Could Your Intricate Part Benefit from Small Wire EDM?

If your part has small and intricate details that are difficult to achieve with conventional CNC machining, some machine shops may hit you with the dreaded no-quote. 

But at Arbiser Machine, we welcome these challenging projects.

For miniscule part features such as cutouts on medical hypodermic needles or tiny cavities for aerospace applications, we have the solution you need: small wire EDM.

What Is Small Wire EDM? 

Wire EDM is a metal fabrication process that uses an electrically charged metal wire to remove material with an exceptional degree of accuracy. The typical diameter for that metal wire is 0.010”, and it’s capable of cutting materials up to 15.75” thick.

There are some applications, however, that require a smaller wire than the standard 0.010” diameter. At Arbiser Machine, we can go all the way down to 0.008”, 0.006”, and even 0.004”—just slightly wider than the diameter of a human hair!

Typical Applications for Small Wire EDM

Small wire EDM is a great option for parts with these features:

1. Intricate geometries.

Small wire EDM is perfect for parts with features, cavities, or slots that can’t fit a 0.010” wire. We often use small wire EDM in research, medical, aerospace, and even packaging applications. For one of our packaging customers, we use small wire EDM to produce extrusion dies for the sealing function on their plastic bags.

2. Internal radii.
A part’s internal radius is dictated by the diameter of the cutter. A 0.010” wire will produce an inside radius of 0.005.” If your part requires sharp internal corners with an inside radius of 0.004” or less, we’ll need to use a smaller wire.

3. Fine features. 

Let’s return to the example of the hypodermic needle. A standard 0.010” diameter wire can’t possibly achieve the inside radius of the needle’s cutout. But more importantly, because hypodermic needles are so fine, too much electrical power can damage the material. 

Only a low-power, highly controlled spark can execute such fine features without compromising the integrity of the needle. Small wire EDM limits the amount of electricity that courses through the equipment and the part, allowing for greater control over part geometry.

For this hypodermic needle, we imposed a cosine wave with a 1 mm wavelength and an internal radius of just 0.3 mm, or .012"!

Arbiser Machine Excels at Small Wire EDM

Small wire EDM is a delicate and challenging process, so it’s important to work with the right shop to ensure the highest level of quality.

The team at Arbiser Machine has over 24 years of experience with small wire EDM. We devote resources to special tooling and processes so we can work effectively with the smallest 0.004” wire.

Many machine shops have a difficult time ensuring small wire accuracy because when they swap out different-sized wires, the guides in their machines become loose. Loose guides cause vibration during the wire EDM process that can create unwanted lines in the part. 

At Arbiser Machine, we maintain a specific kit for each small wire, allowing us to quickly and effectively change small wires out. In short, we have all the right materials and tooling to handle small wire applications. We also execute preventive maintenance on an hourly basis for small wire EDM equipment.

When you need small wire EDM services, turn to the experts at Arbiser Machine. Request a quote today!