Sodick's patented iGroove technology can reduce wire consumption by up to 30% during wire cutting. iGroove causes the wire to rotate around its axis during the downward motion. The wire's surface area is increased during the machining process, resulting in a more uniform wire wear. In addition, iGroove has a positive effect on the surface quality of the workpiece. The patented iGroove technology is a standard feature on all Sodick ALC series wire EDMs. Sodick's new wire EDM rotation mechanism adds functionality, control and process reliability to the wire. The wire is rotated around its axis during the downward motion as opposed to the conventional EDM process. As a result, the workpieces are always machined from the top to the bottom with the fresh surface of the wire. The major advantage of iGroove is that wire consumption is greatly reduced. With the rising prices of raw materials, it is becoming increasingly interesting to reduce consumption. Consumption of wire accounts for half of the consumable costs of wire cutting. With iGroove, wire consumption for wire cutting can be reduced by up to 30%. This means that manufacturers can make substantial savings in production costs. At the same time, iGroove achieves higher surface quality and improved geometrical accuracy.
