EDM / Wire EDM

Ego Manufacturing Group offers Micron Tolerance Wire EDM services, machining the 'impossible' to achieve components most CNC machine shops are not capable of producing. Our very specialized Wire EDM services have high precision 0.0001'' wire capabilities. We also offer micron positional accuracies -- though 3μm to 5 μm are more common, we have achieved positional accuracies of 0.1μm. 

We also offer close tolerance 5 axis CNC machining , CNC swiss machining and precision lathe work to produce components requiring varied machining processes. Contact our Wire EDM professionals to learn more about our CNC machining services and what makes us your best choice for EDM work.

Our Wire EDM machines have glass scales with 0.1µm resolution. They have been specially calibrated and aligned with laser equipment, and are maintained in a very well controlled temperature and clean room atmosphere, ensuring your components are machined to their exact specifications. Our Wire EDM Machining is done in a room within a room type of arrangement – to ensure perfect temperature, dust and humidity control – this extra step helps us achieve the perfection we seek for Wire EDM.

Benefits of EDM Wire Cutting at Ego Manufacturing Group

Wire EDM lends itself to some of the closest machining tolerances available today. At Ego Manufacturing Group, we witness the benefits of such exact cutting with each work piece produced from our state-of-the-art wire EDM machines. Beyond seemingly impossible cutting tolerances, wire EDM services offer additional benefits like:

1. Superior Consistency – throughout the duration of the cutting process, conventional cutting tools can wear down or even break, resulting in tiny inconsistencies in the final product. Wire EDM cycles new wire between spools to produce consistent electrode quality, which lends itself to repeatable wire cuts.

2. Simultaneous Cutting – in some cases, the EDM wire can cut through stacked sheeting materials to produce identical OEM components at the same time; this multiplies productivity, saving you time and money.

3. Material Compatibility – wire EDM can make precise cuts on a wider range of material than conventional milling. Our wire EDM erodes the work piece surface, providing the capability to machine hardened metals like tungsten carbide, or softer materials like copper. Additionally, extremely thin material can be accurately machined, because there is no contact between the piece and the wire. This eliminates distortions found in stressed cuts.  

4. Eliminates Finishing – wire EDM cuts at Ego Manufacturing Group produces ultra-fine finishes which do not require additional surface treatments. A product coming out of our wire EDM machines is pretty much ready to go.

Email to our professional mechanists to discuss further for your project today info@ego-mfg.com

How Does Wire EDM Work?

As with all EDM machining, measured voltages between two electrodes are required to produce a current of electricity. These electrodes create a spark, generating temperatures of over 14,000°F to vaporize and erode the material being machined.

With wire EDM, voltage is sent through the wire and a current path is established between the work piece and the wire, which serve as the two electrodes. A precise servo motor ensures constant gap between the wire and the piece. If the wire were to touch the work piece, a short circuit would occur, stopping the process.

In some ways, it is helpful to compare the wire EDM cutting action to that of a band saw, except the teeth of the band saw are replaced with the spark, which jumps from the wire to the work piece nearly a million times per second to erode the material. Eroded materials shed from the work piece are no larger than specks of dust.

Like a band saw, the thin wire is spooled and constantly fed between two computer assisted guides. This constant spooling action provides a fresh cutting surface throughout the wire cutting process. Because the cutting action produces constant erosion of both electrodes, long lengths of wire must be used – around 11 miles long (19 km) – and spools can weigh about 18 pounds, depending on the wire's gauge. Once the cutting dimensions are entered into the CNC machine, the process is ready to begin.

Email to our professional mechanists to discuss further for your project today info@ego-mfg.com