E EXPERIENCE 28 - GF AgieCharmilles US

PARTNER TO THE BEST 

NO. 28 

T H E A G I E 

E D M M A G A Z I N E

T H E A G I E 

E D M M A G A Z I N E 

no. 28 

The synthesis 

of high precision with 

high productivity 2 

Zehatz 

Spain 4 

Grávalos 

Spain 10 

Swisslan 

Spain 14 

Fabbri 

Italy 18 

Mime 

Italy 24 

Sønderborg 

Denmark 28 

Hamilton Lichfield 

England 34 

SFT 

Germany 40 

Cover immage: 

The italian company Fabbri snc is the 

worldleader in highprecision sportsriffles. 

+GF+ AgieCharmilles 

EDM Marketing and Sales Support 

CH-6616 LOSONE 

TEL. +41 91 806 91 11 

FAX +41 91 806 92 60 

www.agie.com 

info@agie.ch 

Wire and sinkerosion are manufacturing 

steps in the production of gunlocks. 

January 2007 

Appears in English, 

French, German and 

Italian. 

Edited and text by: 

M. Katz 

michael.katz@agie.ch 

Graphics and pagination: 

R. Grizzi, F. Simona 

Printed by: 

Tipografia Poncioni SA 

Losone - Switzerland 

© AGIE 

An Agie Charmilles Group 

Company. 

No responsibility is accepted 

for technical data or the 

content of articles.

2 

AGIE experience 

No 28 January 2007 

Dear Reader, 

Combining high precision with high productivity is 

a challenge! In ED wire cutting it now has a name: 

«Challenge». 

The synthesis 

of high precision 

with high 

productivity 

AGIECUT 

VERTEX 1 1F 

VERTEX 2 2F 3 3F 

CHALLENGE V 2 3 

PROGRESS V 2 3 4 

CLASSIC V 2 3 

VERTEX 

The new Agiecut Challenge V2 and V3 ED wirecutting 

machines have numerous standard and 

optional features available which increase the 

productivity of ED wire cutting and further improve 

the outstanding standard precision. 

Agiecut Challenge V machines have ideal prerequisites 

for automated sequences: Lowerable 

working tanks, 25-kg wire spools, clearly defined 

interfaces, automated threading, long service 

lives of the filter and deionising systems, long 

life of the power leads and wire guides as well 

as plannable maintenance and service 

intervals. The EDM performance is strikingly 

improved with IPG-V (Intelligent Power 

Generation Vertex) and eCut technologies, with 

a lower energy requirement at the same time. 

CLASSIC PROGRESS CHALLENGE VERTEX

3 



With the interaction of dual measuring systems, 

the control unit and the mechanism, a precision 

concept is implemented on Agiecut Challenge V 

which also meets the special requirements in the 

case of high and large workpieces. A surface 

quality of Ra 0.2 µm is achieved as standard and 

innovative functions ensure accurate linearity, 

highest form accuracy, as well as increased precision 

of the angular accuracy. Corners and radii, 

as well as stepped workpieces or ones with apertures 

can be cut at an optimal speed. 

We are convinced that, with the new Agiecut Challenge 

V2 and V3, we have conceived ED wire-cutting 

machines which best combine high precision 

with high productivity. The articles in this issue also 

show how productively and precisely our customers 

solve complex production tasks with ED 

machining. I now wish you stimulating reading 

Michael Katz 

Technical Editor

4 



Zehatz 

Country 

Production 

Target market 

Spain 

- Food canning 

- Aerospace 

- Automotive 

- Microelectronics 

- Medicine 

Europe 

Employees 40 

Founded 1992 

EDM 

1 Agiecut Vertex 2F 

1 Agiecut Progress V3 

The Zehatz company, founded in 1992, manufactures 

precision tools, medical implants, 

mechanical and micro components which it 

supplies to worldwide branches such as aerospace, 

automotive, food canning, microelectronics 

and medicine. The north Spanish 

company has 40 employees on its payroll and is 

known for its ultra precise production. For this 

Zehatz has invested in a unique measuring, 

checking and testing centre which guarantees 

quality at every stage of production. 

Programming 

Clamping 

- Mastercam 

- Unigraphics 

- Catia 

Erowa 

Measuring, testing - Leitz PMM 12106 

- Sirocco-Record, Microval 343 and Image Global 775 

from DEA 

- Mitutoyo Crysta Apex C 574, Quick Vision Pro-Hyper, 

LH-600B and microscope 

- Tesa MicroHite Plus M600 and M350 

- Baty Projector R 400 

- Mahr Formtester MMQ40, Perthometer PGK-Plus 

Roughness and Perthometer PCV 200 profiles 

- Ernst AT-180 Durometer 

Zehatz 

P. Industrial Kurutz Gain 12-13 

20850 Mendaro 

Spain 

Tel +34 943 757 180 

Fax +34 943 755 041 

sales@zehatz.es 

www.zehatz.es 

Contact 

Alfonso Urzainki, Managing Director 

Josu Mugartegui Lejardi, Sales Manager

5 


No 28 January 2007

6 



Zehatz 

When the «µm» is split 

by ED wire cutting 

Ultra precision 

knows no frontiers 

Zehatz, based in the Basque region 

to the east of Bilbao, was 

founded in 1992, has 40 employees 

on its payroll today and is 

the manufacturer of a wide variety 

of products, such as high 

precision workpieces, spare 

parts, tools and components. 

The north Spanish undertaking 

supplies them to the aerospace, 

automotive, food canning, microelectronics 

and medicine industries 

worldwide. Zehatz' company 

philosophy builds entirely on 

mutual trust and cooperation 

with customers. This includes 

the joint development of critical 

components, such as production 

and checking tools, specimen 

parts and templates – always 

under the viewpoint of offering 

the customer solutions that are 

competitive and improve products. 

This is implemented with 

an innovative design department, 

an ultra modern range of machine 

tools and also, as the heart 

of the company, a measuring 

centre for the highest standards. 

Ultra precision thus becomes 

visible, measurable, demonstrable 

and comprehensible for customers. 

An important argument, 

with which Zehatz has positioned 

itself right at the top in global 

competition. Recently, Zehatz 

has also integrated an Agiecut 

Vertex 2F into its ultra precision 

concept. The ED wire-cutting 

machine proves that it meets the 

demand with its precision results: 

surface roughness Ra 0.05 µm, 

fitting accuracy ± 1 µm and inside 

radii of 0.03 mm with finest 

wire and automatic threading are 

standard features. 

Quadruple copper electrode with which 

mould inserts for a blanking tool are ED 

machined. The outside and inside contours 

are ED wire cut to an exact fit. During 

blanking, the tool inserts give the 

form for the pull openers for food cans. 

The three-dimensional representation 

generated with a CAD program shows a 

current Zehatz project. Before the production 

stage, the new type of tool is tested 

virtually and optimised in accordance 

with production engineering requirements. 

The Agiecut Progress V3 ED wire-cutting 

machine is set up by means of the 

«Agiejogger» handbox. The operator can 

carry out all the important control functions 

with it.

7 



Data input on the Agiecut Vertex 2F is 

reduced to a few workpiece features 

and quality targets. The «Agievision» 

control generates the best possible cutting 

technologies from this. 

ED wire-cut and die-sunk mould inserts 

and mechanical components are 

the best illustrative examples for 

Zehatz’ high performance standard. 

ED wire cutting in 

the ultra precision concept 

«When Agie expanded the 

Agiecut Vertex series to include 

larger models, it was clear to us 

that the size 2 as F-model would 

be the ideal ED wire-cutting machine 

for our requirements», 

Alfonso Urzainki, the managing 

director of Zehatz, commented 

on the purchase of the Agiecut 

Vertex 2F. «We certainly do not 

need the complete range of performance, 

which the machine offers, 

for every machining job, but 

we have deliberately invested in 

the future in order to be prepared 

for new challenges». Zehatz is 

thus continuing its strategy of 

achieving ultra precision in all 

sectors of the company. 

Digitally controlled 

generator pulses 

With the IPG-V, the Agiecut Vertex 

2F has a generator of the latest 

generation available which 

improves the EDM performance 

and controls the EDM process 

efficiently. This is made possible 

by a programmable, digital component, 

which increases the form 

factor of the pulses and shortens 

the pulse duration. How advantageous 

the effect of this is on the 

workpiece is to be seen by the 

fact that the machining technology 

is generated exactly in accordance 

with the workpiece height 

and it is no longer necessary to 

choose between two given workpiece 

heights. The technology 

parameters are thus adapted exactly 

to the given cutting height 

so that the best possible machining 

technology is employed. 

