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Plastic Machining, High Speed CNC Machining Center
- M8 - Ideal Plastic Machining Center
Smaller than a Router ... More Accurate than a VMC. Accommodates Full 48" x 96" Sheet!
Ideal for plastic machining. That's becuase DATRON High Speed CNC Machining Centers accomodate full sheets of plastic material without taking up much floor space. Plus, our Vacumate (Vacuum Table) workholding facilitates quick set up time and job change over when machining plastic sheet material. DATRON Probing capabilities allow you to scan the surface of the plastic sheet or workpiece before machining and the control software compensates for irregularities to maximize accuracy and uniformity when milling plastic parts. With plastic machining dust extraction systems and tools optimized for milling plastic, DATRON is a clear choice for any company machining plastics.
Commonly machined plastics and substrates: ABS, Acetal, Acrylic, Cirlex, Delmat, Delrin, Durostone, Formex, FR4, G-9, G-10, G-11, GPO3, Kapton, Lexan, Nomex, Nylon, Phenolic, Plexiglass, Polycarbonate, Polyester, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, Polysulfone, PVC, Recathan, Ryton, Torlon, Ultem, Urethane, Valox, Vespel and Vinyl.
Why Plastics? The rising cost of metal has designers seeking ways to replace machined metal parts with plastic ones. Companies who bought DATRON equipment for machining aluminum and other metals have the flexibility to machine plastics ... increasing revenue without increasing equipment cost.
While the switch from metal to plastic machining doesn’t require a new equipment purchase, it may require new ways of thinking and working. That’s because plastics machine differently than metal, differently from one plastic to another, differently from lot to lot and from section to section (due to material inconsistency). Temperature and humidity variance often needs to be addressed since plastics often have a high coefficient of thermal expansion and without air conditioning certain plastics will cut differently from season to season.
Plastic Machining Tips: Plastic with a low Durometer reading (an indication of softness) will machine easily … perhaps too easily as the material can be squeezed out rather than cut cleanly out of the cutting channel. So, it can help to freeze the plastic prior to machining it.
In general we avoid using coolants when machining plastics because plastics can expand from absorbing moisture and this can make it tough to hold a tight tolerance. If tight tolerance is required, the part could be rough machined, set up to stabilize and then finish machined to the required tolerance.
Batch Machining Plastic: Batch machining plastic parts on a large machining bed reduces operator intervention since it accommodates large sheet material and a full batch can have a cycle time that coincides with the length of an operator’s shift. That way, the operator can place a batch of plastic parts on the machine in the morning and attend to other duties during the day. The automated machine works all day producing the plastic parts. Near the end of the shift, the operator then removes the completed batch of plastic parts, sweeps down the machine, and sets up another batch of plastic parts to run unattended all night. Click the photo to the right to watch a video of that plastic part being machined in a batch.
