Calculate the cost of a wire-EDM part from its CAD model.
Wire EDM is priced from the cut length, the part thickness and the material, on the erosion machine class in your costing environment. ARCNM costs the erosion segment next to the machining that comes before it — setup and cycle time, the hour rate of your erosion machine, and a unit cost at every lot size — so a hardened die plate or a carbide insert is priced on the machine that will actually cut it.
At a glance
- Inputs
- STEP model with through-profiles or cutouts; drawing optional
- Machine classes
- wire EDM at the erosion class's hour rate in your environment
- Standards applied
- ISO 286 · DIN 8580
- DfM checks
- face not 3-axis reachable (advisory), sharp internal corner
- You get
- erosion time and cost per contour, unit cost per lot size, the erosion operation in the routing with its setup
What do you get for a wire-EDM part?
An erosion segment on the routing, priced next to the machining: the cut timed from its length, the thickness and the material — hardened tool steel, titanium and carbide erode slower than aluminium, and the price says so — at the hour rate of the erosion class in your fleet, with setup amortised over the lot. Your own machine's figures take over as soon as you enter them, and the unit cost lands on the lot-size curve like every other operation.
Wire EDM, laser, plasma or waterjet?
Wire EDM earns its place where the others cannot go: hardened steel and carbide after heat treatment, the tightest contour tolerances, no heat-affected zone. Laser wins on thin steel with many holes, plasma on thick mild steel, waterjet where heat or reflective materials rule the others out. Thickness and cut length drive all four — erosion simply costs more for every millimetre.
What drives wire-EDM cost?
- Thickness and cut length — erosion is slow, and every millimetre of both costs time.
- Material: hardened tool steel, titanium and carbide erode slower than aluminium, and the price follows.
- Surface finish and precision: the finer the finish and the tighter the contour, the longer the cut.
- Fixturing and setup, amortised over the lot; the machine-hour rate of the erosion class in your fleet.
Wire EDM against the cutting classes
| Wire EDM | Fibre laser | Waterjet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | µm-class, sharp internal corners limited only by wire radius | ±0.1 mm class, edge less square on thick sheet | ±0.1–0.2 mm, taper without dynamic head |
| Material state | any conductive material, hardened included | soft and hardened, thickness-limited | anything |
| Speed | slowest — thick, long contours take longest | fastest on thin sheet | slow |
| Typical use | punches, dies, gauges, hardened profiles | sheet parts | thick plate, heat-sensitive stock |
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
How much does wire EDM cost per hour?
The rate comes from your erosion machine's depreciation, utilisation and operator labour. ARCNM builds it from your fleet rather than a market average, and shows how many minutes the part needs at that rate.
Does the material change the wire-EDM price?
Yes. Hardened tool steel, titanium and carbide erode slower than aluminium, and ARCNM prices each at its own pace — a hardened die plate and an aluminium plate with the same contour cost differently.