The price of a wire EDM machine is nothing compared to the cost of wire over the life of the machine. “Wire is the single highest expense in operating a wire EDM.

One of the highest operating costs for any wire EDM is the cost of the wire the machine consumes during a cut. Although wire consumption rarely appears as a topic of concern for most wire EDM users, the financial benefits of owning a Molybdenum wire-cutting machine can be critical to a manufacturer’s bottom line.

EDM brass/copper wire, at its current cost of approximately 10-15 Euro a kilo, is the single highest cost related to the use of WEDM technology. The faster a machine unspools wire, the more it costs to operate that machine.

On average, most Copper/brass WEDMs unspool wire at a rate of 750 grams to 1.1 kg per hour. And although these higher rates can be reduced by slowing the unspool speed, manufacturers must deal with increased breakage with additional adverse effects to speed, accuracy and surface finish. Under these unreliable conditions, increased cycle times and maintenance can oftentimes negate or even surpass the cost saving of slower wire feeds.

Cutting this high operating cost by 40 percent to 50 percent equates to an EDM wire saving value of about €8,000 to €10,000 per machine, per shift, per year! However, if this cost saving in consumables is offset by high maintenance costs and lost production time, there is no advantage. The ability to improve EDM wire saving while increasing productivity through reliability can have a significant impact on overall profit.

Investing in a Novicut M-II wire EDM will allow you to regain control over your EDM department and generate good profit.  When you are facing extended lead-times and part inconsistencies due to outsourcing and the unreliability of your older machines, then it’s urgent time to think on an investment that run unattended throughout the day, over nights and even weekends. We can ensure that quality will be again to your standards and saving money hand over fist on operational costs will be again in reach.

Although wire consumption rarely appears as a topic of concern for most wire EDM users, the financial benefits of owning a low-wire-consumption machine can be critical to a manufacturer’s bottom line. With the revolutionary Molybdenium wire cutting system with zirconium guiding wheels, you will be able to saving of up to 70 percent in many applications while maintaining precision and surface quality (Ra<0.8µ).

Because Novick builds mechanical accuracy into these machines, the on-board computers are required to perform axis movement error compensations less frequently. This allows the control to address higher priorities, like activating Novick patented Fuzzy logic technology and performing the multitude of calculations required for it to work properly.

EDM wire, at its current cost of approximately €12-15 a kg, is the single highest cost related to the use of WEDM technology. The faster a normal machine unspools wire, the more it costs to operate that machine. For shops that run a WEDM for 2,000 hours per year, or one full shift, settings can experience about €10,000 each year in EDM wire saving per machine.