While aluminum molds are commonly used to create prototypes or to serve as stopgap bridge tooling, they are starting to receive greater attention for production work. This shop’s approach to creating aluminum molds in one day to three weeks is the same for each of these situations.

Through direct CNC machining of molds and cores, this supplier of cast and machined parts skips the pattern-making step that would otherwise be fundamental to casting. The result is weeks of lead-time savings for complex parts that are needed in a hurry.

 VIDEO. A firm specializing in rapid product development describes how it uses CNC machining for prototyping.

VIDEO. How you use the machining center is just as important as the quality of the machine itself. This tutorial covers machining center leveling, alignment and temperature—as well as toolchange and setup procedures.

VIDEO. The machining center in this automated production process inspects its own work and updates its own positioning. Probing a known, traceable reference makes this possible.

VIDEO. Part of Renishaw’s automated production process, this turning operation uses tools affixed to the machining center’s table while the workpiece is mounted in the spindle.

VIDEO. Have you considered milling holes through helical ramping instead of drilling them? This brief animated video covers the high points, including tool diameter selection and the potential for savings.

VIDEO. In a lean machining facility, grouping horizontal machining centers close together allows a small number of operators to use the machines efficiently.

 VIDEO. The ability to measure tool offsets while the tool is spinning can improve both the accuracy and performance of the process in various ways.

Video shows the smooth, quiet, rapid motion characteristic of effective micromilling.