|
ProTechnique increases throughput with new EDMs |
|
|
|
|
 by Jerry Cook
Installing two new Agie EDMs has provided ProTechnique EDM Inc., Milton, ON with a number of benefits including expanding the range of capabilities it offers as well as significantly increasing throughput.
“We wanted to increase capacity but we were also looking for more
throughput. The new generation Agie wire machines are faster and more
accurate-not just for cutting but for things such as wire pickup and
wire threading,” says Grant Fowler, president of ProTechnique.
At the same time, ProTechnique, since it began operations in 2001 as a
custom wire EDM shop, has continued to upgrade its technology and add
new capabilities.
“Our customers started putting more demands on us to do complete
components because they wanted to pare down their vendor base. As a
result, we have been continuously adding to our capabilities over the
last six years to become a complete supplier.
“We try to utilize all of the technologies that we have and look for
parts to accomplish that. We shy away from the job shop market. What we
want to do is partner with our customers to build the complete
component,” he explains.
As a result, ProTechnique recently installed an Agiecut Progress 2 wire EDM and an Agie Innovation die sinker EDM.
Now, the company offers an extensive range of services including wire
and die sink EDM, small hole EDM drilling, and CNC machining.
The firm, which has five employees at its 2,400 sq. ft. facility, does
work for a variety of customers in different markets including
telecommunications, medical, automation, and more.
“Most of our work is low volume, tight tolerance, and difficult setup
work,” says Fowler. Typically, the firm can maintain tolerances within
plus or minus 0.0001 in. and accurate tapers up to 30°.
ProTechnique works with a variety of materials including powdered
metals, copper, aluminum, and more. The company is ISO 9001-2000
certified.
According to Fowler, ProTechnique also recently installed a Zeiss
Contura coordinate measuring machine. “A lot of the parts that we do
are very difficult to qualify using standard gauging because of the
high accuracies and complex geometries.”
Although ProTechnique is typically dealing with lower volume jobs, a
high volume contract that ProTechnique had previously undertaken
helped spur the installation of the new wire EDM, notes Fowler.
“Previously, we did have a project where we were building 140,000
components on our existing wire EDMs. We were using our older wire EDMs
to handle this project but it drove us to (explore) installing a new
machine to keep up to date with our other work,” he explains.
In addition, to the Progess 2 machine, the company also employs the Agiecut Classic and Agiecut Challenge wire EDMs
The Agie EDMs and Zeiss CMM were supplied by Elliott-Matsuura Canada Inc., Oakville, ON. Telephone: (905) 829-2211.
elliottmachinery.com
|
