SEE THE LIGHT: WIRE EDM COMPETES OUT OF THIS WORLD

Founded in 1996, Next Intent (San Luis Obispo, CA) quickly developed a reputation as a high-tech contract machine shop with expertise configured to handle both prototype work and production machining in small-to-medium lot sizes for aerospace, military, semiconductor and scientific applications.

The company now has 32 employees and a prestigious client list that includes ATK, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Superconductor Technologies and JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). It has been involved in several sophisticated high-profile projects, including manufacturing the components for the wheels, suspension arms, fittings and cameras used on the NASA Mars Phoenix Lander and the Mars Rovers, as well as other ?out of this world? high-tech jobs.

What is the secret to this success? Understanding customer needs is part of the answer. The shop machines all types of materials to tolerances within 0.0002 in, including stainless steel, Nitronic, Invar, Vimvar, aluminum, titanium, Inconel, bronze, copper, Macor, PET (Ertalyte), PPS, PBS, Ultem, Acetal (Delrin), UHMW, Turcite, Vespel, PEEK, Celezole, and Nylons. ?This is a major advantage,? explains manufacturing manager Chris Baker. ?We partner with our customers to develop a knowledge of their needs so we can help them reduce their overall costs, improve their quality and meet their delivery requirements.?

Understanding customer requirements is one thing. Actually meeting those needs is where the rubber meets the road. To do this, an innovative development strategy of investing in the latest CADCAM and machine tool technology keeps the company competitive, particularly in the current economic climate. On the machine tool side, the company purchased their first wire EDM in 2003, an AQ750L from Sodick Inc. (Schaumburg, IL) that uses linear motor drives for instant servo time to maximize cutting efficiency. Its table moves smoothly with no vibration and no backlash because there are no ball screws or couplings.

The AQ750L LP Control imports solid model files directly into the control to reduce workflow and programming errors. The machine has X-Y-Z axis travel 30 in x 20 in x 16 in and U-V travel of 30 in x 21 in. It uses a wire diameter of .012 in to .006 in to cut 42 in x 30 in x 16 in workpieces that weigh up to 3300 lb. It has an automatic wire threader, built-in wire spooler and wire chopper, and glass scale feedback.

Two years later Next Intent added another wire EDM, an AQ325L with a submersible linear motor drive and automatic wire threading, including a KC1 hole drill to support the EDM capacity. This 40 amp machine uses an LN1W CNC Control in a Windows NT Platform and can perform a taper angle of ±20 deg @ 3.1 in. Its X-Y-Z axis travel of 13.7 in x 9.8 in x 8.6 in and work tank ID of 35.2 in x 25.5 in handles workpieces weighing up to 990 lb.

In 2007 the shop purchased a 5-axis AQ300L wire EDM to increase productivity on multi-axis indexing components. It also uses linear motor drives with glass scale feedback, an automatic dielectric level float switch and an electrolysis free circuit. Its 4 ft x 8 ft footprint houses an X-Y-Z axis travel of 12 in x 8 in x 8 in and U,V travel of 3.2 in x 3.2 in on 20 in x 12 in x 8 in workpieces.

On the CADCAM side, the company invested in PEPS Wire EDM software from Vero Software Plc (Cheltenham, England) as the primary programming solution for its wire EDM and used it to commission these three wire EDM systems. PEPS software is a computer aided manufacturing (CAM) system used to design geometrical models with its in-built CAD drawing tools or import models from other external CAD systems, then do the CNC part programming.

This software provides an intuitive method of working by adopting a graphical user interface under Windows on a stand-alone or networked PC. The system is supported by a set of post processors that generate CNC code for each individual machine tool. All of this integration greatly reduces operator training time and ensures that the NC programs are produced quickly and effectively.

Matt Redman, a manufacturing process engineer with over 19 years experience working in the aerospace industry, explains how using PEPS with the wire EDMs has revolutionized the company?s manufacturing processes. ?Although I have been involved in manufacturing for a long time, I had no prior experience with programming or operating wire EDMs prior to the purchase of our first machine. We ran a benchmark test that compared three leading CADCAM systems and this system ran-out as the clear winner because it integrates with our wire EDM machine technology and extracts geometry from customer solid models.?

The benefits of the new software were evident on a recent project for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, CA), where Next Intent manufactured and delivered 1500+ actuator assemblies on time and complete, from project planning through clean room assembly and testing. A key component in the assembly required delicate wire EDM operations that involved rotating the part to complete all of the details without the need for additional set-ups.

With the addition of the AQ300L rotary axis and supporting software technology within PEPS, Next Intent successfully ran parts ?lights out,? increasing production time and reducing overall cycle times by more than 50 percent.

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Next Intent, 865 Via Esteban, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, 805-781-6755, Fax: 805-781-6757, www.nextintent.com .

Sodick Inc., 1605 North Penny Lane, Schaumburg, IL 60173, 847-310-9000, Fax: 847-310-9011, www.sodick.com .

Vero Software Plc, Hadley House, Bayshill Road, Gloucestershire, GL50 3AW England, +44 (0) 1453 732900, Fax: +44 (0) 1453 887444, www.vero-software.com .