Halesowen EDM and graphite specialist acquires engineering supplier

Wire specialist Erodex Group has acquired Toolmaker Supplies (TMS) in an effort to become a market leader for EDM wire, wear parts and consumables.

TMS was an independent supplier and stockist of Erodex but is now trading under the Erodex brand and operating from its headquarters in Halesowen.

Erodex says this 100% acquisition has made it the largest distributor of all brass and coated EDM (electrical discharge machining) wires in the UK as well as the largest distributor of wear parts for all EDM machine makes.

Sales employees from TMS have joined the Erodex team and will continue to support TMS’ customers with their EDM product requirements.

Director of Erodex, Steve Rolinson said: "Like Erodex, TMS had developed a strong reputation over many years for the quality of its service and breadth of product range servicing the EDM industry.

"This level of synergy with our core values ensured that acquiring the trade and assets of the company made complete sense and has ensured for a swift integration".

Working with manufacturers such as Bedra (Berkenhoff) as well as introducing next-generation coated wire products to the UK under exclusive agreements, have placed the company in a position to supply the UK with a comprehensive range of EDM products for any application.

In 2019, the firm launched the fasted EDM speed wire available in the UK, gapstar ONE and in 2020, Betterbrass, the world's fastest brass wire.

Back in November in an interview with Production Engineering Solutions, James Kirk, director of operations at Erodex discussed the company's £1.75 million programme of expansion for its aerospace market, supplying EDM graphite, graphite machining and tooling.

The programme focuses on improving the efficiency, aesthetics and workflow of the shop floor and driving down costs in existing programs through a ‘one operator, three machines’ philosophy of multitasking.

Acquiring new machinery for its aerospace market, it has seen the capacity at the site increase by 40% and it has secured a contract for a part that previously couldn't have been manufactured competitively, within the first two weeks of having the machine onsite.