Wire EDM and waterjet are both cold-ish ways to cut a profile, and both leave hardened material hard. They suit very different parts, and Part Engineering runs both in the same Osborne Park workshop, so we can put each job on the machine that fits it.
How each one cuts
Wire EDM (electrical discharge machining) passes a thin brass wire through the part under water and erodes the metal with thousands of tiny sparks. The wire never touches the part. It only cuts material that conducts electricity, and an internal profile needs a start hole.
Abrasive waterjet erodes the material with water at around 60,000 psi carrying garnet. It cuts almost anything and pierces its own start holes.
Where wire EDM wins
- Very fine accuracy and finish. Wire EDM holds tighter tolerances and smoother walls than a waterjet, which is why it cuts punch and die sets, gear forms, and precision inserts.
- Very small inside corners. The wire is thin, so internal radii can be much smaller.
- Hardened tool steel and carbide. Hardness makes no difference to the spark, so parts can be cut after heat treatment.
- Tapers and 5-axis forms. Our EDM has a 5-axis cutting head with 60° capacity and XYZ-UV travel of 550 × 370 × 310 mm.
Where waterjet wins
- Size. Our waterjet's programmed travel is 4064 × 2032 mm. Full sheets and long parts that would never fit in an EDM tank go on the waterjet.
- Speed and cost. Waterjet cuts many times faster, so it is far cheaper per part on most profiles.
- Any material. Wire EDM needs a conductive metal. Waterjet also cuts stone, glass, rubber, plastics, and composites.
- Thick, rough-to-medium tolerance profiles. Brackets, plates, flanges, and wear parts rarely need EDM accuracy.
Using both on one part
A common route is to waterjet the outline and rough the inside close to size, then finish the critical features on the wire EDM. The waterjet removes most of the material quickly and cheaply, and the EDM only cuts what needs its accuracy. Because both machines are in the same building, the part does not travel between suppliers.
A quick way to decide
- Tooling, dies, fine features, very tight tolerance, hardened steel: wire EDM.
- Plate profiles, large parts, quantity, or non-metal materials: waterjet.
- Large part with a few precise features: waterjet, then EDM.
Send the drawing through the quote page and we will say which machine it goes on. See CNC machining and EDM and the waterjet service.