Got an enquiry for some prototype parts from a customer to go with the injection mouldings we normally make.
These need some profiles cut from 10mm 304 stainless, and this is much thicker than my local chap can manage - he can only do 6mm in stainless, although he can manage up to 15mm in MS.
Has anyone got a firm they could recommend?
Peter
In article , Peter Neill writes
No idea about laser cutters, but have you/your customer considered water jet cutting. We have had some done through several inches of metal (very high grade titanium), though ISTR that the kerf does tend to widen a little at those depths.
I've used these guys a couple of times:
Cheers, Rob
Thanks for the advice chaps, I'm going to give the laseredge a ring next time this crops up. On this occasion the bits are needed in a bit of hurry, so I'm getting them wire eroded locally at a very reasonable cost.
David & Rob, I did think about water jet and spoke to 2 companies about this. Apparently cutting 10mm stainless will leave a 'skirt' on the part that flares out a few mm from the bottom, so parts would be about 0.25mm/side oversize and need machining back.
As the profile was going to be time consuming to mill without cnc anyway, I thought I'd give water-jet cutting a miss this time!
Interestingly though, I didn't realise until now that waterjet can cut up to 150mm in steel and 250mm in aluminium.
Peter
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