We are now past the halfway mark of 2022, so we thought the time was right to check in with Andrew McFarlane, Erodex UK Sales Manager, to get his latest view of the EDM industry and more specifically, how Erodex are helping customers gain the leading edge.
With multiple new product launches, the development of partnerships with customers to assist with cost per part reduction and even new website launches, there’s lots of ground to cover.
Here, we get Andy’s top five updates:
1 – New website launched for Fast Hole Tubing
www.fastholetubing.com A dedicated destination for 100% Flow Tested Precision Tubing for Fast Hole Drilling.
- Brass and Copper tubes manufactured to the highest level of quality
- 100% flow tested
- Cleaned and dried before packaging to ensure freedom from oxidation and blockages.
- Available in any size over 0.1mm/0.00391 Inches OD and up to 900mm/35.433 Inches in length
- Qualified by aerospace primes and machine tools manufacturers worldwide.
2 – Performance up, costs down with Betterbrass
Erodex stock an unbeatable range of EDM wire, enabling us to provide the perfect solution for your application. Using our experience and expert engineers, we work closely with you to ensure optimum performance is achieved.
Most recently, our customers have been hugely impressed with the performance of Betterbrass, a next generation special alloy brass wire from Bedra (Berkenhoff) Germany.
Customers are experiencing less downtime due to fewer wire breaks, better threading and reduced cycle time – sometimes up to 20% depending on the machine and the operator.
3 – Erodex supporting customers with ‘cost per part reduction’
Erodex have been supporting customers within the Aerospace and Industrial Gas Turbine sectors with a ‘cost per part reduction’ program focused on EDM Die Sink. This has involved partnering with customers who can then leverage the expertise of Erodex Engineers to make EDM processes more efficient, increase productivity, reduce scrap parts and reduce cycle times.
At a time where cost down is all important, we know that we can help customers achieve that goal.
Working in partnership with our customers, we look at the volume, size of parts, the machine, and what the company wants to achieve, and have been able to identify and help to implement bespoke turnkey solutions for each, optimising their end to end process. To date, this has included redesigning fixtures, tooling holders and advising on electrode redesign.
Such solutions have enabled customers to reduce the number of machines required to produce a part, reduce setup times, increase ‘right first time’ and significantly decreasing cycle times by switching from copper to graphite.
4 – Right Graphite choices also leading to reduced energy consumption
Working with customers, we have found that if a company is using a competitors grade of graphite they may need to make 2 or 3 electrodes to sink the part, whereas by switching to Poco for example, they could reduce the number of electrodes that they make and still get the same number of cavities sunk.
If a company can reduce say 2-3 hours off electrode manufacture, they will benefit from lower machining costs and consequently they will reduce energy and other associated costs for that part. During a period where energy prices are at an all-time high, this benefit – whilst secondary to increased productivity – has been met with a positive response.
5 – Additional new products launching
Erodex continues to build on our market leading choice of EDM consumables with more new product introductions.
Keep an eye out soon for new product updates such as clamping rails for wire EDM machines, starter packs for work-holding and electrode holding for Die Sink machines.
