Mould maker adds on EDM to reduce costs

Injection moulds maker has acquired an EDM ito eliminate subcontracting costs and allow the company to better respond to its TS16949 accredited moulding facilities requirements.

Hampshire, UK-based BM Injection, a specialist in the automotive sector, has acquired a new Sodick AQ325L EDM in order to eliminate subcontracting costs and allow the company to better respond to its TS16949 accredited moulding facilities requirements for on-time delivery and right first time off-tool product.

Providing injection mouldings and injection mould tooling to all of the UK's main tier 1, 2 and 3 automotive suppliers is a competitive business, which is why BM Injection decided to take control of its wire erosion processes, opting to purchase a new Sodick AQ325L with linear drive technology from Sodi-Tech EDM.

"Having an in-house wire facility for our injection mould tooling makes us feel more in control when building tool manufacture into estimates," explained general manager Tim Combes.

"As well as saving outsource costs the new machine has improved our ability to produce cutting edge tools.

Combining in-depth experience of both toolmaking and injection moulding, BM Injection provide customers with a 'one-stop' solution from concept through prototyping, models and tooling to medium and high output mouldings and assemblies.

The 25-employee business operates from 9000 sq ft of freehold property situated at Whitchurch in Hampshire, where the new AQ325L was installed in July 2005 with an accompanying 1KC Sodick hole drill EDM.

"The linear motors developed especially by Sodick for the AQ325L show what economic efficiency really means," said Combes.

"The surface quality is enhanced to 0.25 micron Ra and at the same time energy consumption is cut by approximately 40%.

BM Injection is using its new machine to produce electrodes and cavities from materials such as copper, graphite, hardened steels and carbides.

All of this work was previously subcontracted.

"If you don't invest it's easy to fall by the wayside," concluded Combes.

"The AQ325L is already making a significant difference to our bottom line.

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