Precision Wire EDM Services
Vico Manufacturing provides wire EDM services from our 42,000-square-foot facility in South Houston, Texas. Wire electrical discharge machining cuts profiles and internal features in conductive metals that standard tooling cannot reach.
When you need parts held to close tolerances in hardened or exotic alloys, our wire EDM machining gives you accuracy without cutting force or the heat distortion common to other processes.
With more than 40 years of manufacturing experience, our team treats wire EDM as one part of a fully in-house operation. Your job stays under one roof from quote to finished part, backed by the same shop that handles metal stamping, machining, and tool and die work for buyers across Houston and beyond.
What Is Wire EDM Machining?
Wire EDM, also called wire cut EDM, is a non-contact machining process. A thin electrically charged wire, usually brass or coated brass, passes through the workpiece while a dielectric fluid controls the spark and flushes away eroded material. Each spark removes a small amount of metal, so the wire never touches the part and applies no physical pressure.
Because material hardness has no effect on the cut, wire EDM cutting works on parts that are already heat-treated to their final hardness. This makes electrical discharge machining a practical option for hardened tool steel, carbide, titanium, and Inconel that would wear down or deflect conventional cutters.
Our Wire EDM Capabilities
Our wire EDM machining supports both single prototypes and repeatable production runs. Typical capabilities include:
- Standard tolerances around ±0.0002 inch, with control as tight as ±0.0001 inch on parts that call for it
- Workpieces up to roughly 8 inches thick
- Surface finishes in the range of 8 to 16 microinch Ra, refined further with additional skim passes
- Fine internal radii and sharp corners that a rotating cutter cannot produce
- Stacked cutting that runs several identical parts in one setup for consistent volume work
Skim passes let us tune the balance between speed and finish. A roughing pass quickly removes the bulk of material, and each finishing pass tightens the tolerance and smooths the surface. For parts where dimensional accuracy matters more than cycle time, wire EDM is the right call.
Materials We Cut With Wire EDM
We use wire EDM cutting on virtually any electrically conductive material, and the process maintains accuracy regardless of the metal’s hardness.
Common materials for our wire EDM work include:
- Tool steels, including D2, A2, S7, and other hardened grades
- Tungsten carbide and sintered materials
- Titanium and titanium alloys
- Inconel and nickel-based superalloys
- Stainless and alloy steels
- Aluminum, copper, and brass
If you are working with a specialty alloy or a material you do not see listed, send us the details on your print, and we will confirm whether it suits the process.
Industries We Serve
Vico Manufacturing supports buyers whose parts cannot afford variation. Our wire EDM services fit a range of demanding sectors:
- Aerospace: brackets and turbine components in titanium and Inconel, where material integrity and tolerance both matter
- Oil & Gas: downhole and valve components machined from hardened and corrosion-resistant alloys
- Medical: small, precise features in stainless steel and titanium
- Automotive & Transportation: dies, punches, and prototype components
- Precision Manufacturing & Tooling: stamping die details, gauges, and fixtures
Request a Wire EDM Quote
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Wire EDM Services
What is the difference between wire EDM and sinker EDM?
Wire EDM uses a continuously fed wire to cut all the way through a conductive part along a programmed path, which makes it ideal for profiles, contours, and through-features. Sinker EDM, by contrast, uses a shaped electrode to burn cavities and blind pockets that do not pass through the material. Many parts benefit from wire cut EDM specifically because the geometry extends the full thickness of the stock.
What files do you need to quote a wire EDM job?
A dimensioned drawing or a 2D or 3D CAD file is the fastest way for us to quote accurately. Common formats such as DXF, DWG, STEP, and IGES all work. If you only have a physical sample or a marked-up sketch, we can often work from that, too.
Can wire EDM cut non-conductive materials?
No. Electrical discharge machining relies on an electrical spark between the wire and the workpiece, so the material has to conduct electricity. Metals and some conductive composites work well. Plastics, ceramics, and glass are not suitable for the process.
Industries Served
Proudly Serving a Variety of Industries
VICO Manufacturing is dedicated to customers that come from a variety of industries, including automotive, oil field, food service, building construction, and manufacturing.
Dedication to Our Customers
We are able to serve the specific needs of our clients due to our experience and attention to detail. Our dedication to providing quality on-site and off-site services ensure our customers will get exactly what is needed.
- Fast Service
- Competitive Pricing
- Quality Workmanship
Some of Our Clients:
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