These individually generated 

technologies bring more precision 

to the workpiece straight off. 

The operator at Zehatz thus has 

the best possible machining 

technology for every workpiece in 

accordance with material, height, 

the wire type used as well as the 

precision and roughness required, 

without having to make 

compromises. 

A double mould milled from a whole 

piece is ready for machining on the 

Agiecut Vertex 2F. The precision and 

form-giving parts are completed with 

ED wire cutting and die sinking. Afterwards 

the mould insert can be fitted 

exactly into the blanking tool. Finest 

surfaces and tightest contour tolerances 

then ensure the precise production 

of the pull openers for food cans 

during blanking. 

Josu Mugartegui Lejardi, Sales Manager 

of Zehatz, using an optical measuring 

machine. Showing the tight tolerances 

of the contours of a workpiece.

8 



Zehatz 

Quality check at all stages 

of production 

The material quality, the tools 

used and the machining 

processes are influencing variables 

which have an effect on the 

precision of a tool. Milled workpieces 

often make a mirror-like 

impression, but sometimes have 

microcracks under the surface 

concealed by the milling. By contrast, 

with ED machining, material 

faults often first become visible 

through the removal process. 

Zehatz therefore checks the precision 

and quality at every stage 

of production. In this way, tool 

breakage, reworking or replacement 

production are for the most 

part avoided, and consequential 

costs kept to a minimum. The investment 

in efficient quality 

management is doubly worthwhile 

for Zehatz: Ultra precision 

becomes comprehensible for the 

customer and ultra precision 

helps to save costs sooner or 

later. 

A workpiece is plotted optically on a measuring 

machine. The contours can then be 

displayed on the screen in the µm range 

and checked for diverging contour tolerances. 

The workpiece is shown three-dimensionally 

on the screen and every point plotted 

with the touch probe is provided with the 

appropriate measurement data. 

The Zehatz measuring and checking centre 

lets you see at a first glance what 

great importance is attached to quality 

assurance. 

“ 

The Agiecut Vertex 2F is the ED wire-cutting machine with its quality results, best 

fits into our concept of ultra precision. Convincing also the many standard features on 

the Agievision control system, which markedly shorten the set-up and EDM times. 

” 

Alfonso Urzainki, Managing Director of Zehatz

9 



The workpiece data 

Name 

Mould insert for a six-way blanking tool 

Finished part name 

Pull opener for food cans 

Finished part material Tinplate 

Workpiece material Hard metal, tool steel 

Mould insert service life 60 million 

Electrode material 

Copper 

Electrode production High-speed milling with Mikron HSM 400 U 

Wire type 

CCA 0.25 mm diameter 

Number of cuts 

1 main cut, 2 - 3 trim cuts 

Surface roughness Ra 0,2 µm 

Contour tolerance ± 2,5 µm 

Mould insert production time 1 hour ED wire cutting 

6 hours ED die sinking 

We would like to thank Zehatz, in 

particular their Managing Director 

Alfonso Urzainki and Sales Manager 

Josu Mugartegui Lejardi, for 

their kind support and helpful cooperation 

with this report. 

Responsible 

Sales Engineer: 

Carlos Grijalba, 

+GF+ AgieCharmilles

10 



Grávalos, s.a. 

Country 

Production 

Target market 

Spain 

- Components for consumer electronics 

- Components for the automotive industry 

- Components for white goods 

- Electrical contacts 

International 

Employees 100 

Founded 1946 

ED machining 1 Agiecut Challenge 2 

1 Agiecut Challenge 3 

1 Agiecut 150 HSS 

1 Agietron Hyperspark 2 

1 Agietron Impact 3 

1 Agietron EMS 20 

Programming 

Clamping 

Measuring, testing 

- P-Cam 

- Unigraphics 

- System 3R 

- Own solutions 

- Etalon coordinates measuring machine 

- Nikon profile projector 

- Olympus microscope 


Ctra. Castellón, km. 15,500 

Polígono Industrial «La Noria» 

50730 El Burgo de Ebro (Zaragoza) 

Spain 

Tel +34 976 104 808 

Fax +34 976 104 090 

info@gravalos-sa.com 

Grávalos s.a. is the leading manufacturer of 

www.gravalos-sa.com 

Contact 

Joaquín Grávalos del Río, 

Management Assistant 

components for household appliances, the automotive 

industry and consumer goods in 

northern Spain. The company has an over 

60-year tradition and is being run in the third 

generation as a family business. With its own 

development, design, production and tool 

making, Grávalos s.a. offers its customers a 

complete service, is for the most part independent 

of subcontractors and, with 100 employees, 

is of the right size in order to be able 

to react quickly and flexibly to product 

changes.

11 



Agie brand ED machining has 

been in use since back in 1972 

Family business as a strong 

point in international competition 

El Burgo de Ebro lies 17 km 

from Zaragoza and is the base of 

Grávalos s.a. The company was 

founded in 1946 and is today being 

run in the third generation as 

a family enterprise. Grávalos s.a. 

has 100 employees on its payroll 

and supplies components for die 

automotive, household appliances, 

consumer goods and connector 

industries. The company 

offers a complete service for 

this, going beyond merely manufacturing 

customers’ articles: 

- Designing and developing according 

to the customer’s article 

drawing or sample. 

- Optimising tools in accordance 

with economic and manufacturing 

technique aspects. 

- Automating the assembly lines 

with own construction of jigs and 

fixtures. 

- Delivery on schedule by synchronising 

all the manufacturing 

sequences. 

In addition, Grávalos s.a. endeavours 

in all phases of manufacture, 

whenever possible, to manufacture 

and produce everything 

itself in order thus to be independent 

of subcontractors. This gives 

the company the flexibility to be 

able to react quickly to product 

changes, new orders and fluctuations 

in order quantities. One example 

are Scart connectors which 

Grávalos s.a. produces using a 

dual punching tool for the electrical 

contacts and a dual injection 

moulding tool for the casing. For 

both tools, the production share 

of ED machining is over 80% - the 

key technology for high precision 

on the tool and thus also on the 

finished Scart connector. 

Grávalos s.a. carries out all the 

production stages from the design 

in accordance with the customer’s 

drawing to the dispatch of the Scart 

plugs: Tool construction, manufacture 

of the injection moulding and 

punching tool, punching of the electrical 

contacts, injection moulding 

of the plastic casing, final assembly, 

testing and checking and dispatching 

the Scart connectors according 

to schedule. 

Already at the CAD design stage at 

Grávalos s.a. Scart connectors are 

optimised in accordance with production 

technique aspects, with 

customers’ specifications being 

strictly observed.

12 




ED machining for exactly 

fitting punches and dies 

The abbreviation SCART stands 

for the French «Syndicat des 

Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs 

et Téléviseurs», 

meaning translated «Association 

of Radio and Television Receiver 

Manufacturers». These plugs and 

sockets are European standard 

today for the plug connections of 

audio and video appliances. Thus 

the Scart sockets did not have to 

be newly designed when Grávalos 

s.a. received the order to produce 

them, as the dimensions 

and pin assignments are specified. 

However, with minor design 

modifications, Grávalos s.a. was 

able to optimise the production 

technique for the tools and the 

punching tool’s precision-giving 

stations were of modular production. 

Punches and dies made of 

hard metal were ED machined 

with one main cut and four trim 

cuts. Three Agievision control 

functions were classified by Grávalos 

s.a. as being especially 

useful in this connection: 

- «Agiesetup 2D» which allowed 

rapid setting up, without precise 

alignment of the workpiece. 

- «Variocut» which mastered 

stepped parts or parts with 

openings without problems by 

adjusting the cutting power. 

- «Teccut» which gave the possibility 

of optimising cutting technologies 

with own experimental 

values, such as, for example, reducing 

the wire advance and the 

flushing pressure. 

As planned by Grávalos s.a., a surface 

roughness of Ra 0.3 µm and a 

contour tolerance of ± 2.5 µm 

were achieved on the active 

parts. The clearance between the 

punches and dies was optimal 

for punching the electrical contacts 

for the Scart connectors 

burr-free from the Ni-Sn-coated 

brass strips. 

ED die sinking for high 

reproduction accuracy 

The casing for the Scart connector 

made of polycarbonate described 

in this article was manufactured 

using a dual injection 

moulding tool. Here, too, Grávalos 

s.a. employed EDM: High-precision 

and complex inserts were 

manufactured by the Agiecut 

Challenge ED wire-cutting machine 

and cavities by the Agietron 

Hyperspark ED die-sinking machine. 

