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Interview with Philippe Descaillot, Managing Director of THERMOCOMPACT SA

Truly wiring innovationSpeed and cut precision are two buzzwords in precision mechanics,

as they help improve productivity and put the final products on a new level. Electro discharge machining (EDM) is the preferred process in this context, using a special high-technology wire which is likely to come from a manufacturer like THERMOCOM-PACT SA. The company is the world leader in the production and supply of EDM wires, distributing its products worldwide to more than 50 countries. EDM wires, precious metal-coated and

diamond wires are the three fields which give THERMOCOMPACT the opportunities to conquer the market with innovative solutions

and superior quality materials.

“Innovation is key in our market.

However, acting on today’s global

market, the process of coming up

with new ideas and turning them

into new products must be execut-

ed as a joint effort by the research

team, customers and suppliers,”

points out Managing Director

Philippe Descaillot, who is well

aware that the future of the com-

pany is closely intertwined with its

ability to put forward innovation

and thus conquer the future.

THERMOCOMPACT may be a

company that dates back to 1913,

but it focuses on its innovative

spirit that has prevailed throughout

the decades. However, its begin-

ning was a far cry from the high-

tech solutions in precious metals

coating and high-tech wires for

EDM applications that the com-

pany delivers today. Little more

than 100 years ago, in 1913, the

company started operations un-

der the name Laminor. The initial

focus was on the production of

watch bracelets before it changed

its name to THERMOCOMPACT

in 1973. Since that time THER-

MOCOMPACT has been present

in the EDM wire market. In 1995,

it was acquired by the two busi-

ness partners Gilles Mollard and

Jean-Claude Cornier, and today,

THERMOCOMPACT is part of

Thermo-Technologies Group,

which is in the hands of the Mol-

lard and Cornier families. Applying

its founding values of expertise,

excellence and innovation, THER-

MOCOMPACT exports about 98%

of its production to the global mar-

ket, serving customers in Europe,

Asia and the USA.

“We have not rested on our laurels

or on the 17 product and process

world patents which we have

had registered in our company’s

name,” stresses Mr. Descaillot.

“Instead, we have very much fo-

cused our strategy on R&D and in-

novation, which is a guarantee for

continued success. A portfolio of

relevant patents, which undergoes

continuous renewal, is a key as-

pect of our leadership approach.”

About 6% of the annual turnover

of 30 million EUR is reinvested into

R&D, which boasts a highly quali-

fied team of six Ph.D engineers

THERMOCOMPACT regularly presents solutions for precious metal coatings, wire production for EDM applications and diamond-coated wires at major international fairs

The company’s EDM wires are continu-ously adapted to keep pace with the performance needs of its customers

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THERMOCOMPACT SA181 Route des Sarves Z.I. “Les Iles” 74371 Pringy France

+33 450 272002 +33 450 271737

edm-wires@thermocompact.com www.thermocompact.com

who take on external partnerships.

“Right now, we are closely involved

in a major project concentrating on

the development of diamond wires

for applications for cutting silicon,

as used in the electronics and

photovoltaic markets,” explains

Mr. Descaillot. “And so far we have

had positive feedback from our

customers. You can see this as a

kind of start-up activity, as we are

just at the beginning of developing

this segment within our portfolio.”

THERMOCOMPACT serves in-

dustrial customers in the fields

of automotive, aeronautics, con-

nectors, medical and precision

cutting. Among its customers are

manufacturers for special ma-

chinery, including GFMS (Georg

Fischer Machining Solutions), as

well as independent distributors

worldwide. The company’s electro

discharge machining technology

is also applied in the production of

moulds for plastics components,

for example for telephone casings,

for components in car manufactur-

ing or for cutting tools. Even tools

for working with fine wire in watch-

making is an area THERMOCOM-

PACT’s products cover. “We are

aware of the broad range of appli-

cations. However, each application

has its own challenges,” points

out Mr. Descaillot. “Our strong

focus on R&D enables us to offer

our international clientele a new

generation of electrode wires – the

Gamma and Beta-Gamma lines –

which boast better performance

and meet our customers’ current

requirements. These products

generate about 80% of our turno-

ver right now,” adds Mr. Descaillot.

THERMOCOMPACT has initiated

various special projects with cus-

tomers, such as GFMS (Georg Fis-

cher Machining Solutions). “It is all

about increasing the performance

of electro discharge machining.

Here, we have to define exact

parameters in order to control the

fine cuts of the machine and to

gain maximum performance. This

is a task which can only be tackled

in cooperation with the customer

to offer a combination of machine

and wire,” stresses Mr. Descaillot.

In addition, the company is in-

volved in special projects with the

aeronautics industry. “A problem

with electro discharge machining

might be the deposition of metal

on the wire, which leaves sediment

on the component. This is a prob-

lem that is hard to solve, and we

are committed to finding a solution

that prevents any wire particles

from sedimenting on the compo-

nent. This is one of our ambitious

projects,” says Mr. Descaillot.

High quality standards in sourc-

ing, production and delivery rank

highly on the company’s agenda.

As the quality of its raw materials

is essential, THERMOCOMPACT

has built up a close network of

European suppliers, which deliver

materials of great purity. “This ena-

bles us to produce superior quali-

tys. What’s more, our closeness to

suppliers guarantees retraceability

at any stage, another factor in safe-

guarding quality standards,” says

Mr. Descaillot. “In the near future,

we will continue to create a unique

bond with suppliers, customers

and research institutions and keep

on creating solutions that boost

performance and quality in various

key industries.” ❙

The company is the world leader in EDM wires and distributes its prod-ucts to more than 50 countries

At its in-house lab, THERMOCOMPACT’s R&D team works on the de-velopment of EDM gamma and beta wires and diamond wires, which are used in silicon applications, soft to hard crystals and sapphire amongst others