We look forward to welcoming you to our new premises when we are back to the new “normal”, but in the meantime we remain open for busniess and  please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your machining requirements.

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Aluminium History

Aluminium is the most widespread metal on Earth, making up more than 8% of the Earth’s core mass. It’s also the third most common chemical element on our planet after oxygen and silicon. The Persians made extra strong pots from clay containing aluminium oxide, dating back to 5300BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans used alum in medicine as an astringent and in dyeing processes. But  Aluminium does not occur naturally in its purest form. It wasn’t until the 19^th Century  with the developments in chemistry and the advent of electricity that aluminium was discovered. It is generally found  in minerals and compounds such as feldspar, beryl, cryolite, and turquoise.The primary raw material for aluminium production is  Bauxite. Bauxite is generally  found in topsoil located in various tropical and subtropical regions, reserves are most abudant  in Africa, Oceania and South America.

In the first stage of aluminium production bauxite is processed into alumina, or aluminium oxide. Alumina looks like white powder and it is then processed into aluminium at aluminium smelters using electrolytic reduction. Aluminium ingots are produced in various shapes and sizes depending on their end use. They may be rolled into plate, sheet, foil, bars or rods.

Aluminium Smelting

Benefits

Lightweight

A known lightweight metal, it has a specific weight of approximately 2.71 g/cm3. It’s about a third of the weight of steel, which makes it easier and cheaper to transport than most other metals. The strength of aluminium can be adapted using varying alloying elements to provide better benefits including higher strength or easier formability.

Corosion Resistance

Aluminium is a corrosion resistant metal that naturally generates a protective coating. The coating formed is extremely thin and is generated when aluminium comes into contact with an oxidising environment. This protective aluminium oxide layer helps protect the surface of the metal from corrosion. Additionally, getting surface treatment such as painting or anodising can further improve the overall corrosion resistance of the metal.

Electrical and Thermal Conductivity

It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. Although aluminium is not as conductive as copper  but it is approximately a third of the weight. An aluminium wire with half the weight of a copper wire would have the same amount of electrical resistance. As a result, it is the chosen material for power transmission lines. It is also an excellent conductor of heat. It is used as heatsinks in  applications such as LED lights, electrical products, computer motherboards, etc.

Reflectivity 

Another benefit of Aluminium is that it serves as a good reflector. Aluminium is used in rescue blankets and light fittings because of its ability to reflect both light and heat.

Odourless and Impermeable

Even with 0.007 mm thickness of aluminium foil, it is still impermeable and doesn’t have a substance taste or smell. This is non-toxic and often used for packaging of the sensitive products including pharmaceuticals and food.

Recyclability

Aluminium is a 100% recyclable and during the recycling process, it retains all of its original properties. It is more cost-effective to use recycled metal than prime metal out of the ground.

For more information about Presto Engineering please visit our website here and if you would like a quote or to discuss a project with us please call us on 01865 883508 or e-mail: sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

The post What are the Benefits of Aluminium? first appeared on Presto Engineering.

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The DNM 6700  is a large-capacity machine equipped with a generous-sized work table (1500mm x 670mm). With impressive axis travels (X-axis:1300mm x Y-axis: 670mm x Z-axis: 625mm).

Doosan DMN6700

The installation of the Nikken 4 & 5 Axis Rotary Table means that we can  provide our customers with a complete solution to their CNC Milling requirements, including the most complex of aluminium machined parts. The Rotary Table enables parts to be manufactured in “one hit”. This improves accuracy and eliminates the need for multiple set ups. The table and travel capacity  of the DNM6700, gives greater flexibility in complexity and size of components that Presto manufacture.

Nikken 4 & 5 Axis Rotary Table

At Presto Engineering by continually investing in machinery it  allows us to offer fast production, reduced costs and always at the forefront of our philosophy, the highest standards of finish.

Could Presto’s expertise help you?

If you’d like to find out more about Presto Engineering, contact us to discuss  your  precision engineering requirements.

