Moving from manual to CNC EDM

Established in 2004, CTS has enjoyed rapid growth and today employs 30 people at its headquarters in Rhyl and satellite toolroom near Bristol. The ISO 9001-accredited company offers complete engineering solutions and specialises in high quality press and injection mould tooling, as well as jigs, fixtures and some precision batch machining for industries that include automotive, white goods, aerospace, medical and leisure.

CTS has established an excellent reputation for speed and quality of service among clients which has enabled it to become one of the leading bespoke toolmaking organisations in the UK. To ensure the company maintains its market position, CTS insists on a policy of ongoing investment in the latest manufacturing technologies, and the latest area of its machine shop to benefit is EDM.

“We are very conscious of keeping up with the latest machine tool developments,” explains director Gary Lewis. “This is a competitive market and getting left behind from a technology perspective would be disastrous for any toolmaking business. Our old spark eroders were getting temperamental and so we decided to review the market. As we use Sodick wire EDMs, including an AQ750 and AG400, Sodi-Tech was one of the companies we shortlisted for a new die sink machine. When we were introduced to the AD35L, we could immediately see its capabilities.”

The AD35L features Sodick’s linear motor technology and optimised rib arrangements that increase rigidity by approximately 70%. This allows for optimum performance at high speeds and rapid acceleration of the linear motors. Additional features include a 10-year positioning accuracy guarantee, dielectric chiller, fine-finishing circuit and energy-saving circuit.

“With the AD35L, which was installed in October 2015, we can achieve finer finishes and tighter tolerances, and can process more complex parts,” says Mr Lewis. “Furthermore, as existing Sodick users, the control is second nature to us. Anyone working on our wire EDMs can switch across to the AD35L with ease, which meant we hit the ground running.”

The machine has been busy working across the range of sectors that the company serves, producing parts for press tools, aerospace components as well as numerous R&D components for a new type of induction motor drive typically from exotic materials. Parts weighing up to 550kg can be processed on the 600 by 400mm work table on the AD35L.

“To give an idea of the impact provided by the new AD35L, the machine has swallowed up the work of our two previous manual spark eroders – which were fully utilised – and we still have capacity to spare,” Mr Lewis adds. “This is primarily due to the speed of set-up and ability to run unmanned overnight with complete confidence. It has totally outperformed our old machines in every way.

“A further reason we opted to buy another Sodick machine was that we knew Sodi-Tech offers excellent service. They are helpful, quick to respond and do not overcharge. This mirrors our own competitive and responsive service, which allows us to develop ongoing relationships and support for all clients in a competitive marketplace.”

SODI-TECH www.sodi-techedm.co.uk

COMPLETE TOOLING SOLUTIONS www.cts-limited.co.uk

pics: leeboswellphotography.com