Excetek NP500L Plus

Sitting in the middle of Excetek's linear motor wire EDM range, the NP500L Plus cuts inside a 500 x 300 mm (19.7 x 11.8 in) X/Y stroke with 310 mm (12.2 in) of Z. It is a submerged machine. The listed maximum workpiece is 850 x 550 x 300 mm (33.5 x 21.7 x 11.8 in) at up to 600 kg (1,323 lb).

Compared with the NP400L Plus, the extra capacity is in two directions only. X is longer and the part can stand 300 mm (11.8 in) tall where the NP400L Plus stops at 215 mm (8.5 in). Y travel, the 120 x 120 mm (4.7 x 4.7 in) U/V stroke and the ±30° over 100 mm (3.9 in) taper figure do not change. A shop choosing between them is really deciding whether its parts are long or tall enough to need the bigger tank, because the footprint goes from 2,260 x 2,525 mm on the NP400L Plus to 2,590 x 2,575 mm here.

The axis drive is the reason to look at the NP series at all. Excetek lists the X and Y axes as linear motor driven and the U, V and Z axes as AC servo driven, and states a 0.1 μm high-resolution digital ruler for position feedback. Its description of the motor system stresses water circulation to hold temperature, since heat from a linear motor would otherwise show up as error in the part.

On the process side, the feature list names Smart Corner Control, a DPM module and an Electrolysis Free (EF) generator system. Wire threading is automatic and standard, with a water jet function that Excetek says threads workpieces up to 500 mm. The machine weighs 3,350 kg (7,385 lb) and carries a 750 L dielectric tank with two paper filters, an automatic deionizer and an automatic chiller.