Precision EDM Shop Speeds Inspection Process
Wirtz Wire EDM Inc., of Hendersonville, North Carolina, checks a variety of milled, turned and round parts from the aerospace, automotive, mold and die, turbine and fluid power industries. To improve its process control and cut its inspection costs, Wirtz Wire turned to Mitutoyo America Corp. and its M-507 coordinate measuring machine.
Tooling & Production Article
Wirtz Wire EDM Inc., Hendersonville, NC, has customers from the aerospace, automotive, mold and die, turbine, and fluid power industries. Before acquiring this new CMM in late 1999, Wirtz checked dimensions using an optical comparator, hand tools, and elaborate set-ups. Previously, operators spent an average of two hours per shift inspecting; now, the same job takes only 15 minutes per shift. The methodology change has reduced inspection labor costs by 75 percent, so Wirtz recovered the $20,000 price of the machine in less than a year.