Category Archives: Fabrication Technology

Fabrication Technology

Jig Fabrication|Philippines

Amicitia Jig Fabrication

Jig fabrication is the first step to an effective efficient manufacturing process.

What is a Jig?

A jig is device designed to have one specific purpose, which is to secure two or more parts in a manufacturing process in order to attach, weld, or otherwise fuse two components together.

Jigs are often referred to as templates, and have been in use long before the industrial age came about. There are many types of jigs, and each one is custom made to do a specific job. Amicitia specializes in jig fabrication for all types of manufacturing.

Jig and Fixture Fabrication

Many jigs are made because there is a necessity to do so by the manufacturer of certain products. Some are made to increase productivity through consistency, and to do repetitive activities. They are also used to do a job more precisely and accurately. Jigs may be well suited for frequent use, or may be improvised for a single project, depending on the task at hand.

A jig is often confused with a fixture. Fixtures only have one purpose, jigs are dual purpose. Fixture holds the work in a secure position, while a jig includes the tooling process along with securing the material. A jig is a device that does both functions, holds the work, and serves as a guiding a tool is called a jig.

The primary purpose of jig fabrication is to provide efficiency, accuracy, repeatability, and interchangeability in the manufacturing of products. Most of us have had a key made. Key machines are a perfect example of the basic jig. The original key is used as a jig template so the new key can have the same cut as the old one.

CNC Machining and Jigs

Since advancements in automation with computers numerically controlling the machining process (CNC machining), standard jigs have become all but a thing of the past. CNC images

Jigs are often not required for many machining projects because the tool path is digitally programmed and stored in the computer memory. This cuts machining time down significantly, but there are certain tasks that CNC just cannot perform.

Jigs of today are mainly created to perform certain tasks that are not with the scope of the CNC process. CNC can be useful in the manufacturing of the jig.

This is where Amicitia can assist in your custom jig fabrication for specific product manufacturing needs.

Some forms of jig fabrication are a practical solution for manufacturing in volume, tight tolerances, and intricate processes. This is another area of expertise for Amicitia; they can build jigs that are extremely intricate for precision works.

 Amicitia can build a jig for just about any manufacturing process. The right jig can provide productivity advantages that more than make up for the cost spent building it, thus increasing your ROI.

To learn more about how Amicitia can help you increase your productivity, through jig fabrication and automation contact us today.

 

Fabrication Technology

CNC Machining

Material Type for CNC Machining

The most easily machined types of metals for CNC machining are soft metals including aluminum and brass.

As the materials get more dense and stronger, they become much more difficult to machine. These materials include steel, stainless steel, titanium, and other exotic alloys. They are much harder to machine and take more working time.

Harder materialsa are less manufacturable through CNC Machining. Most all types of plastic materials are easy to machine, but  the additions of fiberglass or carbon fiber materials can reduce the CNC machining ablility.

Plastics that are particularly soft and more flexible create machinability problems of their own.

Material Form

Machine metals come in all forms, and in the case of aluminum for example, bar stock and plate are 2 of the most common forms in which machined parts are made.

The size and shape of the component to be machined determines which form of material must be used. Engineering drawings often specify which form is to be used.

Bar stock is usually about half the cost of plate, so although the material form isn’t directly related to the geometry of the component, cost can be cut at the design level by specifying the least expensive form of the material for CNC machining.

Tolerances

A large contributing factor to the cost of a machined component is the tolerance in which the parts must be produced.

The tighter the tolerance that is required, the more expensive the component will be to machine. When designing, it is advised to specify the tolerance that will serve the function of the component without increasing the cost.

Tolerances for CNC machining must be specified on each feature. There are creative ways to engineer components with lower tolerances that perform as well as ones with higher tolerances.

Design and Shape

CNC machining is a subtractive process. The time it takes to remove the material is a major factor in determining the machining cost.

The volume, shape, and density of the material to be removed as well as how fast the tools can be fed will determine the CNC machining time.

When using milling cutters, the strength and stiffness of the tool which is determined in part by the length to diameter ratio of the tool will play the largest role in determining that speed.

The shorter the tool is relative to its diameter the faster it can be fed through the material.

A ratio of 3:1 (L:D) or under is optimum. If that ratio cannot be achieved, a solution like this depicted here can be used. For holes, the length to diameter ratio of the tools are less critical, but should still be kept under 10:1.

There are many other types of features which are more or less expensive to machine. Generally chamfers cost less to machine than radii on outer horizontal edges. Undercuts are also more expensive to machine. All the features that require smaller tools are more expensive to machine.

Design for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing broadens the ability of the designer to optimize the design and save material.

Designs tailored for additive manufacturing are sometimes very different from designs tailored for CNC machining. Forming manufacturing operations ae also different in design.

Due to some size constraints of additive manufacturing machine the related larger designs are split into smaller sections. Self assembly features or fastener locators are inserted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_for_manufacturability

Fabrication Technology

Wire-cut EDM Technology

Wire Electrical Discharge Machining, or Wire-Cut EDM, a thin single strand metal wire is fed through the work material and is typically cutting while submerged in a tank of dielectric fluid or deionized water.

This dielectric fluid helps cool the work material during the process, and also flushes away the cut material.  The Wire EDM process uses electric current to cut conductive materials. This process leaves a smooth surface that does not require further finishing or polishing.

The EDM process is used to cut plates, make punches, tools, and dies from any conductive material including hard metals that are too difficult to machine by other methods,.

Metal allows, graphite, carbide and diamond are some of the materials cut by EDM Wire-cut technology. The wire is held between upper and lower diamond guides. The guides move on the (X-Y) axis and is controlled by a CNC. The upper guide can also move independently in the Z-U-V configurations giving the ability to cut tapered and transitioning shapes. It can also control axis movements.

This precision mobility gives the Wire-Cut EDM the ability to be programmed to cut very intricate and delicate shapes. Wire EDM is commonly used when low residual stresses are desired, and it has no added residual stress because it has no cutting forces. There is little change in the mechanical properties of a material in Wire-cut EDM due to its low residual stresses.

The cutting wire never comes in contact with the material, the cutting is due to the erosion that occurs when a spark forms between the cutting wire and raw material.

The typical Wire EDM process consists of several passes moving at various speeds.  The first passes are typically fast moving with lower accuracy to remove large amounts of material.

Skim passes retrace the cuts at much lower speeds and removing less material, but improving the surface quality and accuracy of the cut.  If complex cut outs are required, a pre-drilled hole through the raw material can be threaded with a Wire EDM, and then the machine can begin cutting from there.

Applications for Wire EDM include the creation of extrusion dies, blanking punches, and metal tool fabrication.  Wire EDM serves many industries making components for automotive, aerospace, medical, energy, industrial and micro manufacturing.  Wire EDMs are also found in numerous job shops across the country as they serve as an integral part of the parts creation process.