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Extrusion is defined as the process of shaping material. In this case aluminium, by forcing it to flow through a shaped opening in a die.  Extruded material emerges as an elongated piece with the same profile as the die opening.  The extrusion process makes the most of aluminium’s durability, flexibility and light weight.  Its malleability allows it to be easily machined and cast. Aluminium is one third the density and stiffness of steel so the resulting products offer strength and stability.

Why use Aluminium Extrusion?

The aluminium extrusion process provides almost unlimited opportunities to the product designer with the added benefit of low tooling costs and short lead times.  Components can be designed to incorporate extra features that provide fixings, channels and interlocking systems that preclude the need for additional parts.  These features can even be incorporated so that they enhance the structural strength of the assembly.

The use of  extrusions in combination with novel fabrication techniques can be a low cost tooling solution.  The prototype costs can be reduced during design and the manufacturing technology is easily transferred into full production.

It is not just in new product design where the benefits of aluminium extrusions can be appreciated.    In existing products the substitution of other materials and processes with aluminium extrusions can result in cost saving through fewer components, reduced finishing, simplified assembly and improved supply chain logistics.

The Extrusion Process

There are two main methods of extrusion – direct and indirect.  Direct extrusion is the most frequently used  whereby the die head is held stationary and the aluminium billet is forced through the die using a moving ram.  In indirect extrusion, the aluminium billet is held stationary and the ram moves the die to exert pressure in the stationary billet.

Direct extrusion is commonly used in the manufacture of solid rods, bars, and hollow tubes. The design of the die can be modified to produce a wide variety of solid and hollow profiles.

The material for making extrusions is the aluminium log.  These are cast in lengths of up to 7 metres and available in a wide range of alloys and diameters.  After casting they are further heat treated (homogenised) before being supplied to the customer.

The first operation is to cut the long extrusion log into suitable lengths for extrusion based on press capacity and the final extruded length which is typically 400mm to 1000mm.  The cut log (or billet) is fed into the billet heater where it is heated to 400-500^oC.  The exact temperature will depend on the alloy shape, complexity and other process parameters.

Extrusion involves pressing a preheated  ingot (450-500^oC) under high pressure (1600-6500 tons depending on the size of the press) through a die the opening of which corresponds to the cross-section of the extrusion.  In the traditional direct method of extrusion the die is stationary.  The length may be as long as 50 metres and may consist of one strand or multiple strands of the same section.

The extrusion is cut and moved along the cooling table.  When cooled it is  moved to the stretcher which straightens the extrusion and performs ‘work hardening’ or molecular re-alignment which gives it increased hardness and improved strength.

Some of the benefits of using Aluminium Extrusion

In general and extrusions in particular, offer a number of benefits relative to alternative materials and processes including:-

Lightweight 

Aluminium is about 1/3 the weight of iron, steel, copper or brass. Making  extrusions easier to handle, less expensive to ship, and an attractive material for use in applications where weight reduction is a priority such as transportation and other applications involving moving parts.

Strong

Aluminium extrusions can be made as strong as needed. Due to the nature of the extrusion process, the strength can be concentrated where it is rquired by including varying wall thicknesses and internal reinforcement in the profile design.  Cold-weather applications are particularly well served by extrusions, as it becomes stronger as temperatures fall.

High in strength-to-weight ratio

Aluminium extrusions unique combination of high strength and low weight makes them ideal for applications like aerospace and bridges where load carrying is a key performance.

Resilient

Aluminium combines strength with flexibility, and can flex under loads or spring back from the shock of impact, leading to the use of extruded components in automotive crash management systems.

Corrosion resistant

Aluminium extrusions offer excellent corrosion resistance.  They do not rust, and the aluminium surface is protected by its own naturally occurring oxide file, a protection that can be enhanced by anodizing or other finishing processes.

Quick-to-market

Tooling is relatively inexpensive with generally short lead times, facilitating swift prototype development, testing, and product launch.

