GF AgieCharmilles introduced a new range of its FI CCS wire electric-discharge machines that it calls energy efficient and environmentally friendly, as well as fast and reliable. The builder of wire EDM, CNC and manual die-sinking systems and high speed/performance and 5-axis CNC milling machines says these enhanced designs offer productivity, machine versatility, and safety for machine shops seeking to enter high-precision markets.
The three machines — the FI 240 CCS, FI 440 CCS and FI 640 CCS — are outfitted with “ball screw collision protection,” digital generators, and an energy-saving technology called EconoWatt that makes it possible to revert to “sleep” mode automatically once machining is complete.
It’s the combination of these features that AgieCharmilles says maximizes the machines’ energy efficiency and minimizes environmental impact. It indicates less than 8 kW are consumed for roughing operations and less than 1 kW is consumed when in sleep mode.
Also, the machines are designed with four filters, instead of two, which the builder says will reduce filtration costs by 25% and decrease clogging. Each FI CCS model features Econotec technology, too, reducing wire consumption by 25% when used with a 0.30 mm wire.
As for performance, AgieCharmilles says its new FICCS machines achieve cutting speeds in excess of 400 mm2/min, and can perform rough cutting with large- and small-diameter wires. “The ability to use larger-diameter wires reduces the number of cuts required to produce the finished part, enabling each machine to achieve Ra 0.6 µm surface finishes in three cuts and Ra 0.3 µm in four cuts,” it states.
