Receiving its world debut at EMO 2015, the Sodick VL600Q has been designed to bring the benefits of Sodick wire EDM technology within reach of the smaller tool-room and companies that are “putting a toe in the water” of EDM machining.

The machine incorporates the manufacturer’s linear-motor drive technology and absolute scales on the X, Y, U and V axes, as well as a Sodick motion controller, a dual filtration system and advanced wire-tension control. The work tank has inner dimensions of 1,040 ¥ 780mm (the maximum workpiece weight is 700kg), and the linear travels are 600, 400 and 270mm for the X, Y and Z axes respectively.

Sodick, which has a UK subsidiary in Coventry — Sodi-Tech EDM Ltd (www.sodi-techedm.co.uk) — will also be demonstrating its OPM250E, a combined ‘3-D printer’/ milling centre.

Developed to optimise the design and manufacture of plastic injection mould tools, this machine combines the ability of 3-D printing to create cooling channels of the optimum shape and geometry (which cannot be produced by conventional machining), with the high-speed milling required for tool finishing. (Hall 9, Stand A26/B17)