In order to achieve high 

reproduction accuracy, Grávalos 

s.a. made use of the «Agie 

Equimode» function which 

formed the sharp inside edges 

and complex forms of the cavities 

perfectly and repeatably accurately 

by means of three dimensional 

planetary movements. 

Thus both ED die sinking and 

wire cutting, with their high precision, 

laid the foundations for a 

problem-free final assembly of 

the Scart connector. 

The three tool inserts manufactured 

with ED wire cutting and die sinking indicate 

new projects at Grávalos s.a. 

which will be coming into use in the 

near future. 

The upper and lower half of the dual 

punch for manufacturing the Scart connector’s 

electrical contacts. All the active 

parts, such as punches and dies, 

were ED wire cut with a surface quality 

of Ra 0.3 µm. The standardised Scart 

connectors allow modular construction 

so that replacements can carried out 

quickly in the case of a tool breakage 

or changes. 

On the second Agiecut Challenge, 

Joaquin Grávalos del Rio is aligning the 

next ED wire-cutting job using System 3R 

clamping systems. After clamping the 

workpiece, Joaquin Grávalos del Rio will 

use Agiesetup 2D to determine the position 

of the workpiece. This Agievision 

control function determines a possible 

offset in the level which is then taken 

into account by the control system during 

machining. 

Joaquin Grávalos del Rio, Management 

Assistant, checks and optimises the technology 

parameters of a machining job in 

progress on the Agiecut Challenge 3.

13 



The tool data 

Dual punch 

Dual injection mould 

Finished part name Scart connector contacts Scart connector casing 

Finished part material NiSn coated brass 

Polycarbonate 

Tool material Hard metal for inserts Tool steel 

Tool steel 

Tool weight 100 kg 200 kg 

Tool service life over 100 million strokes over 30 million shots 

Wire type 

CCA 0,25 mm wire 

Number of cuts 1 main cut 

4 trim cuts 


Copper 

Electrode manufacture 

Milling, ED wire cutting 

Production time 90% ED wire cutting 60% ED wire cutting 

10% ED die sinking 40% ED die sinking 

Surface roughness Ra 0,3 µm Ra 0,3 µm 

Contour tolerance ± 2,5 µm 

“ We have always linked ED machining 

with the name Agie. The first 

generation of our family company 

already used these machines. And 

today, too, we know that, thanks to 

the Agie machines’ quality, we can 

guarantee the tightest tolerances 

and finest surfaces. 

Joaquin Grávalos del Rio, 

Management Assistant at Grávalos s.a. 

We would like to thank Grávalos 

s.a., in particular their Management 

Assistant Joaquin Grávalos 

del Rio, for the kind support 

and helpful cooperation with this 

report. 

Responsible 


Oscar Nicolau, 

+GF+ AgieCharmilles SA 

”

14 



Swisslan S.L. 

Country 

Production 

Target markets 

Spain 

Jobbing ED machining for 

- Devices for extrusion tools 

- Mechanical components 

- Automobile components 

- Inserts for blanking and injection moulding tools 

Spain, Switzerland and Italy 

Employees 4 

Founded 2005 

EDM 1 Agiecut Classic V 2 

1 Agiedrill 

Programming 

Clamping 

P-Cam 

Own solutions 

Swisslan S.L. was founded in 2005 by Angel 

Ibarluzea and Antton Osoro. The company, 

based one hour’s drive by car from Bilbao, is 

a jobbing EDM business with two further employees 

on its payroll in addition to the two 

company owners. The young company supplies 

mainly components for tool making and 

for mechanical applications to its customers 

in Spain, Italy and Switzerland. 


Tesa Microhite 

Swisslan S.L. 

Morkaiko n° 1-B° Urasandi 

20870 Elgoibar (Gipuzkoa) 

Spain 

Tel +34 943 748 866 

Fax +34 943 743 669 

angel@swisslan.es 

antton@swisslan.es 

Contact 

Angel Ibarluzea, Company Owner 

Antton Osoro, Company Owner

15 



Classical applications of 

jobbing ED machining 

Innovative use of ED wire 

cutting as the basis for success 

If you drive along the E70 motorway 

eastwards from Bilbao for an 

hour, you reach the deeply 

carved valley of the Deba, a region 

with a long tool-making tradition. 

So it was not just by 

chance that in 2005 two young 

craftsmen, Angel Ibarluzea and 

Antton Osoro, set up their own 

company in the small town of 

Elgoibar. Customers’ orders were 

quickly generated and the prospering 

company invested in an 

ED wire-cutting machine of the 

latest generation: an Agiecut 

Classic V2. In addition to traditional 

machining jobs, Swisslan 

S.L. was now able to carry our 

jobbing EDM orders, too. Today, 

the number of employees has 

risen to four who carry out orders 

from Spain, Italy and 

Switzerland. The scope of supply 

concentrates mainly on the production 

of mechanical components, 

devices for extruded profiles, 

components for cars, as 

well as inserts for blanking and 

extrusion moulding tools. Apart 

from reliable and punctual production, 

the strong point of 

Swisslan S.L. is to be able to offer 

its customers innovative solutions 

with ED wire cutting and 

complementary machining jobs. 

Swisslan S.L. often receives just 

sketches, descriptions or patterns 

for these from customers 

which then serve as the starting 

point for new solutions for machining. 

As already mentioned, 

the region has a long tradition of 

tool-making which is being continued 

by Swisslan S.L. with the 

innovative use of ED wire cutting. 

Swisslan S.L. receives drawings of 

fixings for extrusion profiles from 

customers. These serve initially as 

the basis for the decision on which 

machining process will be employed 

for which workpiece parts. 

A collet chuck for finished extrusion 

profiles made of aluminium. The 

slits and inside contours were ED 

wire cut on an Agiecut Classic V2. 

Starting out from extruded profiles, 

the two ED wire cut workpieces 

serve as the fixing in the further 

production process for the automobile 

construction components.

16 



Swisslan S.L. 

ED wire cutting in time 

with the incoming orders 

Swisslan S.L. is a typical jobbing 

EDM business in which the dayto-day 

business determines the 

work scheduling. Constant deadline 

pressure requires high flexibility, 

both on the staff and the 

machine side. Production sequences 

must be geared exactly 

to the machine and operator capacity. 

That is why Swisslan S.L. 

decided on an Agiecut Classic V2, 

as this ED wire cutting machine 

meets these requirements best: 

- Rapid data input 

- Great selection of cutting 

technologies 

- Rapid set-up 

- Rapid wire change 

- Lowerable tank for machining 

in the bath 

- Rapid insertion of express jobs 

- Reliable process with all 

geometries. 

for the quality targets. So Angel 

Ibarluzea can choose whether 

the machining is to be carried 

out quickly, with the highest precision 

or both. In the case of the 

devices for the extruded sections, 

several of the generator’s functions 

then take effect: «AWO» - 

Advanced Wire Offset – compensates 

for the wire wear and 

flushing. «Wire Bending Control» 

determines and corrects wire deviations 

resulting during the 

process. «Variocut» automatically 

adjusts the output in the case of 

stepped workpieces. Functions 

which are not, it is true, visible, 

but which do show on the workpiece 

and in the time required for 

a job. 

The autonomy for 

unsupervised operation 

On account of the frequent 

clamping and unclamping operations, 

setting up and individual 

data inputs involved, jobbing EDM 

orders presuppose the presence 

of an operator in most cases. And 

yet there are orders where high 

machine autonomy is also decisive. 

Swisslan S.L. had to cut six 

extruded profiles with 1 main cut 

and 3 trim cuts from a 100 mm 

high aluminium block. Here 

«Agiejet» for reliable wire threading, 

the standard 25-kg wire 

spools as well as the long service 

lives of the filters proved their 

worth - especially in the case of 

aluminium machining jobs. For 

Swisslan S.L., Agiecut Classic V2 

is thus the classic «all-rounder» 

of ED wire cutting. 

«Teccut» makes technology proposals 

from a few inputs. Thanks to 

the state-of-the-art Vertex technology, 

Angel Ibarluzea, joint owner of 

Swisslan S.L., can then select and 

activate the best possible machining 

technology. 

Various devices for machining extruded 

profiles which are produced 

by Swisslan S.L. using ED wire cutting 

and as a complement to that 

milling all out. All three workpieces 

are made of hardened steel and have 

a surface roughness of Ra 0.4 µm 

and a contour tolerance of ± 5 µm. 

Antton Osoro, joint owner of Swisslan 

S.L., checks the progress of the 

cutting of the starting holes which 

are needed for ED wire-cutting jobs 

on an Agiedrill. Small electrode 

tubes of from 0.3 mm to 3 mm can 

be used for a depth of up to 200 mm. 

