Wire EDM Cost Per Hour

Hourly rates in 2025-2026

Wire EDM shops in the US charge between $55 and $125 per hour. The range reflects machine capability, shop certification, and the complexity of the work. A basic two-axis wire cut on a Sodick VZ300L running 0.010" brass wire through 1" thick tool steel — $55-70/hour in the Midwest. A four-axis taper cut on a Mitsubishi MX2400 with 0.004" wire, holding ±0.0001" on a carbide punch — $100-125/hour.

But hourly rate alone doesn't tell you what a part costs. Wire EDM pricing is driven by cut time, and cut time is driven by three things: material thickness, cut length, and number of skim passes.

Cut rate economics

Wire EDM cuts by spark erosion, not mechanical contact. The wire (usually brass, 0.004"-0.012" diameter) travels vertically through the workpiece while electrical discharges erode the material. Cut speed depends on material thickness and conductivity.

Rough cut speeds for 0.010" brass wire in common materials:

These are rough cut speeds. Each skim pass adds 20-40% more time at progressively slower speeds. A standard 3-pass job (1 rough + 2 skim) takes roughly 1.8x the rough cut time. A 5-pass job for mirror finish takes 2.5-3x.

Wire consumption

Brass wire costs $6-12/lb depending on diameter and quantity. A typical machine consumes 15-25 lbs of wire per 24 hours of cutting. That's $90-300/day in wire alone. Coated wire (zinc-coated, diffusion-annealed) costs 30-50% more but cuts 15-25% faster in thick materials — often a net savings on long cuts.

Wire cost is rarely broken out on a customer quote — it's baked into the hourly rate. But it's worth understanding because it explains why shops resist running small jobs: the wire consumption for setup cuts and threading is the same whether you're cutting one part or fifty.

What makes wire EDM expensive

Thickness. Every additional inch of material thickness roughly halves the cut speed. A profile that takes 2 hours to cut through 1" of D2 takes 4+ hours through 3" of the same material. Thickness is the single biggest cost driver.

Skim passes. Each skim pass adds time. If the print calls for Ra 8μin surface finish, you need 4-5 passes. Standard Ra 32μin needs 2-3 passes. If finish doesn't matter and you just need the profile, one rough pass might be enough — but most shops default to at least one skim for dimensional accuracy.

Taper cuts. Angled cuts (die clearance, extrusion profiles) require UV axis control. The machine runs slower to maintain taper accuracy, and programming time increases. Taper adds 20-40% to cut time compared to the same profile at zero taper.

Start holes. Every internal cut starts with a threaded start hole. The machine either drills it with an integral hole popper (adds 30-120 seconds per hole) or you pre-drill the workpiece on a conventional machine. A die plate with 20 internal punch openings needs 20 start holes — that alone can be 30+ minutes of non-cutting time.

When wire EDM is the cheapest option

Wire EDM is often the only practical option for hardened materials. Cutting a profile in 62 HRC D2 tool steel after heat treat is routine on wire EDM and nearly impossible on a mill. For one-off tooling components — punches, dies, strippers, inserts — wire EDM is frequently cheaper than milling soft, heat treating, then grinding to final dimensions.

The break-even versus milling depends on material hardness, geometry complexity, and quantity. For profiles in hardened steel at quantities under 50, wire EDM almost always wins. Above 500 pieces, dedicated milling with custom tooling usually takes over.