Now That’s a CNC Machine

We’ve been hearing for a few years now about the massive CNC machine over at Phoenix Technology Works, but until we actually saw a picture, we honestly did not have a true image of just how big it was. It’s one thing to read that the CMS Poseidon Moving Bridge is housed in a 10,000 square foot building and is capable of machining parts up to 65 feet long, 20 feet wide and 10 feet tall without indexing. It’s another thing entirely to see a flatbed truck parked comfortably between the gantry pillars.

Phoenix’s Poseidon is certified for accuracy to within +/- .004 in., ideal for the exacting standards of their typical projects, which include large composite layup tools, milled patterns, molds, and many other tooling applications for aerospace, marine and transportation. The accuracy that Phoenix strives for is reflected in one of their favorite materials to work with, Precision Board Plus. “We particularly like how nicely Precision Board Plus machines, including the fact that it does not chip out. The guys in the shop like the small cell size, which has cut our finishing time in half”, says Production Manager Dan Welch.

Phoenix has extensive experience with Precision Board Plus, having machined every density from PBLT-4 to PBLT-40. According to Dan, they prefer to bond all their substructures to a rigid frame. “We rough to 0.100 of the finish, semi-finish to 0.040, and then run a finish pass at net”.

Located in Phoenix Arizona, Phoenix Technology Works has the engineering horsepower to “clean Sheet plan” your next project or they can take your current files and perform an FEA or CFD study. Check out their website at phoenixtechnologyworks.com.

Did You Know?

In addition to manufacturing blocks and sheets of Precision Board Plus in 13 standard densities and in any thickness from 1/4″ to 24″, Coastal Enterprises also makes custom bonded rough tooling blocks, ready to machine. We’re experts at bonding Precision Board Plus.

Simply provide us with the rough dimensions or a drawing of your tool and we’ll bond up a custom rough tooling block in a manner that conserves material and minimizes waste. Buy only the material you need and keep your staff focused on what they do best, machining! Learn more about our custom bonding service, request a quote on your bonding job, or give us a call at (800) 845-0745.

Family-Themed Cruise Line Debut’s New Water Slide

 

Who do you call if you’re a discerning family-themed cruise line looking to build a state of the art water slide featuring a signature element from one of your most beloved and iconic characters? The answer is FormaShape 3D Architectural Design Solutions of British Columbia. The design called for a giant replica of the white-gloved hand from everyone’s favorite cartoon mouse supporting the main structure of the slide. Patrons had to immediately recognize the hand, so every detail of the larger-than-life appendage became important, right down to the fingers, 3 of them, and thumb…..good trivia question!

Finished Precision Board Plus plug showing bonded segments used to construct the machining block

Because of its strength, rigidity and ease of machining, FormaShape chose to machine the FRP tooling plug from Precision Board Plus (both PBLT-4 and PBLT-8). Once the CAD design was approved by the client, the toolpath was fed into their 5-axis CNC router to machine the segmented plugs that made up the hand. According to Sean Conneely, Custom Fabrication Manager at FormaShape, new systems were developed for both the segmented plug and moulding techniques used on this project. In addition, special fabrication techniques had to be developed for both the plug and moulded parts. The precise Open Moulded process used by FormaShape ensures that the final FRP panels that make up the finished hand are within +/- 1mm of the Precision Board Plus machined plug!

Precision OM process used to manufacture the FRP segments that make up the hand

 

Having designed, engineered and manufactured the entire slide, the job of installation naturally fell to FormaShape – Whitewater West Industries. Check out their websites at www.formashape.com and www.whitewaterwest.com for more examples of their work.

FormaShape attaching the slide flume to the supporting hand

 

Did you know Coastal Enterprises makes support fixtures?

Coastal Enterprises will fabricate a support fixture for any Precision Board Plus tool. This support tool can be used for tool transport, CNC machining, lay up of composite laminate, oven/autoclave curing, final inspection, and every other process procedure. Support structures are designed with all-direction casters, leveling jacks, and tool hold down attachments that can be tightened during machining, etc. and loosened during oven/autoclave cycling. The custom hold down attachment allows independent movement between the tooling block and the support fixture.

Call us at (800) 845-0745 for more information or send us drawing of your tool.

Speeds and Feeds

One of the more frequent inquiries we receive at Coastal Enterprises involves questions about machining Precision Board Plus HDU. For those that are experienced in working with the product, we typically hear things like, “this stuff cuts like butter” ,“my cutters last longer”, “I can set my CNC to a higher feed rate” or our favorite, “I get more chips and less dust”. Of course we remind these customers that these performance factors are the result of Precision Board Plus HDU being a non-abrasive cellular product that has no grain.

But if you’ve never used the product, you may want to know “what type of cutter works best” and “where do I start with my speed and feed settings”? First of all, a wide variety of HSS cutters commonly used for wood and plastics work very well for machining Precision Board Plus HDU, and a wide range of settings will produce great results.

 

Initial Setup

As a starting point, consider the testing done by cutter manufacturer Onsrud on various densities of Precision Board Plus HDU. Using a carbide double-edge upcut spiral 0.125” cutter with PBLT-18 (18lb. density), best results were achieved with an RPM of 14,000, a feed rate of 200 IPM, at a depth of 1” per pass. Similarly good results were achieved using a carbide double-edge upcut 0.25” cutter spinning at 18,000 RPM, with a feed rate of 75 IPM at a depth of 1.5” per pass. Both settings produced a smooth surface finish.