In jobbing EDM, every machining 

step must be right. This maxim 

begins at Swisslan S.L. with the 

data input for the ED wire cutting 

of a workpiece. Angel Ibarluzea 

needs just a few workpiece details 

for this: Height, form, material, 

surface quality and accuracy. 

«Teccut» then generates the best 

possible technology and in addition 

makes alternative proposals

17 



The workpiece date 

Workplace name 

Fixings for extruded profiles 

Finished part name 

Components for automobiles 

Workpiece material 58 HRC hardened steel 

Finished part material Aluminium 

Workplace weight 

approx. 2 to 3 kg 

Duration of workpiece use over several years daily round the clock 

Wire types used 




1 main cut, 2 - 3 trim cuts 

Surface roughness Ra 0,4 µm 

Contour tolerance ± 5 µm 

We would like to thank Swisslan 

S.L., in particular the two company 

owners, Angel Ibarlizea and 

Antton Osoro, for their kind support 

and helpful cooperation on 

this report. 

Responsible 


Carlos Grijalba, 

+GF+ AgieCharmilles SA 

The drawing and workpieces show 

the principle and variety of forms of 

the devices for extruded profiles. 

“ 

Our success is based on innovative solutions which we offer 

our customers. We have the ideal ED wire-cutting machine 

for this with the Agiecut Classic V 2 which has the appropriate 

technology or function for nearly every machining 

requirement. 

Angel Ibarluzea, company owner of Swisslan S.L. 

”

18 



Fabbri snc 

Country 

Production 

Target market 

Italy 

- Sporting shotguns 

- Hunting knives for collectors 

International 

Employees 13 

Founded 1965 

ED machining 1 Agiecut Classic V 2 

1 Agietron Spirit 2 

Programming 

Clamping 

- Pro/Engineer 

- ISO 

Own solutions 

Fabbri snc 

Don Filippo Bassi 6 

25075 Nave (BS) 

Italy 

Tel +39 030 271 53 00 

Fax +39 030 271 53 01 

Fabbri snc is a company that has perfected 

the gunsmith’s traditional craft with stateof-the-art 

production methods. Founded by 

Ivo Fabbri in 1965, the company based near 

Brescia today has 13 employees on its payroll. 

The founder’s son Tullio Fabbri today 

manages a company that is a world market 

leader for highest precision sporting shotguns. 

The list of its international customers 

also reads then like a «Who’s who» of 

prominent figures: His Majesty Juan Carlos, 

King of Spain or film producer Steven Spielberg 

– to name but two. 

info@fabbri.it 

www.fabbri.it 

Contact 

Tullio Fabbri, Managing Director 

Ivo Fabbri, Company Owner 

Ivo and Tullio Fabbri

20 



Fabbri snc 

With Agie no «shot» misses 

during ED machining 

The worldwide first address 

for sporting shotguns 

When Ivo Fabbri founded Fabbri 

snc more than forty years ago, 

he did not yet know what success 

he would have with his 

handmade sporting shotguns. An 

untiring urge for perfection, coupled 

with the innovative use of 

the latest technologies, quickly 

made sporting shotguns «made 

by Fabbri» famous beyond Italy’s 

borders. A success which is based 

on the company’s philosophy: 

- Each individual part is made 

in-house. 

- Only the best materials are 

used. 

- Everything is checked inhouse. 

- Quality as a symbiosis of artisan 

ability and the use of the 

most modern means of production. 

Thus all 13 of the company's 

employees are qualified specialists 

in their field. The skill of 

Fabbri snc now consists in making 

each individual’s ability available 

for the common goal of 

manufacturing «today’s bestlooking 

and most reliable shotgun 

in the world». A claim that is 

confirmed by prominent customers 

from all over the world 

and which Tullio Fabbri gladly 

demonstrates with a tour 

through the company. In air-conditioned, 

clinically clean rooms, 

the details are captivating: Company-designed 

and laid-out 

workplaces, underfloor cabling 

for the machine tools, orthopaedic 

floor coverings or 

state-of-the-art house automation. 

So the two ED machines 

from Agie do not only meet the 

Fabbri snc’s perfectionism with 

their high precision, but also 

with their striking design. 

The three-dimensional solid models of 

the shotgun lock show the complexity of 

the geometries which have to be machined 

out of the whole. 

Tullio Fabbri himself designs the complex 

form of the shotgun lock with 

Pro/Engineer. Many years of experience 

are necessary in order to give mechanically 

highly stressed parts in later use 

the right radius, to dimension web 

widths optimally or design recesses, 

checks and openings functionally. 

«Partner to the Best» 

– more than a slogan 

If you ask Tullio Fabbri what were 

the main arguments for buying 

Agie ED machines, you are quickly 

given the answer: «Partner to 

the Best». And further: «Not because 

it is the Agie slogan, but 

because the service, presence 

and assistance convinced me! To 

feel that you are being taken seriously 

as a partner, just as we 

give our customers the feeling 

that they are real partners to 

Fabbri». Of course, it was not only 

non-material values that convinced 

Tullio Fabbri, but also 

genuine facts.

21 



ED wire cutting with 

efficient functions 

When manufacturing, such as in 

the case of a shotgun lock, every 

machining step must strike 

home. Because with each 

milling, turning, ED machining or 

grinding step, one error can 

make the workpiece just fit to be 

thrown away. That is why the 

«Variocut» function is so important 

for Fabbri snc when ED wire 

cutting, because in the course of 

manufacturing the shotgun lock, 

cuts through offsets or apertures 

have to be made. The illustration 

with the solid model of the shotgun 

lock prepared 

in 

CAD shows 

this clearly 

with the cutting surface and the 

various positions of the cutting 

wire duly marked. 

For this, «Variocut» continuously 

records the cutting cross section 

and automatically adjusts the 

power to the changing conditions. 

The main cut and the four 

trim cuts can thus be carried out 

reliably in the course of the various 

cutting operations on the 

shotgun lock. Both wire-threading 

into starting drill holes with 

«Agiejet» and cutting technologies 

prepared with «Teccut» for 

the stainless steel-titanium alloy 

of the workpieces are carried out 

with great reliability. 

The first machining step on the rectangular 

blank made of stainless 

steel-titanium alloy is the ED wire 

cutting of the contour which is 

coloured red in the solid model of 

the gunlock. 

Prior to machining the rectangular 

piece of Titanium-stainless steel alloy 

material is heat treated, stress released, 

avoiding microcracks during 

machining. The first contours is cut 

on the Classic V 2 showing allready 

the rough form of the gunlock. 

Tullio Fabbri defines the cutting technologies 

for the next machining job on the 

«Agievision» control using the «Teccut» 

function. By activating the «Variocut» 

function, the cutting cross-section is then 

continuously recorded by means of which 

the Agiecut Classic V 2 automatically adjusts 

the power in the case of stepped 

parts or openings in the workpiece.

22 



Fabbri snc 

ED die sinking for precision 

in the third dimension 

With the increasing progress of 

the production of the shotgun 

lock, each further machining 

step must be carried out with the 

utmost reliability and precision. 

Fabbri snc relies on Agietron 

Spirit 2 for ED die-sinking operations. 

Detail electrodes made of 

copper are used for the mainly 

small cavities on the shotgun 

lock. They have the advantage 

compared with complex form 

electrodes made of graphite that, 

after wear, they can be simply 

reworked by milling. In this way, 

Fabbri snc saves itself expensive 

electrode production which would 

additionally tie up personnel and 

machine capacity. Here too, the 

employees’ mastery becomes apparent 

which runs like a central 

theme through all the production 

stations at Fabbri snc. 

We would like to thank Fabbri snc, 

in particular their Managing Director 

Tullio Fabbri, for their kind 

support and helpful cooperation 


Responsible Sales Manager: 

Franco Corti, 


All 150 individual parts of a sporting shotgun are made by Fabbri snc themselves. This 

begins with the selection of finest materials from all over the world, continues with 

constant material tests on in-house testing devices, goes on further through the production 

of even the smallest screws, and ends, after over 1500 mechanical and manual 

production steps, with the testing and adjusting of each shotgun in the company's own 

underground shooting range. Each of the 13 employees at Fabbri snc is a master of his

23 



“ 

The Agiecut Classic V 2 with 

its «Variocut» function is the 

ideal ED wire-cutting machine 

for us. With it, we carry out 

the first machining step which 

is decisive for the precision for 

all the further machining operations 

on the shotgun lock. 

