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Overview of milling holes in E-Case enclosures
We are offering a hole-making service for relatively small batches of end plates and enclosures using a low cost cnc milling machine with a 3mm cutter.
In order to keep costs down we are offering customers the chance to do most of the artwork themselves and transfer it to us electronically as a dxf format CAD drawing, alternatively, they can supply a sketch or drawing on paper and we will create the CAD drawing. Our website has dxfs of the end plates available as a starting point for customer's artwork.
We are pricing the service in a modular fashion, which will allow customers to work out pricing for themselves, and how it will reduce with quantity.
In order to keep costs down we need to jig multiple end plates at the same time and mill them as a batch. For this purpose blank end plates are arrayed on a work jig about the size of an A4 piece of paper. We modify the customers artwork by arraying it as a drawing to overlay the physical array on the jig. We then convert this drawing array to G-codes to operate the milling machine.
For larger quantities of end plates we would expect our customers to have complete end plates made by an outside supplier using a cnc punch. We expect the cross-over point where it becomes cheaper to use punched plates will be approximately 100 to 200 plates depending on plate size.
Machining of E-Case enclosures
Some of our customers require holes in the flat faces of an E-Case enclosure. This can be achieved in the same way as the end plates except the extrusions are jigged individually so the "attended time" and cost is greater.
Pricing Structure
Pricing for a new project will consist of four or five parts:
1If the customer cannot supply a suitable dxf CAD file of the holes they require, we will accept a sketch or drawing from them and convert this into a CAD drawing (optional one-time charge).
2This charge is a one-time charge for converting customer dxf or CAD drawing to machine instructions and milling a prototype. This charge includes the cost of a complete prototype machining run so there is no milling set-up charge or cost of milling holes for a single prototype as there will be for a production batch. A prototyping charge will cover either an enclosure extrusion or an end plate or a pair of end plates (e.g. front and back)
3The milling machine set-up charge is combined with a flat rate cost of milling holes (item4) irrespective of the quantity of enclosure or end plates to be milled. The effect of this is to make the price per part more expensive if you have less parts done in a batch. For pricing purposes a hole is 20mm diameter or less (15mm on the thicker end plate D). A hole (or any shape) with a maximum dimension of between 20mm and 40mm will count as two holes, and between 40mm and 60mm will count as three holes etc.
Click here for price listing for milling holes in E-Case components
Want to supply drawings or dxf files?
Technical requirements for milling holes in E-Case components
Product and data subject to
change without notice. User knows application and must determine fitness for purpose and
appropriateness of advice verbal or written
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Lincoln Binns Ltd. Oakendene Estate,
Cowfold, West Sussex RH13 8AZ, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1403 865486 - Fax: +44 (0) 1403 865487