Hello Everyone. Im not sure if this is in the right forum please move if needed
I need advice on what type of machine and software I would need. Currently we have a Pratt and Whitney Velvetrace machine. It Is great for what we need to do with it. We can not find any to service it anymore so Im looking to see if anything new could help us
here is what we do. We squeeze a lead into a die to get 3d impression and then use the velvetrace to transfer that onto 01 steel to make hubs or forcers. we use 1/4" end mill to rough out image then use .090" and .070" cutters to get more detail out. After that we use nitric acid (to etch)and a press to squeeze the soft steel into the die to get all the detail up and then harden it.
please see pictures
would a small cnc machine with scanner or probe help?
Thank you , Mike
Thread: Would a CNC help me?
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10-08-2010, 12:28 PM #1
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Would a CNC help me?
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10-08-2010, 03:41 PM #2
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Would a sinker EDM be of any value in the process?
If it is a female mould that you are looking for?
Al.CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
Albert E.
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10-08-2010, 04:26 PM #3
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Hi Al , What I need to make is the male (hub or forcer) as shown in the bottom 4 pictures. we do have sinker edms which we use to make dies.
Thanks
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10-08-2010, 06:37 PM #4
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A CNC would help if you can get the CAD drawing into a software you can use and also have a CAM software to create the machine code. I do not know what your smallest diameter of ball mill would be but I am guessing around 1/16th. You can easily get some nice carbide or even HSS ball mills to cut the detail.
What is your time line making one now? If you have a CNC you have to think about drafting and editing time, cuttting time, etc. Smaller endmills rack up the cutting time for detail.
If you are computer savvy and can pick up things quickly your biggest hit would be time initially (aside from investment in software and CNC system).
If you do not have the CAD drawings and produce it from a sculpture you would need to invest in a laser scanner to create a 'cloud of points' model to ingest into your CAD software so you could create machine code from it. A good scanner will set you back several thousand dollars. You will also need a processing software with it. Expect to pay $$$ for that.
This is only an example, there are many out there NextEngine 3D Scanner HD
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