Tullio Fabbri, Managing Director of Fabbri snc 

The workpiece data 

” 

Name 

Workplace material 

Annual production 

ED wire cutting 

ED die sinking 

Lock for sporting shotguns 

Stainless steel-titanium alloy with vacuum-heat treatment 

approx. 30 - 35 shotguns 

Various machining operations are carried out with 

Berocut 0.25 mm brass wire with 1 main cut and 4 trim cuts 

in each case, and a surface quality of Ra 0.3 µm is achieved 

Various cavities are made using self-milled detail electrodes 

made of copper which can be used again by regenerating 

craft, when machining precious walnut or age-old ivory of the mammoth, when engraving 

unique works of art into the shotgun locks or when ED machining precious alloys. 

Thus Fabbri snc manufactures only about 30 sporting shotguns per year and customers 

have to be patient for at least four years after placing their order before they 

can hold their own shotgun in their hands.

24 



Mi-Me Minuterie 

Metalliche Meles S.p.A. 

Production 

Main markets 

Precision parts punched, stamped and assembled with 

own development, design and manufacture of 

automatic assembly, punching, stamping and 

progressive dies 

- Electromechanical and electrical industry 

- Automotive industry 

- Telecommunications industry 

- Computer applications 

Europe, Asia, USA, Brazil 

Employees 105 

Founded 1950 

EDM 1 Agiecut Progress 2 

1 Agiecut Evolution 2 SF+F 

WorkPal loading system from System 3R 

1 Agiecut Evolution 2 


1 Agietron Mondo Star 20 

Mi-Me Minuterie Metalliche Meles S.p.A. is a 

company with a 56-year tradition. Not far from 

Bergamo, Mi-Me produces and assembles precision 

blanking and bending parts with its own 

Programming 

Clamping 


- P-Cam for ED wire cutting 

- UG 3 D - CAM 

Mecatool from System 3R 

DEA from Brown & Sharp 

Certifications ISO TS 16949: 2002 

ISO 9001: 2000 

ISO 14001: 2004 

tools on state-of-the-art high-speed presses 

Head office, administration and dispatch: 

Production: 

from Bruderer and automatic punching and 

bending machines from Bihler. Mi-Me supplies 

renowned customers worldwide in the electrical, 

automotive and telecommunications industries, 

as well as the computer applications 

branch, offering a complete service from the 

Mi-Me Minuterie Metalliche Meles S.p.A. 

Via Leonardo da Vinci, 19 Via Del Gambetto, 10/12/14 

24030 Presezzo (BG) 24040 Bonate Sopra (BG) 

Italy 

Italy 

Tel +39 (0)35 61 22 98 +39 (0)35 90 02 02 01 

Fax +39 (0)35 61 80 22 +39 (0)35 90 00 14 

infomime@mi-me.it 

www.mi-me.it 

development to the finished product. 

Contact 

Raffaele Meles, Company Owner 

Giovanni Pirola, Workshop Manager

25 



ED wire cutting – the heart 

of tool manufacture 

Constant progress 

for over fifty years 

Mi-Me Minuterie Metalliche 

Meles S.p.A. was founded in 1950 

and today has 105 employees on 

its payroll. The company offers a 

complete service all around 

punching and bending. At the 

head office in Presezzo, tools are 

developed, designed and manufactured 

in accordance with customers' 

drawings. Tools are designed 

and optimised with CAD- 

CAM systems of the latest generation. 

For high precision, in addition 

to traditional machining centres, 

the tool making department 

has ED machines of the Agie 

brand at its disposal which, in 

the course of the years, have developed 

more and more into a 

key technology in tool making. 

Since 2001, the production of 

high precision punched and bent 

parts has been carried out in the 

neighbouring town of Bonate Sopra. 

For this, Mi-Me has a stateof-the-art 

range of machines installed 

in an area of 10,000 m 2 , 

with high-speed presses from 

Bruderer and automatic punching 

and bending machines from 

Bihler, each of which is coupled 

to production management by a 

computer system. Mi-Me can 

thus organise its working cycles 

optimally and supply «just in 

time» to customers. This philosophy 

of «everything at the right 

time» can be traced back to tool 

making at Mi-Me. Tools are modular 

in construction and, thanks 

to ED wire cutting, the punches 

and also dies are manufactured 

to an exact fit, so that in the case 

of breakage or changes it is possible 

to react quickly. A typical 

example is a two-way progressive 

tool for which 40% of the total 

production time is taken up by 

ED machining, underlining the 

high standing of this machining 

technology. 

The starting point for the production 

of electrical contacts was the 

customer’s drawing of the article. 

In addition came the requirements, 

such as material, material thickness 

and quantity. Mi-Me then designed 

and manufactured a twoway 

progressive tool with 25 stations 

for punching, stamping and 

bending. 

In accordance with the thickness of 

the material to be punched, the tool 

was designed with a contour tolerance 

of ± 3 µm. Ra 0.3 µm on the 

punches and Ra 0.05 µm on the dies 

ensured optimal die clearance 

when punching.

26 




ED wire cutting for high 

precision punches and dies 

When the tool has been designed 

and optimised with CAD/CAM 

systems, the individual punches 

and dies are derived from this 

and the cutting contours for 

them are prepared with PCam. 

The programs are transferred to 

the Agiecut Progress 2. With a 

few details about the workpiece 

and wire, «Teccut» makes proposals 

in accordance with profitability 

and precision. The cutting 

technology then selected is 

allotted to the workpiece. In the 

case of machining jobs with 

drop-out parts, «Usersequence» 

can be selected. This function allows 

cutting sequences to be decided 

in accordance with time 

criteria so that e.g. all the cuts 

are made at night and the separating 

cut for removing the dropout 

part is scheduled for the time 

of the operator's presence. With 

the «Graficheck» function, the 

operator obtains certainty for the 

whole machining job as he can 

present the workpiece three-dimensionally 

and simulate the 

cutting sequences. The «Agiesetup 

3D» function, with which the 

workpiece position is plotted 

three-dimensionally, and any 

possible offset is taken into account 

by the control system. 

Agiecut Progress has eCut cutting 

technologies at its disposal which 

achieve surfaces of Ra 0.8 µm 

with one single precision cut. This 

reduces the trim cuts and the required 

roughness of Ra 0.3 µm on 

punches and Ra 0.5 µm on dies 

can be achieved more quickly. All 

the active parts of the two-way 

progressive die are PVD/TiCN 

coated in order to achieve a 

longer service life and to prevent 

any breaking off as far as possible. 

However, if necessary, the 

high fitting and repeating accuracy 

achieved through ED wire cutting, 

allows punches and dies to 

replaced quickly and without any 

finishing work. 

ED die sinking for complementary 

machining jobs 

If bending or stamping jobs have 

to be carried out on the finished 

part, ED die sinking is used at 

Mi-Me. For this, the electrode 

forms are derived from the 

CAD/CAM program for the tool 

design, the copper electrodes 

milled and the shaping inserts ED 

machined. The Agietron Spirit 2 is 

the ideal ED die-sinking machine 

for this, in order to achieve these 

three-dimensional cavities quickly 

and simply. The operator is 

guided through the program by 

self-explanatory symbols, automatic 

measuring cycles shorten 

the set-up time and an electrode 

magazine makes machining jobs 

possible at night, too. Arguments 

which have a name for Mi-Me in 

the case of ED wire cutting and 

die sinking: Agie. 

Setup of a workpiece in an Agiecut 

Evolution 2. «Agiejogger» allows all 

important control functions required. 

Part view of the EDM department at 

Mi-Me. Three Agiecut and two Agietron 

machines ensure high precision on the 

workpiece. The Agietron Spirit 2 is the 

ideal addition in blanking tool making. 

MiMe manufactures mould inserts for 

bending and forming stations with this, 

but drill holes for mountings are also 

made with this ED die-sinking machine. 

All the active parts, as well as the tool 

itself, too, are measured on the DEA 

measuring machine from Brown & 

Sharp at Mi-Me for the final check. 

With a contour tolerance of ± 3 µm and 

surface qualities of Ra 0.3 µm on 

punches as well as Ra 0.5 µm on dies, 

the two-way progressive die is designed 

both for a long service life and 

for high precision on the finished parts.