Keep in mind that while this data was generated with carbide cutters, HSS cutters also perform very well due to the non-abrasive nature of Precision Board Plus HDU. Adam Prentiss of Lormac Plastics has extensive experience machining Precision Board Plus HDU, particularly PBLT-30 and  PBLT-40. He finds dialing in the right speed and feed very easy with both HSS and carbide cutters.

Here are settings used by Onsrud that produced the best results across a range of Precision Board Plus densities. These and other data for machine settings for a variety of materials can be found at www.plasticrouting.com

Typical Precision Board Plus CNC Settings

 

Chip Load

Remember it’s always a good idea to optimize your chip load by setting your feed rate and cutter speed to yield the largest chip that produces the desired surface finish. While Precision Board Plus HDU does not conduct heat and is non-abrasive, this will ensure that heat is carried away from the cutter, prolonging tool life. Onsrud reminds us of this useful formula:

Chip Load = Feed rate/ RPM x # of flutes

To increase chip load: 

  • Increase feed rate
  • Decrease RPM
  • Use a cutter with fewer flutes

To decrease chip load: 

  • Decrease feed rate
  • Increase RPM
  • Use a cutter with more flutes

With a little experimentation you’ll become an expert at machining Precision Board Plus in no time. Proper cutter selection and machine setup will produce a smooth cut, leaving chips that fall to the ground and do not become airborne. And because we’ve added an anti-static agent to Precision Board Plus, chips will not cling to your work or your equipment.

Did You Know?

Precision Board Plus Precision Board Plus does not out-gas during the autoclave curing process, so it’s ideal for prepreg layup tools and mold patterns (see autoclave ramping procedures). To learn more about the capabilities of Precision Board Plus, view or download our product data sheets.

Need help with a quote? Click here or call us at 800-845-0745

Some Assembly Required

Dan Sawatzky’s Triangle Contracting Co. Sign Takes First Place!

Dan Sawatzky’s excavator is an excellent example of planning out a yield strategy and using PB Bond-240 urethane adhesive to put it all together. Working from a sheet of 1” thick PBLT-30 Precision Board Plus, Dan relies on his CNC router to cut the individual pieces to be laminated.

Sandwiching steel tubing for added structural support between the layers of Precision Board Plus, Dan assembles the pieces of the excavator using PB Bond-240. Note the use of coarse threaded screws and clamps to keep it all stationary during cure and to minimize bond lines.

 

And after plenty of careful attention is paid to final sculpting and finishing, the Sawatzky Imagination Corporation delivers another amazing award winning sign. This one took first place in Sign Media Canada’s Stand Alone Sign category. To see more details of how this entire project came together, go to Dan’s Speaking From Experience Blog.

Does your project require a higher density of Precision Board Plus that your distributor doesn’t stock? No problem. Your distributor doesn’t want to miss a sale and neither do we. We keep all Precision Board Plus densities in stock (see below) and, working with your distributor, will gladly drop-ship directly to you. Click here for help with your quote or call us with any questions at 800-845-0745.

Even the Art is Big In Texas: The Aggie Ring

A 3D laser scanner that is accurate to 1/100th of an inch and a 3 axis CNC mill capable of sculpting an 8 inch thick 4’x 8’ block of material are not the typical tools you find in an art studio. But then this is no ordinary art studio. It’s Blue Genie Art Industries of Austin Texas and they are the fabricators of the model that was used to cast this 12 foot high bronze replica of the coveted Aggie ring that now adorns the entry of the newly refurbished Alumni Center at Texas A&M University in College Station Texas.

Each element of the highly symbolic ring was reproduced in great detail by the artisans of Blue Genie. Using a digital model supplied by ring maker Balfour, they were able to “scale up” the rendering to the massive dimensions of the project, maintaining all of the fine detail of an actual ring. With the help of , “toolpaths” were created for their milling machine to follow. Using 8lb Precision Board Plus (PBLT-8), sections of the ring were milled with every intricate detail of this Aggie icon. The sections were then assembled and bonded to a custom eight foot diameter steel-fabricated armature to create the model.

According to Kevin Collins, one of Blue Genie’s Principles, “This was a challenging project for Blue Genie, requiring the right combination of artistry, technology and materials. Using PBLT-8 Precision Board Plus was an integral and sound decision in holding the details of the class ring, and a great choice for CNC milling, sanding and finishing to a mold ready surface for the bronze foundry process.”

The project was then turned over to Deep in the Art Foundry of Bastrop, Texas to take the molds and perform the bronze casting and fabrication of the 6500lb replica of Aggie pride. According to Clint Howard, Deep in the Art’s President, “compared to other big projects we’ve done, this is technically the most challenging piece when it comes to surface finish”. Although the ring was cast in sections and then welded together, all the effort put into grinding and polishing makes it appear that the giant ring was cast as one solid piece. After all, the larger than life example had to live up to the symbols of integrity, achievement, power and valor, which are just a few of the many traits the ring has come to represent to Aggie alumni.

As an inspirational gesture, a time capsule was fabricated into the bezel of the ring, which will be opened by alumni in 50 years. For more on the Haynes Ring project and the Aggie tradition, see the video A Ring for All Aggies.

Did You Know?

Precision Board Plus is non-abrasive and can be machined and cut with HSS cutters, or any standard cutting tool. In addition, Precision Board Plus does not out-gas during the curing process, so it’s ideal for prepreg layup tools and mold patterns (see autoclave ramping procedures). To learn more about the capabilities of Precision Board Plus, view or download our product data sheets.

Need help with a quote? Click here or call us at 800-845-0745