High-Precision Parts and Prototypes ED wire cutting shaped the company from the outset

When Marsh Syverson established Engineering Techniques, Inc. in 1978, he quickly discovered the enormous potential that was offered by the then still young technology of ED wire cutting.

Many conventional processing steps, such as drilling, milling or grinding, could be implemented in one production stage using ED wire cutting. So the company specialized more and more in the production of prototypes and small series of parts for medicine, electronics and biomedicine.

The proximity to high-tech businesses in Silicon Valley did the rest, meeting the need for high precision prototypes and parts. There was also a call for Engineering Techniques' skills when it was a question of turning an idea, a sketch done by hand or a model into parts ready for use by means of the technology of ED wire cutting.

In this case, the 27 years of experience and know-how that Marsh Syverson, the owner and managing director of Engineering Techniques, Inc., had acquired on EDM machines from Agie, proved useful for him.

Manufacturing small series economically with ED wire cutting

In connection with a medical project for optical surgery, Engineering Techniques Inc. received the order to manufacture the parts required for positioning 2 mm large microchips in eye operations.

The materials to be machined were 0.0762 mm (0.003 inch) thick foils made of stainless steel 304. Owing to the high precision requirements for contour accuracy and surface quality, punching was out of the question.

There remained ED wire cutting which with its reproducible precision was the process suitable for cutting these parts. For this purpose, 50 foils were stacked at a time and pressed between two thicker plates. This had a twofold advantage: It was possible to machine the foils vibration-free and to handle 2 x 50 foils per clamping. In order to hold the parts, Engineering Techniques, Inc. designed clamps that were manufactured by means of ED wire cutting. For this purpose, the whole stack was clamped as a package, the starting holes drilled and then adjusted on the Agiecut Vertex for machining.

Problem-free threading offinest wires

First, the 6 circles were machined with one cut. Then the crescent-like contours as well as the lower part of the positioning instruments were cut free.

In order to achieve the required surface quality of Ra 0.1 µm, three trim cuts were carried out on the crescent-like section. In order to insure the highest contour accuracy without physical influences, the long web of the parts was only cut free at the end with one cut.

These capabilities and characteristics of the Agiecut Vertex were assessed as being extremely positive:

• The reliable wire threading, with even the finest wires in the smallest holes.
• The simple employment of two different wire types thanks to double reels.
• The high contour accuracy and repeatability of the EDM results.
• The small space required for the ED wire-cutting machine.

In addition, advice given before and after the purchase, as well as the following training on the Agiecut Vertex were felt to be very professional. "A first-class product also needs a first-class service and Agie USA offers us that," observes Marsh Syverson, President of Engineering Techniques, Inc. TMD