27 



The tool data 

Tool name 

Two-way progressive die 

Finished part name Electrical contacts 

Active part material PVD/TiNC-coated high-speed tool steel HSS 

Tool material 

Tool steel 

Finished part material Brass 

Tool service life 

240 million parts, 8 million until resharpening 

Tool weight 

50 kg 

Electrode material Copper 

EDM wire type 



1 main cut, 4 trim cuts 

Surface roughness Ra 0.3 µm punches, Ra 0.5 µm dies 


EDM time 

40% of the total production time, and of that 

10% for ED die sinking 

The tool data 

We would like to thank Mi-Me 

Minuterie Metalliche Meles 

S.p.A., in particular the company 

owner Raffaele Meles and workshop 

manager Giovanni Pirola, 

for their kind support and helpful 

cooperation on this report. 

Responsible sales manager: 

Franco Corti, 


Tool name 

One-way progressive die 

Finished part name Element for thermal regulation 

Active part material PVD/TiNC coated high-speed tool steel HSS 

Tool material 

Tool steel 

Finished part material Brass/Silver 

Tool service life 

120 million parts, 4 million until resharpening 

Tool weight 

400 kg 

Electrode material Copper 

EDM wire type 



1 main cut, 4 trim cuts 

Surface roughness Ra 0.3 µm punches, Ra 0.5 µm dies 


EDM time 

40% of the total production time, and of that 

10% for ED die sinking 

“ With the eCut cutting technologies of our Agiecut Progress 2, 

we can dispense with many a trim cut as high precision and 

outstanding surfaces are already achieved with the main cut. 

Raffaele Meles, Chairman of 


”

28 



Sønderborg 

Værktøjsfabrik A/S 

Sønderborg Værktøjsfabrik 

A/S is a business partner in 

great demand for companies 

in medical technology 

Country 

Production 

Target market 

Employees 28 

Denmark 

Development, design and production of multiple 

injection moulds, mainly for medical technology 

and related branches 

Europe 

Founded 1973 

when it is a question of the 

development, design and 

production of multiple injection 

moulds. The Danish 

company's philosophy is 

precision at all stages of 

production. This is achieved 

with automated manufacturing 

cells which nearly 

exclude human sources of 

error. 

EDM 

Programming 

Clamping 


2 Agietron Hyperspark Exact 2 with Multi-Robot from 

Erowa for 240 electrode and 30 pallet places with 

the JMS chip identification system from Erowa 

1 Agietron Innovation 3 with ERS robot system from 

Erowa for 215 electrode and 15 pallet places with the 

JMS chip identification system from Erowa 

1 Agiecut Challenge 2 with Easychange from Erowa for 

20 pallet places with the JMS chip identification 

system from Erowa 

- Unigraphics for CAD 

- Peps for ED wire cutting 

-Erowa 

- Own solutions 

- Tactile 3D measuring machine from Johannsen 

- Optical measuring machine from Demeet 

- Presetting position from Erowa for all automated 

machine tools 

Sønderborg Værktøjsfabrik A/S 

Søndervang 9 

DK-6400 Sønderborg 

Denmark 

Tel +45 74 42 82 42 

Fax +45 74 42 22 11 

sv@sv.dk 

www.sv.dk 

Contact 

Henrik Schwartz, Managing Director 

Kennet Filsø Madsen, Sales Manager 

Thomas B. Iversen, Sales Manager 

Peter Moisen, Head of EDM

29 



Automated EDM 

for 100-percent 

fitting accuracy 

Cables are laid to each individual 

mould in the 24-fold injection 

mould. Sensors then check the 

pressure in the cavity for each injection 

moulding procedure. 

Precision in design, 

production, control, supply 


was founded in 1973, today has 

28 employees on its payroll and 

is based in Jutland, the southern 

part of Denmark. The company is 

specialised in multiple injection 

moulds for the production by the 

million of parts for medical technology. 

Anyone successfully 

making moulds in the high-wage 

country, Denmark, must either 

reduce manual procedures as far 

as possible to a minimum or 

must be able to supply exceptional 

precision. Sønderborg 

Værktøjsfabrik A/S combines 

both perfectly and has thus acquired 

an outstanding reputation 

for itself in the field of medical 

technology. The key to success 

lies in automated production with 

ED machines from Agie. The 

consistency of the data and the 

clamping are further factors so 

that no µm precision is lost. As 

Henrik Schwartz, Managing Director 

of Sønderborg Værktøjsfabrik 

A/S said: «Precision is not 

just a matter of microns for us, 

but our company's philosophy is 

behind it, as is shown from the 

design until matching». 

Sønderborg Værktøjsfabrik A/S receives 

CAD programs from the customer 

for the medical technology 

parts. These serve as the basis for 

the development and design of the 

injection mould.

30 




The electrodes required for the 

ED die sinking are designed in 

their turn from this with CAD. 

With these data, the milling cutting 

program for the production 

of copper electrodes are prepared. 

In most cases, the same 

mould is linked to one electrode 

four times. This multiple electrode 

is then turned over the 

C-axis in the EDM program so 

that the same electrode can be 

used for roughing and finishing. 

Peter Moisen clamps mould inserts 

to a pallet at the presetting 

position. Each individual 

mould is plotted. The measurement 

data are stored in the 

identification chip which is then 

read by the EDM machine and 

transferred to the program.

31 



Constancy of the data 

and the clamping 

Every manual intervention, 

whether through data input, 

reclamping or finishing, involves 

the danger of errors. This was 

Sønderborg Værktøjsfabrik A/S's 

basic consideration when they 

reorganised the production sequence 

for injection moulds. In 

simplified form, this looks as follows 

for a 24-fold injection 

mould: 

1. Receipt of the CAD data for 

the customer's part. 

2. From this 3D design of the 

tool using Unigraphics. 

3. From this generation of the 

electrode moulds and 

optimising into multiple 

electrodes. 

4. Surface grinding of the various 

tool plates. Making the 

standards available. Milling 

the closing and function 

surfaces. 

5. Clamping the copper blanks, 

rough milling, cooling down, 

fine milling, plotting the 

electrodes at the presetting 

place and loading the measurement 

data into the identification 

chip. 

6. Clamping the workpieces to 

pallets, plotting at the presetting 

position, and input of 

the measurement data into 

the ID chip. 

7. Preparation of the ED diesinking 

programs externally 

with Agievision PC and the 

ED wire-cutting programs 

with Peps. 

8. Loading the robots on the 

EDM machines. 

9. Recalling the machining programs 

from the programming 

station to the EDM 

machines. 

10. Check of the movement 

sequences on the ED diesinking 

machines for a 

machining with all electrodes 

as well as carrying out the 

measurement cycles. 

Once they have been clamped in 

place, workpieces and electrodes 

are thus no longer subject to 

manual intervention. The same 

applies for data. Once they have 

been input or recorded, they are 

just retrieved or transferred still. 

The tool assembly is still 100-percent 

manual. However, all the more importance 

is attached to care and toolmaker 

know-how. 

A workpiece pallet is brought into one of 

the two Agietron Hyperspark Exact 2 by 

the loading arm of the Multi-Robot from 

Erowa.

32 




EDM becomes an automatic 

machining sequence 

If these 10 points, which do not 

make any claim to completeness, 

have been carried out, the 

actual EDM can be started. The 

EDM results are decisive for 

Sønderborg Værktøjsfabrik A/S: 

- Every mould insert must be 

100% identical in shape and dimension. 

- 100% repeatability. 

- No finishing. 

- 100% fitting accuracy. 

Great demands on ED machining, 

because in part up to 8 

tools have to be manufactured 

for the same part. Agie is thus 

the first choice in EDM. 

The mould cores clamped on 

pallets are ED machined ready, 

and then plotted with the tactile 

measuring machine from 

Johannsen and compared with 

the specified dimensions. 

Electrodes in accordance with 

the design are represented 

three-dimensionally with CAD 

from Unigraphs. 

The milling machine for producing 

the copper electrodes is 

also loaded and unloaded automatically.

33 



The tool data 

Name 

Finished part material 

Tool material 

Tool weight 

Tool working life 


Electrode production 

EDM time 

24-fold injection mould 

POM plastic 

hardened steel 

1300 kg 

10 million injection moulding cycles 

copper 

95% high-speed milling, 

5% ED wire cutting 

35% of the total production time 

Oberflächengüte 

CCA 0.2 mm für Hauptschnitte 

CCX 0.1 mm für Nachschhnitte 

Surface quality VDI 21 

Position accuracy 

Look into the work area of an 

Agietron Hyperspark Exact 2 

with electrode and workpiece 

clamped in place. 

The 24-fold injection mould with 

various inside and outside mould 

cores, as well as ejectors. 

± 5 µm over the whole tool 

We would like to thank Sønderborg 

Værktøjsfabrik A/S, in particular 

their Managing Director 

Henrik Schwartz and also Poul 

Erik Skælbæk, Product Manager 

of A-V-N Maskin AS, for their 

kind support and helpful cooperation 

on this report. 

