Page 44 - Summer 2024 EDM Today

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EDM PIONEER

Ron Vogel

Entrepreneur, Businessman, and Visionary

Ron Vogel is one of the most respected names in the EDM industry.
His career is marked by experience in virtually every area of EDM,
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spanning every industry. As the founder and President of EDM
Network, Ron has used his industry knowledge to help his customers

find solutions to their most challenging applications.
Aside from Ron’s business acumen, his vision and imagination set
him apart from many in the industry. Ron has always been able to
see opportunities and solutions, bringing value to his customers,
principals, and employees. Ron’s career path is incredibly interesting.
EDM Today is proud to share it with you.

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Ron Vogel was born and raised in South Minneapolis,
and a patented conical tapering system. The show
was not the success that Andrew had hoped for. Ron
Minnesota. His father worked for Rahr Malting, a supplier
recounts that the Optical Tracing control was not a good
to breweries and distilleries. Ron’s parents were of the
typical lower middle class. Neither went to college, but

fit for Wire EDM, but these were the very early days; it
they were very encouraging to Ron and his two broth-
was a start.
ers to attend college. Fortunately, Rarh Malting offered
By February 1978, he learned that Andrew Engineering’s
generous scholarships for their employees’ children
owner was negotiating to sell the company. After some
that allowed all three boys to attend and graduate with
serious soul-searching, Ron believed his future at Andrew
college degrees.
Ron’s connection to EDM began during his last year at
In August of 1978, Ron began selling Japax machines.
Central High School. His drafting teacher worked part- was limited and decided to move on.
To facilitate selling the machines, Ron purchased a
time at Andrew Engineering. As graduation approached,
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new Japax model L450 along with Japt2 programming
the teacher told the class that Andrew had a part-time
system. In addition to using the machine to perform
position available during the summer and could last
demonstration cuts, Ron opened an EDM job shop to
during college. The class president did not want to work
help cover expenses. During this time, Ron’s knowledge
while in school. Ron was second in line and was select-
and experience in EDM expanded. He learned how to run
ed. He instantly went from earning $0.85 per hour at the
and program a Wire EDM. Later, he added a Sinker EDM
grocery store to $1.50 per hour at Andrew Engineering.
and then an EDM drill. Ron focused his attention on sell-
ing Japax machines and performing demonstration cuts.
Ron started at Andrew in 1965, doing really whatever
was needed. Andrew was building their Linemaster Op-
in the shop. During this time, Ron honed his skills as a
tical Tracer for milling machine applications. Ron spent
machine tool salesman.
time building wiring harnesses and performing simple Two of his friends he worked with at Andrew ran the jobs
machining jobs. After graduating from the University
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In 1986, things changed a bit. Mitsui became the Japax
of Minnesota, Ron stayed on at Andrew as a full-time
importer. Mitsui was impressed with Ron and offered
employee and became involved in developing their Wire
him the job of Japax Product Manager, handling sales
EDM. His role had expanded to include purchasing and
responsibilities throughout the United States. Ron sold
various tasks in the shop, and eventually, he was promot-
his interest in the EDM job shop and focused all of his
ed to Manufacturing Manager.
energies on his greatly expanded sales role. Things
changed again in 1992 when Sodick acquired Japax in
Ron recalls that Andrew decided to use the same Optical
Japan. By agreement, Ron stayed on for six months to
Tracer control developed for the mills as a Wire EDM

controller. In 1972, the first Andrew Engineering Wire
EDM machine was built. Andrew showed the machine at
At the conclusion of the six-month agreement, Ron had
the IMTS show held at Chicago’s Navy Pier in 1972. The

a significant decision to make—what to do next. He was
Andrew machine was called the Andrew Linemaster help transition sales to the Sodick team.
aware of a growing trend where customers increasingly
EDM Today Magazine EDM Today Magazine EDM Today, Summer 2024 Issue
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Travelling Wire EDM Model 123. It had 12” x 12” travel
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