Sodick wire EDM provides Pemberton Engineering with 25% more speed
Pemberton Engineering is enjoying 25% more throughput since investing in the latest Sodick wire EDM technology. The introduction of a VL600Q from Sodi-Tech EDM is driving greater productivity in the manufacture of automotive press tools, jigs and fixtures.
Founded in 1984, Pemberton Engineering has evolved into an established supplier of high-precision press tools, including complex progression tooling, to tier-one and tier-two automotive manufacturers.
“Apart from a short six-week closure for the initial UK lockdown due to COVID-19, we’ve been busy all year,” states Managing Director Darren Pemberton. “In fact, buoyant is the word I’d use to describe business right now, which is exactly why we needed more wire EDM capacity.”
There are three core elements to business at Pemberton Engineering: toolmaking, CNC machining and wire erosion. However, heavy investment in the former two disciplines had left wire erosion lagging slightly behind, creating a bottleneck in production.
“Although we were already running two wire EDMs, we knew that another would deliver a major boost to operations and allow us to provide our customers with even better service and support,” explains Mr Pemberton. “Having looked around at the leading wire EDM models in the capacity range we required, the Sodick VL600Q was the obvious choice.”
The tools that Pemberton Engineering tasks its Sodick VL600Q with producing are both complex and precise, meaning there is no margin for error. Mistakes might lead to reworking or even scrap tools, which can prove costly.
“I’m pleased to report that we’re really impressed with the Sodick machine’s performance, which has been faultless to date,” says Mr Pemberton. “We regularly load it up with four or five jobs and leave it to cut by itself. It has totally eliminated bottlenecks within our workflow.”