Responsible 

Sales Manager: 

Flavio Guadagnini, 

Agiesales 

“ 

Not only are our tools precise. Our 

delivery times, our machines, all 

our employees' jobs are also 

precise. Precision is thus the company's 

philosophy and stands for 

forward-looking planning in our 

company. Our ED die-sinking manufacturing 

cell, consisting of two 

Agietron Hyperspark Exact 2 with 

robot in the middle, is the best 

example for also being a step 

ahead of the others in future, too. 

” 

Henrik Schwartz, 

Managing Director of 

Sønderborg Værktøjsfabrik A/S

34 



Hamilton Lichfield Ltd. 

Hamilton Lichfield Ltd., based to the 

north of Birmingham in the English 

Midlands, was founded in 1994 and has 

over 20 employees on its payroll. The 

company has become specialised in two 

Country 

Production 

Fields of use 

Target market 

United Kingdom 

- PCD and PCBN ISO indexable inserts 

- PCD slot drills and end mills 

- PCD wear components 

- PCD twist drills and reamers 

- natural and synthetic diamond dressing tools 

- Aerospace 

- Automotive industry 

- Oil industry 

- Technical materials (ceramics, alloys, metal composite 

materials, carbon fibre reinforced plastics) 

85% United Kingdom, 15% Europe 

main categories of tools: Tipped with 

natural diamonds or polycrystalline 

diamonds. These lathe chisels, milling 

Employees 23 

Founded 1994 

EDM 

1 Agiecut Progress 2 with PCD module 

Programming Peps from Camtek 

cutters and rotary tools are employed 

for machining the most varied materials. 

Clamping 



- CMM from Brown & Sharp 

- Optical tool presetter from Starrett precision optical 

- Profile 50 optical measuring system from Brown&Sharp 


Kimberley Way, Units 16 - 18 

GB-Brereton, Rugeley WS 15 1RE 

Tel +44 (0) 1889 57 45 75 

Fax +44 (0) 1889 57 45 72 

sales@hamlich.co.uk 

www.hamlich.co.uk 

Contact 

Kelvin Bushnell, Director 

Donald Culver, Director 

Jim Micallef, Sales Manager 

Kevin Baines, Workshop Manager

35 



Small in dimension – 

big job for ED wire cutting 

The two symmetrical, tapering tip seats on 

the shank were ED wire cut with one main 

cut using an Agiecut Progress 2. 

The PCD disks are supplied in two 

thicknesses so that Hamilton Lichfield 

Ltd. can quickly generate constantly recurring 

cutting technologies with the 

«Workmodel» on the Agievision control. 

The grid model of a shaft head shows 

the three-dimensional geometry of the 

two tip seats. 

Individual customised solutions 

for PKD and diamond tools 

«Our daily challenge is to supply 

the customer with the optimum 

tool for his individual requirements 

on schedule with the 

maximum precision», is the response 

by Kevin Baines, Workshop 

Manager at Hamilton Lichfield 

Ltd. to the question about 

his company's guiding principle. 

Indeed, from the receipt of an order 

until the delivery of a tailormade 

tool, Hamilton Lichfield 

Ltd. needs just one week on average. 

Many years of experience 

and a profound knowledge of the 

latest materials enable the company 

to offer its customers a 

complete service for diamond 

and PCD tipped tools. 

Hamilton Lichfield's clientele is 

drawn from the most varied 

fields of application: 

- Automotive 

- Aerospace 

- Green ceramics 

- Carbon fibre reinforced 

plastics 

- MMC (Metal Composite 

Materials) 

- Non-ferrous metals 

- Woodworking 

- Hard turning 

- V-blocks 

- Wear parts. 

For Hamilton Lichfield Ltd. ED 

wire cutting is an important link 

in the production chain here, because 

this process takes on the 

precision-giving machining steps. 

The varied uses of the Agiecut 

Progress 2 ED wire-cutting machine 

can best be shown in the 

entire manufacturing sequence 

of a PCD tipped milling cutter.

36 




Versatilely employable 

ED wire cutting 

In general, the production of 

PCD-tipped milling cutters involves 

a large number of machining 

steps because two completely 

different materials are 

being machined which have to 

be matched highly precisely to 

one another. At Hamilton Lichfield 

Ltd. these are the main 

stages: 

1. Receipt of the order as a 

tool drawing, tool description 

with dimensioning or 

description of the use of the 

tool. 

2. From this the tool drawing 

is prepared complete with 

the geometries of the tip 

seats on the shank as well 

as of the PCD cutting tips. 

3. The cutting contours of the 

PCD inserts are created 

with «Easycut». 

The PCD cutting tips are attached to the 

shank's two ED wire-cut cassettes by 

means of induction welding. 

The cutting contours for the PCD inserts 

are prepared with the Peps and positioned 

in such a manner that the space on the 

PCD-coated disk is optimally used during 

ED wire cutting. 

The cutting contours prepared with Peps can 

be transferred to the Agiecut Progress 2, 

complete with the cutting technologies, by 

means of the Agie exclusive feature 

«Scriptfile». All the operator still has to do 

is to allocate the measurement values determined 

with Agiesetup 3D to the reference 

points. 

The clamped PCD disks are plotted with 

«Agiesetup 3D» and the 0-point is determined. 

The special PCD technology on 

Agiecut Progress 2 allows the cutting tips 

to be ED machined with one main cut.

37 



4. An optimum cutting technology 

is selected from «Teccut» 

or the technology is retrieved 

from «Workmodel», 

a module for repeatedly recurring 

jobs. 

5. The PCD disk is clamped on 

the Agiecut Progress 2. 

6. Agiesetup 3D carries out 

measurement cycles automatically 

with the EDM wire 

and the probe. In this way, 

the 0-point is determined 

exactly as the reference and 

the location of the PCD disk 

in the ED wire-cutting machine 

is fixed 

7. The contours are cut with a 

full cut using a Berocut 

0.25 mm wire. 

8. The PCD cutting tips are taken 

out as drop-out parts 

and the PCD disk is unclamped. 

9. The milling cutter shank 

made of tungsten is then 

clamped horizontally. «Agiesetup 

3D» then determines 

any possible twisting of C- 

axis so that the cutting of 

the shank to length will take 

place 100 percent in right 

angle. 

10. The milling cutter shaft is 

cut to exactly the required 

length with one main cut. 

11. In the meantime, the cutting 

contour for the tip seats on 

the shank is prepared with 

Peps. 

12. «Scriptfile» makes a direct 

transfer of the geometries, 

complete with the cutting 

technologies, to Agiecut 

Progress 2 possible. 

13. The shank is clamped vertically 

and also plotted with 

«Agiesetup 3D», with the 

probe in A, B and Z-axis direction 

and with the wire in 

X and Y-axis direction. In accordance 

with the measurement 

data determined, the 

control system then organises 

the machining program 

around these values. 

14. The symmetrical, tapering 

tip seats of the shank are 

ED wire cut. 

15. The shank is unclamped and 

the PCD cutting tips are 

applied to the tip seats by 

means of induction welding. 

16. The now complete milling 

cutter is clamped horizontally 

on to the Agiecut Progress 

2 once again in such a 

way that the 2 PCD cutting 

tips are aligned horizontally. 

The measurement data on 

the milling cutter head are 

recorded with «Agiesetup 

3D» so that the machining 

program can align again. 

17. The PCD cutting tips receive 

their final cutting contour by 

means of a taper cut by 

Agiecut Progress 2, with 

exactly the required angle. 

In this connection, 0.05 mm 

are left in place for the polishing. 

18. As a final step, the PCD cutting 

tips are polished with a 

diamond lapping machine. 

The machining steps can, it is 

true, vary somewhat according to 

the order, however, they do show 

how rationally ED wire cutting 

can be employed for the production 

of PCD tipped milling cutters. 

The absolute highlight in 

this connection for Hamilton 

Lichfield Ltd. is the «Setup 3D» 

function which is employed for 

each set-up procedure. Multiplied 

over a year, a saving in time 

amounting to days results. 

The slot milling cutter is checked 

once again for contour accuracy, symmetry 

and precision on an optical measuring 

system. 

PCD inserts are inductionwelded into 

the tip seats of the shaft.

