I guess they could media blast them and polish it up for a nice pretty finish, but I'm sure the surface wouldn't be to NASA's tolerance. Hey how about that rotary indexing spindle, I like how it can rotate one tool to multiple cutters without actually changing the tool, and it pivits like a 5-axis neat!
I wonder what the cost difference would be if they decided to do it that way? I think the material loss, machine time and tool life would be greatly effected if they were to machine those two extrusions from a solid billet, esp if they had to make a few hundred thousand. So I guess you'd have to ask yourself is the surface finish really the important factor?
I guess they could media blast them and polish it up for a nice pretty finish, but I'm sure the surface wouldn't be to NASA's tolerance. Hey how about that rotary indexing spindle, I like how it can rotate one tool to multiple cutters without actually changing the tool, and it pivits like a 5-axis neat!
haxforcandy 2 years ago
spot on!, the demo in this video shows a cost-effective mass production job, not super precise, clean, shiny NASA grade stuff!.
Although the addition of coolant would make the cast alloy surface finish better too.
Aussie50 2 years ago
I wonder what the cost difference would be if they decided to do it that way? I think the material loss, machine time and tool life would be greatly effected if they were to machine those two extrusions from a solid billet, esp if they had to make a few hundred thousand. So I guess you'd have to ask yourself is the surface finish really the important factor?
haxforcandy 2 years ago
Great machine and tooling!, wish I had that in my old foundry job!
I imagine the surface finish would be better if they were extruded alloy, not sand cast.
I spent a few years running machine centers in a foundry doing castings like those (pipe fittings) and surface finish was always a bugger!
Aussie50 2 years ago