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How would you make these? - OR - RFR don't know what they be doing.

Matt@RFR

Titanium
Joined
May 26, 2004
Location
Paradise, Ca
These are out of my experience zone (the odd angles), and bigger than we usually work with. Equipment available is a CAT40 4 axis Haas VF-2ss. Both parts are 6061. 3D machining is approved for both parts, in any configuration.

Minimum profile radius size for both parts is R.47. Quantities are 40 and 100 with projected monthly usage of about 200 or so.

Alternatively, if any of you high quality shops want to quote, have at it. Seems like a 5 axis might be a good fit, but I don't know nothing 'bout them critters. matt (at) rfrcustomfab (dot) com for models.

MM-P0101.jpg

MM-P0102.jpg
 
The first one, I would say get me a print that rotates the part the right way. But at a glance to me the simplest way would be to run the first one on a Y Axis lathe, part it off of Datum A. The second one is a 4+1 axis Mill part IMO.

R
 
The 1st part - The one that looks like an angle bracket...

Does it begin from a solid block, then machined on all sides into final shape? If so, it's (3) OP's on the 4th axis. To machine the inside/acute angle, stand the part on it's "side" so that you're looking at the "7" profile. Machine the inner, and perhaps outer with an indexable endmill. Or HSM with a long solid. Maybe flip if you have to, and do it from both sides?

Next OP, put the part on the 4th, so that you can reach all the holes & pockets. Mill the outer "A" profile.






2nd part is easier.

Far right view. Mill this face first, machine the pocket, & drill/tap holes.

Next, place that face against the trunnion plate. Better yet, a riser block on the trunnion plate. Have a key in the riser/plate that fits the pocket, and bolt the part to the riser/plate using the tapped holes. Then, rotate the 4th as needed, and hit all the other sides. Done...
 
One is the size of a baseball-ish, the other a softball-ish...

That's not very big or deep in aluminum..

They actually look like fun.. A skill builder.. Good example parts for "How do you hold it"..

I see 5 ops on a 3 axis machine(1st part)... From a quick glance.. Its one of those that if I had to think on
it, it would come to me in the middle of the night, or while driving home... Its beefy so its not like you
are going to tweak the shit out of it trying to hold it... Tolerances aren't all that bad... The chams running
all over the place could be interesting.

It also one of those parts that after making a few, I can see scrapping everything and having to at it in a totally
different way...
 
The 1st part - The one that looks like an angle bracket...

Does it begin from a solid block, then machined on all sides into final shape? If so, it's (3) OP's on the 4th axis. To machine the inside/acute angle, stand the part on it's "side" so that you're looking at the "7" profile. Machine the inner, and perhaps outer with an indexable endmill. Or HSM with a long solid. Maybe flip if you have to, and do it from both sides?

Next OP, put the part on the 4th, so that you can reach all the holes & pockets. Mill the outer "A" profile.
This is exactly what came to mind as well, but I've never had the best of luck on the Haas with larger long tools, although at the time I was trying things like that I was unaware of things like super stubby sidelock holders and my HSM techniques have come a long way, so maybe it's time to try again.






2nd part is easier.

Far right view. Mill this face first, machine the pocket, & drill/tap holes.

Next, place that face against the trunnion plate. Better yet, a riser block on the trunnion plate. Have a key in the riser/plate that fits the pocket, and bolt the part to the riser/plate using the tapped holes. Then, rotate the 4th as needed, and hit all the other sides. Done...
This is also what came to my mind, but my experience is with small parts that are very flimsy, so with that in mind I look at your 4th setup and think there's no way two bolts that far from center will hold this. But if they did, this part would be a breaze.

One is the size of a baseball-ish, the other a softball-ish...

That's not very big or deep in aluminum..
It is for us. Most of our parts will easily fit 20 in one hand. Some over 100 in a hand. 95% of those have very thin walls and floors, are plastic, and love to just jump right out of fixturing and give you the finger on their way down to the chip auger. I've made bigger stuff, sure, but quite honestly it was back when I didn't know what the fuck I was doing on the business side and lost my ass on most of it. So now the challenge is to expand our part sizes / shapes while actually making money. Hey, a boy can dream.

