What Engineers Need to Know about Wire EDM Services

Wire EDM is one of the most misunderstood capabilities at our precision machine shop. 

Customers often assume that this manufacturing process is slow or incapable of resolving fine features, but neither assumption is true. Wire EDM is actually incredibly versatile and effective, and we find ourselves using it for many applications to save our customers valuable time. 

If you’re considering wire EDM services for your part, here’s what you need to know. 

Important Considerations for Wire EDM Designs

There are certain factors to take into account when designing parts for wire EDM services: 

1. Part stacking

If you have parts that are flat with features only in one plane, wire EDM is one of our fastest capabilities for production quantities. 

We can set up our machines to cut stacks of up to 50 material layers while unattended, reducing the cut time per part and minimizing errors resulting from human intervention. 

2. Complex geometries

Wire EDM is capable of achieving complex geometries. Our multi-axis wire EDM machines can cut features in multiple planes on a block of material to create intricate features that aren’t always possible with conventional precision machining services. 

When we cut a block of material, we can’t stack as many parts as we can when the material is flat. However, if your part is small enough, we can fixture multiple blocks together to cut them simultaneously, achieving complex geometries with accuracy and efficiency. 

3. Materials

It’s important to note that Wire EDM only works on materials that can conduct electricity, such as Inconel, aluminum, and steel. 

Provided the material is conductive, wire EDM can is capable of cutting some of the hardest materials available, even those measuring 60 or above on the Rockwell C scale. 

4 Things That Are Never a Problem with Wire EDM

When using wire EDM services for your part, you can expect success in these areas: 

1. Tight tolerances 

It’s easy to hold extremely tight tolerances using wire EDM services. Unlike precision machining, which gradually wears down tooling, the wire used in EDM is replenished constantly. Fresh wire guarantees that every cut is accurate and consistent. 

2. Intricacy

Using a wire measuring 0.003”—about the size of a human hair—we can achieve incredibly intricate, nearly microscopic part features and square inside corners that are almost impossible to machine conventionally. 

3. Straightness

Our wire EDM machines are large enough for us to cut parts up to 15.75” tall while maintaining perfect straightness. Straightness is challenging to achieve with traditional CNC machining services, but it’s no problem with wire EDM. 

4. Surface finish

Wire EDM can meet almost any surface finish requirements without the need for secondary operations. We can leverage the wire’s varying heat intensity and three different cuts to achieve a surface roughness down to 9 Ra. 

Interested in wire EDM services for your project? Request a quote today!