Why Are Wire EDM Services So Popular with Customers?
Curious about what makes wire EDM so popular among manufacturing customers?
The short answer is that wire EDM services offer a quick and cost-effective path to high-quality parts. Let’s take a closer look at the true value of wire EDM and why customers love it for projects ranging from prototypes to high-volume production orders.
The Value of Wire EDM Machining Services
Manufacturing methods such as stamping and metal injection molding have long been go-to solutions for high-volume production orders of tight tolerance parts. And for massive part orders, the investment in the custom tooling these solutions require is typically worthwhile, particularly when the orders are likely to be repeated in the future.
But for a low or mid-volume part order, wire EDM may well be a better choice. This method offers the same high level of precision as stamping and metal injection molding without the time-consuming and expensive setup—a benefit underscored by a recent exchange with one of our customers.
Wire EDM to the rescue
Our Principal Engineer, Brandon, met with a manufacturer who had become so overwhelmed by the high cost of outsourced parts that he was considering going out of business. The customer brought in a part sample, and Brandon suggested using wire EDM services rather than stamping to create the parts at a tiny fraction of the cost.
By choosing wire EDM services, the customer would pay roughly $2,000 for the cost of material, reverse engineering services, and part manufacturing. In contrast, creating a custom stamping die tool to make the same parts would cost $60,000—a price that doesn’t even include the actual manufacturing of the part!
Wire EDM is a full-cycle manufacturing solution
At Arbiser Machine, we’ve seen wire EDM become a true game-changer for customers who need affordable precision parts at all stages of a product cycle. In the beginning stages, wire EDM minimizes the risk of testing a part out in the marketplace before ordering it in massive quantities since it frees customers from absorbing the cost of tooling they may never use again.
Case in point: A customer in the medical industry asked us to make a highly complex 17-4 stainless steel prototype of a part designed to harvest the saphenous vein in heart surgery. The part had initially been designed for metal injection molding. But the customer was uncertain of how the part would be received in the marketplace, so they opted for less-expensive wire EDM services, allowing them to test the waters without making a significant upfront investment.
Fast-forward several years, and this customer has since hired us to make thousands of the same part—now widely adopted in the industry—using wire EDM.
In fact, we commonly stick with wire EDM long-term for many parts because customers are so pleased with the early-stage results that they see no reason to have their parts manufactured any other way. Believe it or not, we’ve used wire EDM to make the same parts for some of our customers for 25 years!
Offering exceptional results for production-size quantities without the high cost of tooling required by alternative manufacturing methods, wire EDM machining services allow you to have your cake and eat it too.
Other Advantages of Arbiser Machine’s Wire EDM Services
Several other factors make wire EDM the manufacturing method of choice for many of our customers.
Heat-treated materials
When heat treating occurs post-machining, there is always the risk that the part will incur damage. As metal contracts, expands, or wiggles during the heat treating process, the part can become twisted or distorted.
Since wire EDM is capable of cutting through even the hardest materials, we have the option of using a workpiece that has already been heat treated.
Consistency
Consistency is paramount in precision machining, especially when dealing with tight tolerances and tiny parts. Fortunately, wire EDM is an incredibly consistent process.
The wire used to displace material is continuously refreshed as it’s pulled through the part, so you can be sure the same precise cuts are made every time. And in the rare event that a wire breaks, the machine automatically replaces it, so it doesn’t miss a beat.
Complex geometries
Wire EDM can shape geometries that are difficult—if not impossible—to create using other manufacturing methods. And because wire EDM is so cost-effective, it rivals other high-precision processes such as stamping or metal injection molding.
Versatility
Wire EDM can cut any conductive material in any state, including notoriously challenging metals such as titanium and Inconel. While these extremely hard materials easily wear down conventional CNC machining tooling, wire EDM uses an electric discharge process that never makes contact with the workpiece.
In-house convenience
Our in-house wire EDM capabilities enable us to turn even high-volume orders around quickly. By vertically integrating wire EDM services with our many other capabilities, we avoid outsourcing and ensure that our customers get their parts as soon as possible.
If you want to know which process is most cost-effective for your anticipated part volume—whether wire EDM or something else—just ask. We’ll help you make the most economical choice!
To get started on your project, request a quote today.