Tag: EDM Wire

Betterbrass, the world’s fastest brass wire, launched by Erodex UK, has helped users increase cutting speed by up to 10% in early trials.

Launched in the UK this summer, Betterbrass is a next-generation special-alloy brass wire from Bedra (Berkenhoff) in Germany.

Thanks to innovative alloy and casting technology, along with a specially developed annealing process, Bedra engineers created a brass wire electrode comprised of a completely new alloy that is plug-and-play on all machine types. The new product delivers performance never before seen in traditional brass wire, with reported cutting speeds up to 10% faster.

“Since its launch earlier in the summer, the new betterbrass wire range has received a positive response from customer trials, meaning that we can now provide EDM subcontractors with a cost-effective step up from standard brass wire”, comments Josh Bye, Sales Engineer at Erodex UK.

“As UK industry starts to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, we were keen to be able to introduce a new, cost-effective wire to the market that also enables increased performance. Users will save money by using the wire, as any increase in wire speed ultimately means less wire usage,” continues Bye.

Erodex UK is the market leader in providing EDM wire, wear parts, and other EDM consumables, and has cemented its position as the UK’s leading authority on all things EDM. In addition to their vast experience in the EDM industry, this is due to their strong working relationship with Berkenhoff (Bedra) in Germany.

During August 2019, Erodex UK announced the launch of the world’s fastest EDM speed wire, gapstar ONE. Building on the strengths of their cobracut, broncocut and topas ranges, Bedra developed a new coating technology called TRIMPAC. gapstar ONE quickly became the wire of choice for those looking for premium performance. Still, it is a different segment of the market that Erodex UK believes will continue to benefit from the betterbrass range.

“Being the fastest EDM speed wire available in the world, our gapstar ONE range is a very high-end wire, which we do advise if people are looking for a significant step up in speeds. However, we know that there is a segment of the market that does not demand premium performance but still wants greater performance and reliability than they get from standard brass wire. It is these users who are now appreciating the benefit of the new BetterBrass range of wire.

“During customer trials since launch, BetterBrass has proved to perform up to 10% faster than standard brass wire. Being a stronger wire than standard brass also means improved reliability when auto wire threading. Users have reported fewer breakages when applying increased power through the wire and better surface finishes too,” adds Bye.

Luke Hobbs, Director of HLP Engineering Solutions in Halesowen, West Midlands, has experienced firsthand the benefits of using both the gapstar and betterbrass ranges.

“We’ve used both Gapstar and BetterBrass wires from Erodex. Simply put, Gapstar is the best wire we have ever used for performance and speed on our Sodick machines. We found it ideal for cutting punches and other long-running jobs. We will have no hesitation in using Gapstar for this type of work in the future. We found that better brass is excellent for threading and, for the small increase in wire cost, offers a decent speed improvement of around 10-12% over standard brass wire with the same settings. When the job dictates, we will certainly use this wire again”.

Erodex UK, market leaders in the provision of EDM wire, wear parts and other EDM consumables, have launched the fastest EDM speed wire available in the UK, gapstar ONE.

Working in partnership with bedra (Berkenhoff) Germany, the revolutionary wire will enable users to achieve unprecedented cutting performance across a broad range of applications, as well as uncompromising precision and surface quality.

Berkenhoff have built on the pioneering technologies of their previous high performance wire generations such as cobracut®, topas® and boline, to develop a new electrode and coating technology in TRIMPAC, featuring a zinc-enhanced coating.

“We are extremely excited about this new wire and how it can benefit the UK market. As well as dramatically increasing speeds by 40% – 60% compared to standard brass wire and typically 10% + compared to our boline H product, users will also see a significant increase in feed rates. This increase is achieved in both in rough and skim cuts, without necessarily adjusting current settings. A further benefit is the reduced wear of wire guides and power contacts, reducing downtime and ultimately cost. Thanks to the newly developed TRIMPAC coating, an accuracy to Ra of 0.25 microns can be expected, as well as increased stiffness and excellent straightness for auto threading” comments Brendan Kelly [Technical Sales Engineer] of Erodex UK.

From stock, gapstar ONE will be available in 900N and 500N tensile strength, is compatible with all brands of machines and is available in most spool sizes. The wire has been received extremely positively in early customer trials.

“As with its predecessors, whilst gapstar ONE is more expensive than brass wire to purchase, dramatically increased wire speeds and its ability to achieve the desired surface finish means more throughput and increased efficiencies. Users can expect savings of up to 40% when compared with the topas® Plus H 2.0 range for example.

“Simply using gapstar ONE will enable these benefits to be realised, but we are also able to work with customers to optimise their machine settings and generate even better results for them too” concludes Brendan.

Erodex UK’s strong working relationship with bedra (Berkenhoff) and vast experience within the EDM industry has cemented the company’s position as the leading authority in the UK for all things EDM wire.

If you are interested in learning more about how gapstar ONE can benefit your EDM performance, contact us.

Erodex UK, providers of the UK’s most comprehensive range of EDM wire, wear parts and other EDM consumables, are proud to announce a new, exclusive coated EDM wire, Boline H.

The company has enjoyed a strong working relationship with manufacturers, Bedra (Berkenhoff) for many years, introducing many new coated wire products to the UK such as Topas X, G and the new Topas + H2.0. This relationship and Erodex’s position as a market leader in the provision of EDM wire has led to the new exclusive agreement for Erodex to supply Boline H into the UK and Irish markets.

Why Choose Boline H EDM Wire?

Boline H is a new, exclusive gamma phase wire from Bedra, that offers improved cutting speed without compromising quality. For example, during trials, Boline H has achieved speed increases of up to 30% when compared to brass wire.

In utilising the speed advantages of Boline H, the increased cost over brass wire is offset due to Boline H’s efficiency. Boline H results in faster cutting speeds, reducing machining time and therefore leading to lower job costs. In addition, the operator will also use less wire for the job, further increasing the savings offered.

Boline H is suitable for all Japanese machines, particularly those where straightness is important for AWT, as well as offering a competitively priced solution without sacrificing surface finish. Boline H is available in wire diameters of 0,20, 0,25 and 0,30 in P10, P15, Din160 and Din200 spool sizes, increasing options for the user.

For more information on how you can benefit from using Boline H as part of your EDM machining process, contact sales@erodex.com or +44 (0)1384 892011