Wire EDM (electrical discharge machining, or wire cutting) is a precision machining process that cuts metal with no mechanical contact and no cutting force. It produces complex shapes, sharp corners and tight tolerances, even on very hard materials. Here is how it works, the wire types we master and its main applications.

The principle: cutting metal with sparks

Unlike turning or milling, wire EDM does not remove material with a cutting tool. It uses a series of electrical discharges (sparks) between a conductive wire and the workpiece, both immersed in a dielectric (deionised water).

In practice:

1. A thin metal wire (often 0.25 mm in diameter, sometimes much less) runs continuously between two guides.
2. An electrical voltage creates micro-sparks that locally melt and vaporise the metal.
3. The dielectric flushes away the particles and cools the cutting zone.
4. The part (or the wire) moves along the programmed path: the wire “cuts” the required shape, like a cheese wire but at micron scale.

Because there is no mechanical force, thin, fragile or already heat-treated parts can be machined without distortion.

Why choose wire EDM?

• Hard materials: it machines all conductive metals, including hardened steels, carbide, titanium and stainless steel — regardless of hardness.
• Precision and surface finish: tolerances of a few microns and sharp corners that milling cannot achieve.
• Complex shapes: internal contours, tapered profiles, small radii.
• No distortion: ideal for thin or sensitive parts.

The wires we master

The wire choice directly affects cutting speed, surface finish and part cleanliness. At LIP Industrie Précision we work with a wide range of wires and always select the one best suited to your material, the target precision and your cleanliness requirements. Here are a few representative examples of that versatility:

Brass wire (standard)

Brass wire is the reference for most jobs: a good balance between cutting speed and cost. It suits most steels and everyday applications.

100% copper, zinc-free wire (no deposit)

For contamination-sensitive applications we use a 100% copper, zinc-free wire. The absence of zinc prevents any deposit on the part — a critical point for medical, space or any part requiring metallurgical cleanliness.

Molybdenum (Moly) wire

Molybdenum wire offers very high tensile strength and allows very fine diameters. It is valuable for micro-cutting and the most delicate details. It is also a go-to choice when brass or zinc deposits are a problem: free of these metals, it prevents any contamination of the part — a decisive advantage for applications where metallurgical cleanliness is critical.

Beyond these examples, we stock and run many other wire types (coated, zinc-coated, high-speed, various diameters…) depending on each part’s requirements. This diversity is at the heart of our adaptability: rather than forcing a single wire, we fit the tool to your specification.

Our wire EDM equipment

We operate two wire-cutting machines from +GF+ (AgieCharmilles) — a world reference in EDM, now part of the United Grinding / United Machining group:

• a Cut F 350 (machine page),
• a Cut E 600 (machine page).

The links above point to the AgieCharmilles machine pages. We will soon publish dedicated articles detailing the capabilities of each of our machines.

We complement this with a sinker EDM machine (ram EDM) for blind cavities and impressions. Together, these resources cover a wide range of parts, from single units to medium runs.

Typical applications

• Dies, punches and cutting tools.
• Connector and micro-mechanical parts.
• Components for medical, space, aerospace and defence.
• Prototypes and single parts in hard materials.

In summary

Wire EDM is the process of choice whenever you need to machine a hard material with high precision or obtain shapes that no cutting tool can produce. The wire choice (brass, zinc-free copper, molybdenum) depends on the part, the precision and the cleanliness requirements.

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Do you have a part to cut by wire EDM? Discover our machining capabilities and technical resources on lip-industrie.com, then get in touch for a quote — “The guarantee of a precise response”.