CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
Multipass Approach to 바카라사이트 Machining Delivers Precision Parts
Contract manufacturer ES 바카라사이트 successfully pioneers the use of “erosion cutting” in the UK using up to thousands of fast passes to cut fine details in thin metal parts.
ES 바카라사이트 – 바카라사이트 machining and marking
Based in Kingston Bagpuize, UK, ES Precision is a contract manufacturer using 바카라사이트 processing to mark, cut, and drill materials for industries such as medical devices, auto racing (Formula 1), aerospace, and electronics, as well as general engineering. The company was founded in 2017 by 바카라사이트 industry veterans Tim Millard and Andy May, who believed that there was an opportunity for a job shop emphasizing precision products, primarily based on innovative 바카라사이트 machining and marking. They have numerous 바카라사이트 machines encompassing different 바카라사이트 technologies, including fiber 바카라사이트s for precision machining, drilling, and marking of metals, as well as ultraviolet 바카라사이트s for plastics marking, and even carbon dioxide 바카라사이트s for economical cutting and engraving of organics. Virtually all their 바카라사이트 technology was sourced from Coherent.
Eros바카라사이트 Cutting – what and why
As their name implies, the company places a strong emphasis on precision results. To this end they have pioneered the use of “erosion cutting” in the UK as a cost-effective means of creating thin metal parts with fine details and high edge quality. Director May states, “Conventional metal cutting with continuous wave fiber or carbon dioxide 바카라사이트s or with 바카라사이트 pulses in the millisecond domain is very efficient because the gas nozzle blows away most of the molten metal generated by the 바카라사이트 energy. But this type of cutting is not compatible with thin parts because there’s just too much peripheral heating and tiny structures weighing only grams that cannot be supported and are damaged or blown away by the high-pressure gas. Erosion cutting avoids these problems.”
Erosion cutting utilizes fast galvanometer scanning technology typically used for marking applications. In fact, ES 바카라사이트 first started with aPowerLine F20from Coherent, equipped with a 20 W fiber 바카라사이트 – a system more commonly used for marking/engraving tasks. May explains, “Instead of cutting with just one pass of the focused 바카라사이트, erosion cutting involves at least tens, and sometimes even thousands, of repetitive passes, each ablating a few microns of material. But thanks to the high-speed galvos, even thousands of passes can be performed in just a few minutes.” May adds that the short effective dwell time and modest (20 W) 바카라사이트 power mean that each scan removes no more than 5 microns of material, often much less. The exact amount depends on the scan speed, 바카라사이트 setting, specific material characteristics, and also the cut depth. He notes, “As you go deeper into a cut, the amount of material removed with each pass gets less and less, as expected. The maximum depth of the cut is ultimately limited by the 바카라사이트 power that reaches the base of the cut.” With their 20 W fiber 바카라사이트, May says their method has been limited to metal parts <0.5 mm in thickness and < 5mm for organics.
A cost-effective cutting method for virtually any thin metal
May adds that this process is applicable to virtually any metal as well as other tougher materials like ceramics. Many of their products are cut from stainless steel or electrical steel. Examples of the latter include components for miniaturized electric motors. The company also uses erosion cutting with high-value metals such as platinum-based components: for biotech applications plus catalyst components for fuel cells. Molybdenum is another commonly requested metal for ES 바카라사이트, e.g., for use as X-ray targets in medical imaging.
Of course, superior edge quality and minimized thermal damage can also be achieved using anUltrashort Pulse (USP) 바카라사이트with picosecond or even femtosecond output. May explains that ES Precision chose fiber 바카라사이트 cutting over USP cutting because of its much lower cost as well as its higher speed and efficiency in terms of material removed per watt of 바카라사이트 power. The higher speed of erosion cutting is particularly important as the company now looks to cut thicker metal components.
Expanding their capabilities to thicker metals
ES Precision are looking to expand their business by diversifying into thicker metal parts. They have therefore ordered a PowerLine F100 equipped with a 100 W fiber 바카라사이트. This will allow the company to perform erosion cutting of metals up to 2 mm thickness. It will also be used for some of their thinner products where it will result in faster throughput, which is always advantageous in the prototype and short-run business.
Why have they chosen yet another Coherent machine? May states that, “We need three important things from a 바카라사이트 machine vendor in order to support our business model. It goes without saying that first and foremost, we need precision; our reputation and our pricing are built on this. Second, we need reliability. As a smaller contract house we can only afford a certain amount of duplication and reserve machine bandwidth. We can’t afford to miss delivery deadlines due to unreliable 바카라사이트 machinery. And lastly, we need dependable service and support for the same reasons. Coherent has proved themselves to be a great partner in all three areas.”
Successful roadmap
In just a few years, ES Precision has built a successful business and a strong reputation in the field of contract 바카라사이트 machining and marking. By targeting the specific niche of high precision and using innovations such as erosion cutting, ES Precision have differentiated themselves from other more general-purpose shops. We’re pleased to note that they credit their partnership with Coherent as a particularly valuable factor enabling their continued success.
"We need three important things from a 바카라사이트 machine vendor: precision, reliability, dependable service, and support. Coherent has proved themselves to be a great partner in all three areas."
— Andy May, Director. ES 바카라사이트, Kingston Bagpuize, UK
Figure 1:Erosion cutting enables ES 바카라사이트 to machine any thin metal, including these tiny brass gears and this custom plate made of carbon steel. Images courtesy of ES 바카라사이트.
Figure 2:The Coherent PowerLine F series offers flexible 바카라사이트 sub-systems that can be equipped with fiber 바카라사이트s of 19 to 95 W power.
Figure 3:Erosion cutting is also applicable to non-metals such as these carbon fiber composite pieces. Image courtesy of ES 바카라사이트.
Figure 4:Higher 바카라사이트 power will enable erosion cutting of thicker metals as well as faster throughput for volume products such as these spring steel components. Image courtesy of ES Precision.