Manufacture V2

Manufacture allows you to turn you design work into reality and build what you have envisioned.

Designs will all be different

Colour should be unique

Materials used will be similar

Similar manufacture process

Tooling board or modelling board

Tooling boards or modelling boards are the trusted material choice for many industries used to make prototype models and designs across industries such as the aerospace, motorsport and industrial industry.

Type 1. High-Temperature Epoxy Tooling Board

Epoxy Tooling Board is a commonly used material, which produces highly accurate moulds and patterns, often using CNC machining. Epoxy is normally chosen for high-temperature applications where dimensional stability is essential, as it won’t inhibit the cure of prepregs.

Why Use Epoxy Tooling Board?

Epoxy Tooling Boards are used for all forms of carbon fibre production and vacuum forming materials including prepreg tooling, moulds and composites.

It is often chosen for use in high-temperature applications, as it provides a consistent performance level up to 205 degrees.

Epoxy tooling board is a versatile product that is very easy to work with. It is strong and resilient with excellent internal consistency, allowing you to produce highly accurate patterns and moulds.

It is also available in many different board thicknesses up to 200mm, to suit design plans. As well as this, it is extremely low co-efficient in terms of thermal expansion.

Type 2. Polyurethane Tooling Board

Polyurethane tooling boards are lightweight model boards heavily used in the automotive industry, and anywhere where prototype modelling work is required. We supply them in a variety of thicknesses and density.

Polyurethane tooling boards are frequently used in design and styling for concept car modelling. The comprehensive range of tooling boards can withstand tough demands when used across the manufacturing, aerospace, rail and creative industries.

Why Use Polyurethane Tooling Board?

Polyurethane tooling boards are used in lower temperature applications. They are stable and easy to mould material, producing an excellent surface finish. They are lightweight and versatile, suitable to be styled via CNC machining or by hand.

Applications, where Polyurethane is an ideal choice, include Film and TV set and prop production, architectural modelling and commercial product design models and prototypes.

Manufacturing

Manufactured models may start out looking similar as they will use the same materials and have common features - such as the standardised Micro:Bit slot measuring 53mm x 67mm

However, once the design shapes start to take form and colour/pattern work is added, these models will all look very different.

The main material used to build the product will be MDF.

The amount of MDF layers is individual to the design.

MDF layer options come in 8mm, 6mm and 3mm thicknesses.

Step 1. Marking out with a sharp pencil

A sharp pencil must be used.
Outline under the lip or overhang and around all outer edges.
Accurate lines will mean an accurate window to fit your microbit housing.

Step 2. Drilling holes

Choose a drill bit that is of a suitable size. This should be large enough to fit a round file through. This can be a standard sized round file or a smaller needle file.
Drill a line of holes all the way round the inner shape (a finished example can be seen in step 3).
Holes must not touch or cross the line. Only drill on the inside of the marked pencil lines.
The more holes you drill, the easier and faster it will be to sand and remove (step 4 and 5)

Step 3. Ensuring all holes are within the marked window

Once you have removed your material from the pillar drill, you should check that all of the holes have been drilled through and that none have crossed over the line.
Check if there are still areas or parts where you could drill more holes.

Step 4. Joining the drilled holes or filing through

Use the right sized round file or needle file to link and join the holes you created.
You do not need to be neat here but must not cross the marked pencil line.
Do not blow the dust.

Step 4. Removing the inner shape and preparing to file

At this stage the inner shape should be able to be removed.
You should be able to see all of the marked pencil lines.
You will now be preparing to file the edges. Choose which files you will need such as the the standard sized round file, flat file or half round file and a selection of smaller needle files to get into the tight corners.

Step 5. Sanding the edges smooth up to the marked pencil lines

Use the bench vice to hold you material while filing and sanding.
Only file on the lower edge closest to the table. Rotate and turn your material when you want to file the sides or top edge so that it rotates and becomes in the lower position. If you do not do this then you risk snapping your material.
File up to the marked pencil lines but not passed them.
File slowly and make lots of stops to check you have not filed too much.

Step 6. Fitting the microbit houses and fine sanding

You can now start to fit your microbit housing.
File slowly with short strokes to remove only small amounts of material. You want a tight fit and not one that has lots of gaps.
Try to fit from the microbit from the front but check the back to see which edges or corners need sanding. marking these high spots with a pencil and continue filing only on this high spots.
Ask you teacher for a demonstration on how to mark and file high spots to ensure you get a good fit.

Step 7. Gluing

Glue all of the back of your thinner top layer only.
The thicker lower layer should only have its edges glued like in the photo example.

Step 8. Bonding cut layers

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