Pickering-based Ryetools Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of high-performance plastic injection mould tools for the packaging and medical industries, has invested in two Sodick SL-series wire-erosion machines from Sodi-Tech EDM (
www.sodi-techedm.co.uk).
This has increased its output of multi-cut work by 20% and means the company can accommodate taller workpieces and larger spools of wire, while programming is a lot faster and more intuitive.
Established in 1988, Ryetools has grown to become a market leader in complex plastic-injection mould tools. Managing director Darren Hugill said: “We’ve had a couple of Sodick wire EDMs since 2000; although they were still accurate and reliable, we knew we were missing out on a number of technological advances.
For example, along with greater productivity, we wanted to accommodate taller workpieces and use more 0.1mm diameter wire — rather than 0.25mm — to achieve smaller radii in the apertures of intricate mould inserts.
“We have been so busy lately that all three of our Sodick machines have been running at capacity to meet the demand for inserts — we produce moulds with up to 96 impressions.
The difference between the new machines and our older one is vast. For instance, the higher generator power means we can cut thicker parts faster. I estimate that the new machines are 20% quicker on multi-cut work, while we get an extra 50mm of X-axis height with the SLC600G.
Furthermore, the automatic wire feed is vastly improved; along with the use of 20kg wire spools, it means we can run for several days unattended.”