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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

How to make an engine block (the hard way).


Chris Wilson

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We've got a Matsuuri 5 axis machine at work. It just doesn't get used as it's not all that accurate. I think it's because the bed is moving, it loses it's datum's. Probably an issue with the encoders.

You can buy a good 5 axis machine centre for about £40k.

 

How's it programmed? Well it more or less programmes itself. A design engineer would send the 3D model to a cnc programmer who would set up different cuts. Each different cut needs to be "programmed" if you like, but really it's just a case of clicking on a tool that you want to use to cut, and then picking faces off of the 3D model to tell it to cut those surfaces.

 

We get LOTS of metalwork done in this particular way (in fact I've got to send out £120K worth of metalwork tomorrow, that will done exactly like this)

 

It looks cool, but isn't particularly trick. Rapid prototyping, now that's REALLY cool. http://www.alphaprototypes.com/videos/FDM-Video.wmv

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to set a cnc its not that easy!!

1st you have to see if you have enough material to do want u want!!

2nd you have to see all your tools and correct inserts!!

3rd you have to do a prog, starting by finding your zero positions!! Z0 and X0!!(in a turner cnc)

on a 5 axis cns you have... X;Y;Z and A;B( on matsuura)

4th you and to "tell the cnc" were your tools are!! by setting them!!

to set the tools, you have and touch on the surface of the material!!

them just have to know want u are doing e just make sure that the tools dont crash on the material, or you can put the machine out of working order!!

do the prog and run it!!

once the 1st piece is done, save prog and ist ready more!!

its easy!!

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The 1st one is the BIG DEAL, if that works out fine, the 2nd to the 10,00th is dead easy, just throw tools, material, machine service and a bit of operator time at it. but the 1st one is the expensive *ugger :) Looks like a mega expansive sales pitch jobbie to me! Ultra cool nonetheless.

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to set a cnc its not that easy!!

1st you have to see if you have enough material to do want u want!!

2nd you have to see all your tools and correct inserts!!

3rd you have to do a prog, starting by finding your zero positions!! Z0 and X0!!(in a turner cnc)

on a 5 axis cns you have... X;Y;Z and A;B( on matsuura)

4th you and to "tell the cnc" were your tools are!! by setting them!!

to set the tools, you have and touch on the surface of the material!!

them just have to know want u are doing e just make sure that the tools dont crash on the material, or you can put the machine out of working order!!

do the prog and run it!!

once the 1st piece is done, save prog and ist ready more!!

its easy!!

 

 

Aye, it's not like the old days programming on tape reels and the like, is it? Trying to remember all the machine codes.

 

We bought our Matsuura to machine gearbox maincases. We then did a deal to get them made elsewhere. (If only purchasing/production would talk to marketing eh?)

When the guys in the full size machine shop heard that we were going to buy a 5 axis cnc machine centre to be able to machine bits for our wind tunnel in house, they tried to palm this off onto us. When we explained we would want an off machine surface finish of less than 0.4Um Ra, and profile error less than 0.05mm over a 700mm long profiled component, they told us not to even bother trying it. I'm not sure what we're getting instead. I'm sure I'll be the last to know. :tongue:

As far as I'm aware, the Matsuura just sits empty and unused taking up space. No doubt we'll end up flogging it for next to feck all just to get the space back :rolleyes:

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The 1st one is the BIG DEAL, if that works out fine, the 2nd to the 10,00th is dead easy, just throw tools, material, machine service and a bit of operator time at it. but the 1st one is the expensive *ugger :) Looks like a mega expansive sales pitch jobbie to me! Ultra cool nonetheless.

 

 

It's not the machining the first one that's expensive. It's re-machining it because it's been up-issued by the designer as a hole needed to be 2mm to the left! No right, No left, Actually probably be alright where it was. ;)

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