Product category:
EDM wire cutting
News Release from: Charmilles Technologies Corporation | Subject: Robofil wire EDM machines
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 November 2002
Wire EDM is the key to critical medical
contract
Addicted to spark and wire erosion, Colin Thompson, Managing Director, XL Precision Solutions, has applications and orders queuing up for the EDM technology that fills his 5000m2 site.
Addicted to spark and wire erosion, Colin Thompson, Managing Director, XL Precision Solutions, has applications and orders queuing up for the EDM technology that fills his 5000m2 site in Jarrow Colin Thompson's love of EDM came about after visiting Paris and Geneva, courtesy of Charmilles, where he was taken around five or six companies to see what the Europeans were up to in terms of EDM technology
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 22 Mar 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Says Thompson: "It was then that I next realised that one day, with increased speed, EDM would be able to do more than just tooling.
You could say from then on I got addicted to spark and wire erosion." Having this foresight means that four years later, Thompson is running an extremely successful business where EDM expertise has come to the fore.
This has helped Thompson increase the company's turnover from the GBP 120,000 mark it stood at when he took it over, to more than GBP 400,000 today.
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Subcontract engineering company Bedestone is continually expanding its operations and has increased its wire erosion capacity, investing in the latest technology from Charmilles Technologies
Investing over GBP 350,000 in the latest Charmilles wire erosion machines - a Robofil 300, two Robofil 290s with automatic wire feed, and a Robofil 290P with the latest generator and faster cutting speeds - has enabled XL to win medical contracts to manufacture components for sophisticated equipment used in micro surgery, liver transplants, sports injuries, in fighting cancer and a new contract that involves key-hole surgery.
As the company name suggests, XL Precision Solutions is about finding solutions for its customers.
This hasn't always been easy as many companies are unaware of the benefits of the EDM process.
"Ignorance about wire erosion," said Thompson, "meant that I had to pester companies for sometime, as long as 18-months in one case, because they just didn't know what it was." Thompson's hard work has paid off and today the company offers a quick turnaround for one-off orders and large batch production work.
"We have devised unique machining methods to suit high volume production work," added Thompson.
An original concept for EDM machine, multi stacking and plate rotation techniques are used to minimise cutting times significantly reducing costings compared with other processes.
In addition to traditional applications, such as tool and die work, Charmilles wire erosion machines are also well suited to machining workpieces that are up to 400mm high, bulky and/or heavy, thus satisfying an increasing demand in advanced precision machining.
The secret of XL's success, says Thompson: "Is not telling potential customers what we do, just that we can make the part cheaper and quicker." For example, where a component would have to go through a variety of processes - pattern making, casting, milling, boring, coating and grinding, these can all be done in one operation with EDM, saving XL's customers time and money.
"A part we produce for the nuclear industry previously had a six to eight week turnaround.
When the customer brought it to us, we told them we could do it in four days - but it's not just about speed." adds Thompson.
"Working in quality critical markets such as medical means there is no room for error.
It's not just about getting things done quickly but right first time to the required tolerances as well.".
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