Separator Plates – Wire Erosion of Multi Plates

Industry Sector:    Oil and Gas

Type of Work:       Wire Erosion of Multi Plates.  Various hole and profiled apertures

Client Requirements:
Cheshire Wire Erosion was recently approached by a company working within the oil and gas industry. They needed holes of various diameters and profiled apertures wire eroding into multiple 1.2 metre diameter plates. You can see the size of the plates from the photographs included.

Before we could start the work, due to the size and weight of these plates, careful manoeuvring of them into place was needed. Specialist equipment was required to lift them and move them onto the EDM Machine. Once in situ we also had to ensure that the plates were kept tightly in place so that they were stable while being drilled.

Various hole sizes were wire eroded into the metal plates using our Sodick AG900L wire cut EDM machine. As a result of the linear motor in the machine, we were able to cut various plate thicknesses with precision and accuracy. This machine could easily accommodate the size and weight of the plates. You can see in one of the photographs, over 20 holes were drilled into the plates

Work Carried Out: 
At Cheshire Wire Erosion we have the capacity to wire erode holes in a wide range of hardened conductive materials using the process of wire erosion. The capacity of the Sodick AG900L is evidenced by the fact that it’s X x Y axis travel is 900mm x 600mm and has a work area of 1300mm x 850 mm along with a weight capacity of 3,000KG.

There are many benefits to wire erosion in comparison to conventional machining. One is that it is possible to machine big pieces or hardened materials that would ordinarily be difficult to machine. With this particular project, working with the varying thicknesses of the plates made wire eroding the holes challenging due to the level of complexity. However, drilling holes and apertures of various sizes into plates of various thicknesses was not beyond the capability of the machinery in our workshop and more specifically the Sodick AG900L wire cut EDM machine.

Over the years we have continuously invested in the most up to date technology. In our workshop we have a range of machinery that perfectly complement one another giving us a diverse range of capabilities to meet the challenges set by our clients. We work with companies in the oil and gas industry as well as many other sectors. The technology we have, combined with the highly skilled work force we employ, mean we can work with the specifications that our clients give us. For your reassurance, all our work is carried out in line with industry quality systems in relation to delivery and quality.