A pair of outdated wire-cut electric discharge machining (EDM) centres at orthopaedic implant and associated surgical instrument manufacturer MatOrtho® has been replaced by a single new U6 H.E.A.T. from Makino, Japan. The CNC wire erosion machine was installed at MatOrtho’s manufacturing facility in Leatherhead towards the end of March 2023 by NCMT, the sole UK sales and service agent for the machine manufacturer.
David Shand, Operations Director at MatOrtho said: “The new Makino wire erosion machine from NCMT will significantly increase our instrument production capacity compared with the two machines it replaces. The accuracy and speed of the machine will allow us to meet our R&D needs and support future sales. This latest significant investment by MatOrtho comes at an important time in the company’s transformation as it expands to meet the growing demand from our worldwide customer base.”
The Makino was selected in preference to other makes due to the quality of both the machine build and the service received during the sales process, right through to training at NCMT’s Technical Centre in Coventry. Another important aspect was the environmentally friendly operation of the U6 H.E.A.T., which has low running costs, particularly in respect of reduced wire consumption. Mr Shand added that it will help drive their company’s transition towards net zero carbon footprint, especially as only one EDM machine is now drawing power rather than two.
NCMT’s Jon Marshall, Makino EDM Sales Manager UK South commented: “The Makino U6 H.E.A.T. is geared towards high-performance production which, together with the machine’s inherent precision, makes it a perfect fit for MatOrtho’s requirements for both production and research.”
“It has been a pleasure dealing with Paul Clancy, their Production Engineering Manager and the whole team throughout the process, and we at NCMT look forward to assisting MatOrtho with its future investments.”
Makino’s most technologically advanced wire-cut EDM machines, the U6 and its smaller counterpart the U3 are designed for ease of operation, versatility, low operating cost and high profitability. They offer enhanced performance in a configuration that makes competitive cycle times, as well as high accuracy and surface, finish easy to achieve.
HyperCut technology is included, a three-pass process developed to produce surface finishes as fine as 3µm Rz in rapid cycle times. With the Hyper-i control, even novice operators can program and produce top-quality components having the most complex geometrical features. The control has an easy-to-use interface similar to that found on tablets and smartphones, a significant advantage for shops experiencing difficulty recruiting skilled EDM operators.
Hyper-i contains intelligent, intuitive and interactive functions streamlined to assist the operator at every step of the machining process. It delivers efficient and productive results while bringing new levels of operational efficiency to the shop floor. It also enables easy access to and selection of power settings, allowing accurate results to be achieved in fast cycle times.
The U6 has X, Y and Z-axis travels of 650 by 450 by 420mm respectively. Workpieces up to 1,000m by 800mm by 400mm with a maximum weight of 1,500kg can be accommodated. Another feature is a choice of two guide configurations for the 0.1 to 0.3mm diameter wire – conventional round or split V – to accommodate nearly all material types and flushing conditions.
The entire bed casting of the U-series wire EDM machines is used as the dielectric reservoir. This approach reduces the footprint compared with earlier models and eliminates the need for additional external fluid tanks. Merging all machine components into a single base structure improves mechanical rigidity and thermal stability, while the stationary table design ensures sustainable long-term accuracy. Additionally, work zone access has been simplified for ease of operation and maintenance.