy.....
You can also add an swimming pool sand filter to the filtration system to extend the paper filter's life, it will save you a lot in the long run.....

[Brett]

PERP

CB1 and Klox are right with regards to knowing what you are going to use the machine for and deciding on the right software and tooling. Automatic threaders are nice but are not necessary for all applications. Do you have alot or just a little of work that has multiple openings?

The big questions are:
1 ) How much work are you jobbing out monthly now?
2 ) Are you going to use the machine for in house work only?
3 ) How much money do you have in your machine tool budget for this machine tool? What other machines do you have to buy this fiscal year?

New manufacturers may offer better lease rates or say they are doing so. The only way to verify this is to check with your bank and also try a few leasing companies that know EDM machines but are not tied to those manufacturers.

You can still buy used or reconditioned machines for 1/4 to 1/2 the cost of new machines but make those companies give you references so you can feel comfortable with who you are dealing with.

[cb1]

check out next months issue of cutting tool engineering , there will
be an article on edm's
www.ctemag.com

[edm specialist]

well if you're are looking for the best brand of edm machine. Then you would have to go with a mits. The setup time can be a big factor and mits is more user friendly then the others. Also high speed cutting can make a big difference in brand. ex: you got charmilles the you input the thickness of the part ,type of material and it runs a safe powersetting for you which would less likely break the wire. But if you can learn how a mits power setting works. You and blow the charmilles away by speed of 2 to 4 to 5 times faster.