Going solo with wire erosion

Going solo with wire erosion

When Ronny Volland set up his own wire-cut EDM business by the name of Präzivo at the beginning of 2010, he pinned his faith on reliable and innovative technology from Mitsubishi Electric. A wire eroder by trade, he invested in an FA20-S Advance so that he could carry out mechanical engineering and tooling jobs for customers efficiently and to a high standard of quality. Ronny Volland has already achieved his initial goals. Präzivo’s founder is now looking further ahead.

Going it alone in January 2010 was the right step to take for wire eroder Ronny Volland. After the bankruptcy and repeated takeovers of his former employer, he saw better opportunities for himself by setting up Präzivo. “From the technical point of view, there were no problems in handling wire EDM jobs off my own bat. The real challenge was to complete the jobs quickly and cost-effectively.” Driven by the ambition to master this challenge, he single-mindedly pursues his goals.

Building on his experience of wire-cut EDM, Volland concentrates on precisely this activity and has supplemented Präzivo’s range of activities with start-hole drilling and glass-bead blasting. “We also handle the logistics, so all the customer has to do is receive the finished product,” says Ronny Volland describing Präzivo’s rounded and customer-oriented spectrum of services. The most important investment right at the beginning was, of course, in the wire-cutting machine which permits one-man operation as well as, depending on running time, two- or three-shift operation.

Multi-faceted range of parts with wire erosion from Mitsubishi Electric

Ronny Volland decided in favour of an FA20-S Advance wire-cut EDM machine from Mitsubishi Electric on the basis of his many years of positive experience with machines from this manufacturer. “I knew the current machine’s prede­ces­sors inside-out and was familiar with their dependability. The ques­tion of possible alternatives simply didn’t arise,” Volland recalls, highlighting the technological leap that Mitsubishi Electric made with its FA series. “First of all, operation is very straightforward. And, secondly, cutting speed has been noticeably increased.” Mitsubishi Electric has consistently pushed ahead with improvements in speed and cutting rate on the current FA20-S Advance.

With advanced wire-cutting technology, Ronny Volland has created the ideal conditions for the efficient machining of complicated parts. DCAM software helps him with programming. “If the customer supplies a complete set of data, the programming is quickly completed on the basis of the 3D model. The rest is handled by the machine,” Präzivo’s founder explains. The user-friendliness of the software and machine also enable Ronny Volland to respond to customer requests at short notice.

The demanded range of parts covers the entire spectrum of components that Präzivo is capable of machining with the FA20-S Advance: coining dies, parts for mechanical engineering and components for tool- and mouldmaking. The maximum dimensions of the workpiece can be 1050 x 800 x 300 mm, and the wire diameter of 0.1 to 0.3 mm permits even the finest cuts, while 5-axis machining also allows scope for more complex operations. However different the products are, they all have one thing in common, Volland stresses: “Each part that Präzivo produces is subject to the same standards of precision and quality.” On top of this, the owner and manager himself attaches importance to absolute punctuality. Getting components to his customers on time is an absolute must.

First of all, operation is very straightforward. And, secondly, cutting speed has been noticeably increased.

Ideal springboard for further growth

A good year down the road, Ronny Volland sees his decision to start his own business fully vindicated. “The first steps were a challenge, we’ve achieved all our targets and can now look ahead.” His plans, for instance, envisage leaving the rented shop and investing in a new building. One or two more wire eroding machines are also on the shopping list, given continuing growth. “If order levels continue to develop, Präzivo will grow on an appropriate scale and we shall continue to produce parts flexibly and to a high standard of quality.”

Interview