Machining advice 1

[LuckyJim]

Hello, I am new to this forum. Does anyone know of a good online resource for machine tool advice. I am designing a component to be machined from aluminium but it will require some delicate features at considerable depth (up to 10 x diameter of cutter). I would like to find out what's reasonably achievable before I progress too far....


Any ideas?

 

[desertfox]

hi LuckyJim

Start off here and look at the links also at the bottom left, they may help:-

http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Manufacturing/Manufacturing_Index.html

desertfox

 

[desertfox]

hi Again

I should of added, if you have manufacturing centre on site I would make a sketch and go and talk to someone either a machinist or a manufacturing engineer, failing that phone up a local machining company they are usually quite willing to help.

desertfox

 

[handleman]

You might also try forum281. There's a lot of machining people there.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

 

[drawoh]

LuckyJim,

Talk to the people who will be fabricating it.

Here is a good article by Joe Osborne: Tips on Designing Cost Effective Machined Parts.

JHG

 

[desertfox]

hi LuckyJim

Anyone posting information should see this post too:-

thread281-267076

 

[KENAT]

thread1103-197339 had a link to a pretty good site.

However, for your 10X depth, I'd want to speak to an actual machine shop.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[TheTick]

Can it be done with EDM?

 

[dicer]

Machining is for machinist not the designer. Ask a machinist if it can be done like you wish, work with him.

 

[loughnane]

Delicate features at considerable depth?

I imagine you are choosing aluminum over steel because of it's machinability. However, if you are willing to go to a steel and if this is a one-off or few-off, DMLS might be the way to go.

The costs seem to run about 2x-3x that of an SLA, but for something with alot of fine detail, it might be cheaper than machining.

Chris Loughnane - Product Design

http://www.pdnotebook.com

http://www.twitter.com/DesignNotebook