Halesowen-based Erodex UK Ltd (www.erodex.com) — a leading supplier of EDM wire, wear parts and other consumables — has introduced what it describes as “the fastest EDM speed wire available in the UK — Gapstar ONE”.

Marketed under the Bedra brand and developed by Berkenhoff GmbH, the wire has been designed to enable users to “achieve unprecedented cutting performance across a broad range of applications, as well as uncompromising precision and surface quality”.

Brendan Kelly, a technical sales engineer at Erodex UK, said: “We are extremely excited about this new wire and how it can benefit the UK market.

"As well as increasing speeds by 40-60% compared to standard brass wire, and typically more than 10% compared to our Boline H product, users will also benefit from increased feed rates — in both rough and skim cuts — without necessarily adjusting current settings.

“A further benefit is the reduced wear on wire guides and power contacts, reducing both down-time and costs; and thanks to the newly developed Trimpac coating, a finish of Ra0.25µm can be expected — along with increased stiffness and straightness for auto threading.”

Gapstar ONE, which will be available from stock with tensile strengths of 900 and 500N/mm2 (and in most spool sizes), is compatible with all brands of machines.

Mr Kelly said: “While Gapstar ONE costs more than brass wire,significantly increased wire speeds and the ability to achieve high levels of surface finish mean more throughput and increased efficiencies.

“Users can expect savings of up to 40% when compared with the Bedra Topas Plus H 2.0 range, for example.”