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Unfortunately this has already been done in an adjoining section so we have to match, I can't see why anyone would make it such a difficult detail so no doubt a designer was involved! I spent half the day on the phone trying to find an easier / cheaper solutions but with no luck so thrown it back to the client to see what they want to do. Thanks for all the suggestions gents.
WorkshopChris
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Sometimes i would be happy for a pound for each hour spent trying to find a solution to someone else's problem, its not always billable or recoverable on the next job with that customer.
Bill Edwards
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I too don't see why a horizontal mill or shaper can't do this. Might not be easy finding suitably sized machines and methods of clamping the sheet down could require a degree of ingenuity but I don't see it being that hard.
Mike if you have a sample sheet then get an eye glass on it and take a close look, you will be able to tell how it has been produced, if by a rotary spindle, slit blade or planed etc. Planing is an option and it can also be done on mills as long as the load is small, the hard bit is finding someone with a planer and them having a suitable method of clamping, plus getting someone willing to do it. I have used this method to produce some otherwise very hard to machine profiles and its very successful on a mill if the tooling is correctly made.
You will be able to find someone but the road getting there may be very long, as always it's finding the right guy with the right machine and the right kind of knowledge. It's not rocket science to do, the problem is the guy with the machine can make easier money on other work with less hassle so people take the path of least resistance. As rocketman said it could be milled but its just down to cost and how much will the customer pay and vertical milling will be the least cost effective solution.
You will be able to find someone but the road getting there may be very long, as always it's finding the right guy with the right machine and the right kind of knowledge. It's not rocket science to do, the problem is the guy with the machine can make easier money on other work with less hassle so people take the path of least resistance. As rocketman said it could be milled but its just down to cost and how much will the customer pay and vertical milling will be the least cost effective solution.
I think the big issue with a horizontal mill is finding someone with one that has 1.6 mtr in the x axis, unless the customer will let mike split it into two sections. Horizontals are old hat and very few keep them now, vertical machining centers are the mainstay of most companys these days. I expect horizontals do and have have existed at 1.6 mtr but i cant say i have ever seen a horizontal that big.
