Uses of CNC Routers
We have recently undertaken a job to manufacture a mould for a concrete moulding company. For this we were required to CNC Router a 5 m x 1.3 m panel with an internal design. This then became the mould for the panels on the side of a new bridge construction in PNG.
Design and construction
The concrete company supplied a CAD drawing which was converted into a .plt file, allowing our router to be able to read the design and subsequently cut the required design. The design was cut from MDF panels. Eight sheets of MDF panel were laminated together using industrial strength glue. Once dried the MDF panels were ready for cutting, the shapes required were then cut into the panel using our CNC router. The design required a fully curved and tapered cut surface, there were to be no sharp edges. As our router bit and other conventional router bits would not be suitable, we authorised the manufacture of a customised router bit. The reason for this is that the mould will be required to release, and without these curves this would not be able to be achieved.
Due to the length, weight and size, we had to make the mould in 2 pieces, therefore it could easily be taken apart and put together. This ensured that transportation of the mould was not a significant issue. We were very excited about producing this mould and the company that engaged us was very pleased with the result.
Other CNC router uses
Our CNC Router has many uses, not just in our field of work, but for many other manufacturing organisations. The large bench space of out CNC router (5m) ensures that we can cut large areas of material in a single session. We regularly use our CNC router to cut Perspex for our illuminated sign light boxes, and it is especially useful when manufacturing cut out illuminated letters. Composite aluminium is another material we use regularly and find that our machine cuts this with ease. We have also produced many timber signs with our CNC router, including custom made honour boards and timber park signs.
We have been engaged with other manufacturers out of our industry to cut various components for their industry, these include: timber boat manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, plastic shelving, time capsules and associated parts, and plywood milk crates (used for seating). Using a CNC router has made manufacture of difficult and detailed designs, faster and 100% accurate, which is a definite benefit over hand manufactured items in this category.
