MoldMaking Technology

SEP 2017

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Case Study / EDM 40 MoldMaking Technology —— SEPTEMBER 2017 Extra Large Wire EDM Capacity Places Shop on Pathway for Growth By Cynthia Kustush Extreme Wire EDM Service Inc. is an all-AgieCharmilles EDM shop that strives to grow by taking on large wire EDM jobs that require details most other shops can't or won't do, like wire EDM lathing. According to Brian Bernt, vice president, another way to grow is to offer the same services, but on much bigger projects, offering customers a diverse range of services in industries that represent new terri- tory for Extreme. The company's latest equipment purchase is an AgieCharmilles CUT P 1250 wire EDM from GF Machining Solutions (Lincolnshire, Illinois). It provides capabilities that are right in step with the philosophy of Bernt and his brother, Karl. In fact, GF Machining Solutions confirms that Extreme was the first in the United States to be able to purchase the machine. It may still be the only shop to have done so as the model was just unveiled publicly in July 2017. Extreme was founded in 1997 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Extreme started with one Charmilles 290 Robofil non- submerged wire EDM. Today, Extreme has 10 wire EDMs, including the CUT P 1250, which was delivered in July 2016. The company also recently moved into a new, 12,000-square- foot facility in Grandville, Michigan to accommodate the growth made possible by the CUT P 1250. Extreme's clientele comprises about 80 percent mold builders who require wire EDM services to machine pockets for lifters, ejector pins, core pins and so on. Its clients also require wire EDM services to machine pockets for sub-insert cutting for molds that will manufacture parts for cars, appliances and other consumer products. "Mold manufacturing is a very exacting process, so we're seeing a lot of very precise work and much bigger workpieces than before," Bernt says. EDM Size is Paramount One issue that many machinists face is having a part that is bigger than the cutting envelope, which Extreme experienced with increasing frequency before the CUT P 1250 purchase. "It's an ongoing problem because no matter how big a machine we buy, there's always a larger job coming in. In some cases, we could only fit half of the block or part into the envelope. We would cut that end of it, and then take it out and re-set it up for the other half to be cut, which eats up time and leaves a lot of room for mistakes and other hiccups," Bernt says. Setups can take half an hour or a full hour each, depending on the difficulty of the project. If a job needs to run overnight, only part of the workpiece can be cut, which leaves the balance sit- ting there until morning. The constant need for larger, more efficient machining capability pushed Extreme to approach GF Machining for a larger wire EDM solution. "We began talking with our GF Machining representative about designing a machine that would give us the ability to take on much larger work. It took a few years of research and development before a large AgieCharmilles wire EDM was available that had the features we wanted and needed, like the ability to cut tapers to the full height of the machine, a hardened table and collision protection as standard," he says. Images courtesy of Extreme Wire EDM Services Inc. Setting up a mold in Extreme Wire EDM Services' extra-large AgieCharmilles CUT P 1250 wire EDM from GF Machining Solutions. This mold provides a good example of the type of drastic contours that the Grandville, Michigan company frequently cuts for its moldmaking customers. EXTREME WIRE EDM SERVICE INC. PROBLEM: Turned away large jobs because of insufficient EDM capacity. SOLUTION: Purchased an AgieCharmilles CUT P 1250, currently the largest wire EDM from GF Machining Solutions. RESULTS: Now has capacity to take large jobs and grow customer base and company.

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