Easy to fabricate & assemble

Effective design can greatly simplify subsequent fabrication and assembly, and there are a wide variety of fabrication processes that are routinely employed in the production of extrusion-based components and assemblies.

Sustainable

Aluminium can be recycled with no degradation in properties. Aluminium extrusions are often produced with high recycled content without compromise to aesthetics or functionality.

Contact

If you would like further information on Aluminium Extrusion or any other topic relating to CNC milling of aluminium machined components please get in touch at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

For more information about Presto Engineering please visit our website here and if you would like a quote or to discuss a project with us please call us on 01865 883508 or e mail Julian at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

The post The Ins and Outs of Aluminium Extrusion first appeared on Presto Engineering.

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Diagrammatic representation of 5 Axis Technology

Advantages of using 5 axis technology versus conventional 3 axis machining include:-

Minimal set ups required

5 axis technology eliminates the multiple set ups required to re-position the workpiece at complex angles when using 3 axis machining.  This results in increased productivity and reduces the time and cost of preparing fixtures to hold the workpiece in place.  In addition, with multiple set ups in 3 axis machining there is always the possibility of incorrect alignment each time the part is moved.  Five axis machining requires minimal intervention and results in higher part accuracy.

Reduced requirement for fixtures and tools

5 axis machining minimises the requirement for fixtures because the part can be held once and rotated so that the geometry is created.  Fixtures are time consuming to design and build and when considered alongside a requirement for special tools and/or tool extensions can significantly increase the overall cost of production.

Superior surface finishes and better part quality

Another advantage of 5 axis machining is that it enables shorter cutting tools to be used since the head can be lowered towards the job and the cutter oriented towards the surface.  As a result higher cutting speeds can be achieved without putting excessive load on the cutter so extending tool life and reducing breakages.

The use of shorter cutters also reduces the tool vibration that can result when machining deep cores or cavities with 3 axis machines.  This results in a higher quality surface finish reducing or eliminating the need for time consuming hand finishing.

CNC Milled Component using 5 Axis Technology

Complex components machined at competitive prices

At Presto Engineering our 5 axis machining capability means that we can be extremely competitive when quoting for your complex components.  We are always looking for new challenges so do upload your drawings and solid models here and we will get back to you with a quote.

If you would like further information on 5 axis machining or any other topic relating to CNC milling of aluminium machined components please get in touch at sales@prestoeng.co.uk or call us on 01865 883508 or contact us via the website.

For more information about Presto Engineering please visit our website here and if you would like a quote or to discuss a project with us please call us on 01865 883508 or e mail Julian at sales@prestoeng.co.uk.

The post 5 is the Magic Number – Exploring 5 Axis CNC Milling first appeared on Presto Engineering.

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Recent investment at Presto includes the installation of a Nikken CNC 202 rotary table.

The benefit to customers is increased accuracy on complex components and faster processing times as multiple faces can be machined in one setup.

Below is an example of a recent job the benefitted from having secondary operations being machined on the Nikken rotary table.

The post Additional 4th axis capacity first appeared on Presto Engineering.

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We understand that your reputation relies upon both exceptional standards of workmanship and service from your suppliers, we also know that you need quality parts on time every time from one source that takes total responsibility. With this in mind we only use the best partners for services such as anodising, painting and printing, knowing that they also share our values when it comes to serving the customer and exceeding their expectations.

It’s all very well having a high quality product that performs its function  but without a professional finish all of the initial work is rendered useless, as it does not look aesthetically pleasing. At Presto Engineering we take responsibility for all secondary operations such as anodising, bead blasting, graining, painting, screen printing and polycarbonate overlays.

Amongst others Presto Engineering manufacturers components for the following industries:

• Recording equipment for Professional use.Hi-Fi / Audio equipment for domestic use.
  lighting desks and associated equipment.
• Film production equipment.
• Telecommunications test equipment.
• Additionally we are based here in the UK in Oxfordshire, keeping things local whilst still at the highest standard.

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