Raccin
Plastic
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2016
- Location
- Akron, OH, USA
Greetings all! I've embarked on a journey to manufacture automotive parts as a side gig, which may one day become my main job (not yet though). My primary focus right now is lighting, whether it's taillights, parking lights, etc. I've got a handle on the electronic side no problem, but due to the nature of the beast, I also need to manufacture the rest of the unit also.
I'm seriously lacking direction on this one. My original thought was to make them out of various plastics by using a CNC machine to drill blocks of metal, which in turn would be placed together and I'd pour plastic into it for some kind of molding process. I started going down this path, only to realize that I had no clue what software to get, and the more I researched, the more I questioned its feasibility long-term.
I am perfectly capable of doing the 3D designs myself, but my question becomes how to translate that into reality. Is CNC machining even the right approach? I really would like to do all this in-house. As a hobby, I don't have millions to spend on it like most auto manufacturers do, but I understand that manufacturing is an expensive business to begin with (or so it seems), so I can work with that.
ANY guidance, pointers, experience, etc. is highly valued. Been searching the forums for a beginner's guide (heck, even Google), but nothing found yet.
EDIT:
My location doesn't seem to want to save. Set it twice already, but doesn't show up. Should be "Akron, Ohio, USA" for anyone wondering.
I'm seriously lacking direction on this one. My original thought was to make them out of various plastics by using a CNC machine to drill blocks of metal, which in turn would be placed together and I'd pour plastic into it for some kind of molding process. I started going down this path, only to realize that I had no clue what software to get, and the more I researched, the more I questioned its feasibility long-term.
I am perfectly capable of doing the 3D designs myself, but my question becomes how to translate that into reality. Is CNC machining even the right approach? I really would like to do all this in-house. As a hobby, I don't have millions to spend on it like most auto manufacturers do, but I understand that manufacturing is an expensive business to begin with (or so it seems), so I can work with that.
ANY guidance, pointers, experience, etc. is highly valued. Been searching the forums for a beginner's guide (heck, even Google), but nothing found yet.
EDIT:
My location doesn't seem to want to save. Set it twice already, but doesn't show up. Should be "Akron, Ohio, USA" for anyone wondering.