38 




The tool data 

Name 

Tool material 

Tool working life 

EDM time 


EDM wire type 

PCD tipped slot milling cutter 

Shank made of tungsten carbide 

Cutting tips made of PCD (polycrystalline diamonds) 

100 times longer than conventional groove milling cutters 

5 minutes for cutting the shaft to length 

20 minutes for the two symmetrical, tapering tip seats 

5 minutes for PCD cutting tips 

1 main cut in each case 

Berocut 0.25 mm diameter 

“ 

The Agiecut Progress 2 is the most versatilely 

employable machine tool for our application 

requirement. The Agiesetup 3D function especially 

has strikingly reduced the set-up 

times. 

We would like to thank Hamilton 

Lichfield Ltd., in particular their 

Managing Director, Kelvin Bushnell, 

and Workshop Manager, 

Kevin Baines, for their kind support 

and helpful collaboration 


” 

Kevin Baines, 

Workshop Manager of 


Agie 

Specialist: 

Max Swinbourne, 

+GF+ AgieCharmilles Ltd.

40 



Stanz- und 

Formtechnik 

GmbH & Co. KG 

Country 

Production 

Target market 

Germany 

Development, design and manufacture of punches and 

follow-on tools for the production of: 

- contacts 

- terminals 

-pins 

- fastening elements 

- welded parts 

- assembly parts 

Europe 

SFT X. Settele Stanz- und Formtechnik GmbH 

& Co. KG is a medium-sized company based 

in the Allgäu region in southern Germany 

which with its own tool-making focuses on 

the production of precision, punched and 

Employees 50 

Founded 1973 

EDM 

Programming 

Clamping 

1 Agiecut Vertex 

1 Agiecut Excellence 2F eCut 

1 Agiecut Excellence 2 eCut 


1 Agie Präzidrill 

- CAD ME10 

- Peps from Camtek 


bent parts. The over thirty-year old company 

has 50 employees on its payroll and supplies 

all sectors of industry, such as the electrical 

equipment, electronics, automobile, household 

appliances, furniture and other fields. 

Certification DQS - DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 

SFT X. Settele, Stanz- und Formtechnik GmbH & Co. KG 

Mühlweg 23 

87642 Halblech 

Germany 

Tel +49 (0) 8368 841 

Fax +49 (0) 8368 1045 

info@sft-halblech.de 

www.sft-halblech.de 

Contact 

Roland Settele, Company Proprietor 

Horst Zuleger, Sales

41 



Agie’s top model for 

top precision for tools 

The article drawing of the SIM card, 

for which contacts were to be produced, 

served SFT for the design of 

the tool. From the geometry and 

material of the contacts, as well as 

the quantity required, resulted a 

three-step follow-on tool with 13 

stations for cutting, bending and 

stamping. 

The active parts of the three-step 

follow-on tool, such as punches and 

dies, were ED wire cut on the 

Agiecut Vertex with 1 main cut and 6 

trim cuts. The punching strip and 

contacts respectively are made of a 

thin beryllium alloy which required 

tolerances of just 1 µm in the tool. 

Quality and performance 

grew with the company 

In spring 1973, Xaver Settele 

founded the SFT Stanz- und 

Formtechnik company. In step 

with the growing demand, the 

company has been constantly enlarged. 

Today SFT has 50 employees 

on its payroll, a production 

area of 2000 m 2 , in addition 

a 1000 m 2 warehouse and a very 

modern machine outfit at its disposal, 

both in tool-making and in 

production. SFT's performance 

spectrum includes: 

- Development of new punched 

parts 

- Design of economic punches 

and bending tools 

- Production of high precision 

tool-making parts 

- Assembly of complete tools 

- Mounting and testing the tools 

on automatic punching machines 

- Large batch production of precision, 

punched and bent parts in 

connection with other process 

cycles, such as thread tapping, 

welding, assembling, sorting and 

magazining 

- Safeguarding all the machining 

processes by modern quality assurance 

systems. 

In addition to the traditional machining 

processes, milling and 

grinding, in accordance with the 

high precision requirements, SFT 

has been putting increasing emphasis 

on ED machining. Taking 

the example of a three-step follow-on 

tool, the important role 

played by top Agie brand products 

at SFT is explained: Repeatable 

high precision on the work 

piece guarantees smooth punching 

without downtimes. 

The drawing shows the construction 

of the three-step follow-on tool as a 

side view.

42 



Stanz- und Formtechnik GmbH & Co. KG 

ED wire-cut active parts are the 

best guarantee for precision 

When the automatic bending machines 

or high-speed presses 

chatter without any standstill at 

SFT, this is also proof for the 

company proprietor, Roland Settele, 

of the high standard of their 

own tool-making. For years, SFT 

has always invested in the latest 

machine tools in order to keep in 

step with rising precision requirements, 

or even to be one 

step ahead of them. The latest 

investment is the Agiecut Vertex 

ED wire-cutting machine, whose 

productive capacity is demonstrated 

taking the example of a 

three-step follow-on tool. Thus 

on this tool, all the active parts 

made of hard metal were ED wire 

cut or die sunk. SFT used the 

Agiecut Vertex for dies with the 

finest slits requiring inside radii 

down to 0.1 mm or punches with 

a tolerance of ± 1 µm. For this, 

first of all, start holes were made 

in the dies using Agie Präzidrill, 

the starting hole drill. The small 

electrode tubes used have a diameter 

of often just 0.15 mm. 

The starting holes are drilled 

without any problem, because the 

surface destruction in the case of 

hard metal lies below 20 µm. At 

the same time, all the shaping 

inserts, such as e.g. the bending 

stations, are manufactured on 

the Agietron Spirit 2 ED die-sinking 

machine. The cutting contours 

for the punches and dies 

prepared with Peps were transferred 

to the Agiecut Vertex. The 

operator selected the best possible 

technologies for his requirements 

from «Teccut» and allocated 

them to the individual machining 

jobs. In addition to 

roughness, workpiece height and 

material, another selection parameter 

was also the wire types 

used, Cobracut G with diameters 

from 0.2 mm through 0.15 mm 

down to 0.10 mm. Multiple 

clamping then also increased the 

efficiency of the ED machining. 

Double spools make automatic 

wire change possible 

The «Agieduo» double spool system 

is felt by SFT to be extremely 

useful and time-saving. Thus, 

without any manual intervention, 

two different types of wire can be 

used for one machining job, such 

as e.g. all the main cuts of a multiple 

clamping with CCG 0.2 mm 

and all the trim cuts with CCG 

0.10 mm. «Economic viability is 

elegantly combined with top precision 

here», say company owner 

Roland Settele. And in addition: 

«With Agiecut Vertex we are also 

equipped for future precision requirements». 

The operator can select the 

best technology for his machining 

job in each case from 

the comprehensive Agiecut 

Vertex database. 

With the «Agieduo» double 

spool system, two different 

types of wire can be used in 

autonomous, automatic operation, 

e.g. for main and trim 

cuts. 

An Agie Präzidrill is prepared 

for drilling the starting holes. 

In the case of dies with the 

smallest slits and openings, 

drill hole are often required 

which make the use of electrode 

tubes of just 0.15 mm diameter 

necessary. 

The Agietron Spirit 2 is used at 

SFT for the ED die sinking of 

mould inserts in tools, such as 

e.g. bending stations in a follow-on 

tool. 

The tools from the company's 

own production have proved 

themselves in the automatic 

punching and bending machines 

from Bihler and the 

high-speed presses from 

Bruderer. 

The beryllium punching strip 

runs through 13 stations where 

it is cut, bent and punched.

43 



The tool data 

Name 

Three-step follow-on tool 

Finished parts name 

Contacts for SIM cards for mobiles 

Finished part material 

Beryllium alloy 

Tool material 

Tool steel, active parts hard metal 

Tool weight 

20 kg 

EDM time 

60% of the total manufacturing time 

Wire types 

CCG of 0.2 mm, 0.15 mm and 0.10 mm 

diameter 

Surface quality Ra 0.15 µm 


We would like to thank SFT X. 

Settele, Stanz- und Formtechnik 

GmbH & Co. KG, in particular 

the company proprietor Roland 

Settele, for their kind support 

and helpful cooperation on this 

report. 

Responsible 

sales engineer: 

Ronny Schroeder, 

Agie GmbH

“ The trend in our business is towards ever more 

complicated precision, punched and bent parts 

requiring high-precision. Tolerances of ± 1 µm 

or inside radii of just 0.1 mm are nothing unusual. 

As a long-standing Agie customer, it was 

then very quickly clear for us that the Agiecut 

Vertex is the right investment in the future. 

Roland Settele, 

Proprietor of SFT X. Settele, 

” 

Stanz- und Formtechnik GmbH & Co. KG

E EXPERIENCE 28 - GF AgieCharmilles US

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