They actually look like fun.. A skill builder.. Good example parts for "How do you hold it"..
I agree. Something different, it would be nice to do something different. Plus it's for a guy whom I've known for years, and I know for a fact he pays his bills, so there's that too.
 
I thought you had a UMC, Matt?

If on the 4th, I'd use my trunnion table. Both parts milling the right hand view first and as much else as possible, like the bore on the first one. Then hold in softjaws to get the rest.
 
What sidetalker said.
Looks like medical parts to me. I've done a shitload of weird parts like that on my Haas VF-2SS w/ 4th using a tombstone and 4" double vise with soft jaws.

One complete each cycle.
 
I thought you had a UMC, Matt?

If on the 4th, I'd use my trunnion table. Both parts milling the right hand view first and as much else as possible, like the bore on the first one. Then hold in softjaws to get the rest.
No sir, no UMC. Just the Haas and a new Brother pallet changer.

I've settled on doing it backward to what you and Booze are saying. Rough op 1 (top, where bolt holes and rectangular pocket are) in vise, rough op 2 (bottom) in second station of vise with soft jaws, then on to the 4th to finish everything. That's how I'll quote it anyway. Thanks gentlemen.
 
I looked at the first part and said to myself "someone is making an RC toy way too elaborate/expensive", then I looked at the second part and said "damn, that first thought was just a joke, but crap I'm right!".

The first part has a recess for a balljoint to press into, the second has the taper that the balljoint fits into. It would seem the parts nest with eachother.

Perhaps if you combined both solid models into 1, you could rough both parts out concentrically, then do a finishing pass that leaves sprue tabs that can be removed later?
 
I looked at the first part and said to myself "someone is making an RC toy way too elaborate/expensive", then I looked at the second part and said "damn, that first thought was just a joke, but crap I'm right!".

The first part has a recess for a balljoint to press into, the second has the taper that the balljoint fits into. It would seem the parts nest with eachother.

Perhaps if you combined both solid models into 1, you could rough both parts out concentrically, then do a finishing pass that leaves sprue tabs that can be removed later?

My first thought as well. Modular spindles. 3 pieces can be assembled as either a right, or left.
Instead of dedicated right-hand and left hand.
 
^^^ so if the above is true about this being an RC part..........based on tolerances we can agree yet again someone wants to make the part more expensive than it needs to be>?

Or it is for the next Mars rover and in that case mark it up 500% lol
 
- taken a little more time to look -

The second part should be extruded too.

Let the extruder make the profile that you want for free. Pay for less material, and make the job a LOT quicker.
Starting with solid is fine if price is of no concern.


-----------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
Based on the size, I'm thinking suspension upgrade parts for side-by-side UTVs.
All I'll say is that these are for full size things. You guys guessing RC cars are waaaay off. Look at the size.

I have zero exposure to custom extrusions. Minimum orders? Gotta buy 2 tons at a time? Die costs? Lead times? Got any trusted contacts that I can talk to?
 
I have zero exposure to custom extrusions. Minimum orders? Gotta buy 2 tons at a time? Die costs? Lead times? Got any trusted contacts that I can talk to?

I'd only go that route IF the QTY's play out.. Its the tooling cost and setup per run that kick you
in the nuts...

IF the qty's play out.. I wonder how an investment casting would compare as for cost...
Tumble the shit out of 'em to make 'em shiny, then pop a few holes and send 'em on down
the road.
 
......I have zero exposure to custom extrusions. Minimum orders? Gotta buy 2 tons at a time? Die costs? Lead times? Got any trusted contacts that I can talk to?

I've worked on a couple projects with custom extrusion. The extrusion house had several ways to play.

Pay full price for the die and they would squirt any small quantities at a price not much higher than you'd pay for extruded bar.

Pay nothing for the die and agree to buy 1000 lbs at about $5/pound over the price of extruded bar.

And so on.

The die cost was about $5k and they were gonna get that back one way or another on the first job. I'm sure that they had more flexible plans for larger or repeat customers.
 








 
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