Trying to manufacture my first piece.
My father owns a large machine shop with any kind of manufacturing machine you can imagine. They do basically everything in the automotive and boating manufacturing industry.
I'm looking to make about 100 of a product for someone, but my father is far too busy to help answer any of these questions, so maybe you guys can.
This is what I'm trying to make: They're called plugs, and they're a type of earring.
I've seen them in wood, stone, plastic, and metal. I'm trying to figure out what I would do to automate the manufacture of these (or near automated). For example, I wouldn't want to hand carve 100 of these out of wood, so how would I get a machine to do it? Would I make a 3D model and put it in a cnc machine and have it CNC the wood, or would there be a better way to do it?
My father told me to make a plastic one, Id need to make an injection mold in Solidworks or a similar program, and then he could do the rest. Only problem with that is that I dont want a parting line. I have my friends plastic plugs right now, and its like it was all cut from one piece of plastic, there isnt any parting line or anything. It's totally smooth.
I have no idea how these are manufactured, especially the stone or metal ones. I assume its with a CNC machine, but maybe you guys can guide me along.
Also, I want to do all of this myself except using the machines in my dads shop. I dont want to outsource the molding or anything. I want to do this with only me, and whatever machines I need, I probably have access too.
Thanks for reading this far!! Hopefully that all made sense, I'm pretty new to this!
( I should state that I'm fully aware you cannot wear just any type of material in your ear. I'm also aware of copyright and anything else im doing related)
My father owns a large machine shop with any kind of manufacturing machine you can imagine. They do basically everything in the automotive and boating manufacturing industry.
I'm looking to make about 100 of a product for someone, but my father is far too busy to help answer any of these questions, so maybe you guys can.
This is what I'm trying to make: They're called plugs, and they're a type of earring.
I've seen them in wood, stone, plastic, and metal. I'm trying to figure out what I would do to automate the manufacture of these (or near automated). For example, I wouldn't want to hand carve 100 of these out of wood, so how would I get a machine to do it? Would I make a 3D model and put it in a cnc machine and have it CNC the wood, or would there be a better way to do it?
My father told me to make a plastic one, Id need to make an injection mold in Solidworks or a similar program, and then he could do the rest. Only problem with that is that I dont want a parting line. I have my friends plastic plugs right now, and its like it was all cut from one piece of plastic, there isnt any parting line or anything. It's totally smooth.
I have no idea how these are manufactured, especially the stone or metal ones. I assume its with a CNC machine, but maybe you guys can guide me along.
Also, I want to do all of this myself except using the machines in my dads shop. I dont want to outsource the molding or anything. I want to do this with only me, and whatever machines I need, I probably have access too.
Thanks for reading this far!! Hopefully that all made sense, I'm pretty new to this!
( I should state that I'm fully aware you cannot wear just any type of material in your ear. I'm also aware of copyright and anything else im doing related)
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