Wire EDM and wire cutting machining

Wire cutting for precise metal parts

Wire cutting, or wire EDM, cuts metal with a thin, electrically charged wire that erodes the material instead of pressing on it. Because there is almost no cutting force, the part is not stressed or bent during machining. That makes wire cutting ideal for precise profiles, sharp inside corners and delicate parts that would distort under a milling cutter.

This gripper jaw was made in 304 stainless steel for a machinery manufacturer, by wire cutting and milling, in low volume, to the customer's specification.

Our wire cutting equipment

• Sodick precision wire cutting machine imported from Japan.
• Charmilles precision wire cut machine from Switzerland.
• Additional wire-cutting machines for general profiles.

The same machines cut the most precise components of our injection molds, so they are maintained to tool-room accuracy.

Combining processes

Wire cutting produces the profile; milling adds pockets, holes and chamfers; grinding finishes critical faces. We plan the sequence so the part is cut in the fewest setups, which protects accuracy and keeps cost down.

How a project like this works

• Tell us what you need – the mold only, molded parts, or both, and your estimated annual volume.
• Send drawings – STEP, IGES, STL, DWG or PDF, or a sample. We sign off moldability in a DFM review.
• Quotation – tooling price, part price and a schedule, with steel, cavities and runner proposed.
• Mold design approval – you approve the 3D mold design before steel is cut.
• T1 samples + FAI report – production or mold shipment starts after your approval.

Shipping molds and parts

• Molds are cleaned, rust-protected, marked and checked against a shipment checklist: cooling circuits, sprue, locating ring, ejection and support pillars.
• Molds ship with drawings, a spare-parts list and the T1 process sheet.
• Parts are packed to your packing instruction and inspected before shipment.
• We ship to customers in Europe, the USA and Asia.

After-sales

Our after-sales team supports mold maintenance and modifications remotely and can supply spare inserts. Contact customerservice@precisemoulds.com.