(... from the before)
The next thing we have begun doing in-house is metalworking. We use aluminium blocks for heat-sinks and standoffs. We can't afford a mill or shaper for the small amount of processing we do. And the Shapeoko (https://www.facebook.com/saurabh.ja/videos/10159077530027040) just isn't up to the job. Or maybe it is. Next week it gets a Makita router to replace its hobby tool endmill, and it just might rise to the occasion.
For now we are using an angle grinder and a bench press, to precisely create 15mmx15mmx15mm Aluminium blocks. We will soon make a jig to constrain the cutting blade to a plane and allow it to slide along a straight line.
From here, we will go to a stage where we process much of our sheet metal ourselves. Laser cutters and CNC bending machines are again too big and too expensive for our needs. So we are going to fashion our own bending machine - see attached pic for an inspiration we saw online. Most of our bends are 100mm long, 90°, 0.8mm thick aluminium sheet bends. The longest we go is 200mm.
On the laser front, we will begin with a carbon laser that can etch metal, and also fashion our cardboard and foam packaging.
If you know someone who would be interested in a mechanical engineering internship, creating jigs, fixtures and processes for metalworking, do refer them.
(There's more - tiny boards)
The next thing we have begun doing in-house is metalworking. We use aluminium blocks for heat-sinks and standoffs. We can't afford a mill or shaper for the small amount of processing we do. And the Shapeoko (https://www.facebook.com/saurabh.ja/videos/10159077530027040) just isn't up to the job. Or maybe it is. Next week it gets a Makita router to replace its hobby tool endmill, and it just might rise to the occasion.
For now we are using an angle grinder and a bench press, to precisely create 15mmx15mmx15mm Aluminium blocks. We will soon make a jig to constrain the cutting blade to a plane and allow it to slide along a straight line.
From here, we will go to a stage where we process much of our sheet metal ourselves. Laser cutters and CNC bending machines are again too big and too expensive for our needs. So we are going to fashion our own bending machine - see attached pic for an inspiration we saw online. Most of our bends are 100mm long, 90°, 0.8mm thick aluminium sheet bends. The longest we go is 200mm.
On the laser front, we will begin with a carbon laser that can etch metal, and also fashion our cardboard and foam packaging.
If you know someone who would be interested in a mechanical engineering internship, creating jigs, fixtures and processes for metalworking, do refer them.
(There's more - tiny boards)