GF AgieCharmilles CUT C 350

Both machines offer 350 x 250 mm X/Y travel and ±0.001 mm positioning accuracy. The Sodick AG40L uses linear motor drives on all four axes, providing theoretically superior long-term accuracy stability and zero backlash. The CUT C 350 uses ball screws with thermal compensation. In practice, both machines perform well in typical toolmaking environments. The AG40L commands a premium for the linear motor architecture; the CUT C 350 is competitive on price and benefits from GF's Tecform automatic setup system and broader global service network in some regions.

The CUT C 350 achieves ±30° taper per 100 mm of workpiece height, which is a class-leading taper range for a 350 mm travel machine. This enables complex die clearance angles — including progressive die punch reliefs, blanking die taper, and compound-angle cavity features — to be cut in a single setup without fixture rotation. Taper angles above ±30° require special fixturing and are outside the machine's standard specification.

Tecform is GF AgieCharmilles' automatic job setup assistant integrated into the AC CUT Pro HMI. The operator inputs the workpiece material, workpiece height, required surface finish (Ra), and the wire diameter in use. Tecform then automatically selects the cutting conditions — generator settings, wire speed, flushing pressure, servo parameters — for the rough cut and the optimal number and parameters of skim passes to reach the specified finish. This eliminates the need to manually interpret technology tables and dramatically reduces setup time for routine jobs.

Yes. The CUT C 350's automatic wire threading with in-cut re-threading capability, combined with GF's wire break detection and automatic recovery system, supports overnight unattended operation. Most shops pre-program the full job sequence including re-threading parameters, then start the machine before leaving. Wire break recovery typically resumes cutting within 2-3 minutes without operator intervention. The machine also monitors dielectric level and temperature, alarming on conditions that require attention before they damage the workpiece.

Primary consumables are wire (standard 0.25 mm brass wire or specialty wire for fine-finish work), deionization resin cartridges for the dielectric water system, and paper or membrane filters for the dielectric filtration system. Wire consumption varies with cutting speed and workpiece height, typically 8-15 meters per hour at production speeds. Resin cartridges are replaced based on water resistivity monitoring — the HMI alerts when resistivity falls below the setpoint. Filter replacement frequency depends on workpiece material and metal removal rate.