Question 1

Manufacturing tolerances and machinery

Accepted Answer

Technically, our CNC milling machines are capable of producing parts with an accuracy of 0.01 mm. However, due to temperature variations and tool wear, a maximum manufacturing tolerance of 0.1 mm must be expected. It's also important to note that holes for, say, a 3 mm diameter hole (e.g., for an LED) should not be exactly 3 mm in diameter. A 3 mm component will never fit into a 3 mm hole. The hole should be 0.1–0.2 mm larger. With our high-speed milling machines (new prices in the six-figure range), we can produce all types of holes, through-holes, pockets, threads, blind threads, blind holes, chamfers, and engravings.Our machinery includes 15 HSC (High Speed Cutting) milling machines with servo controllers and 3D probes. Pneumatic and vacuum clamping systems. Front clamping system for housing machining. 3 UV printers with a CMYK color spectrum (16.7 million colors) plus white and clear lacquer. Various aluminum crosscut saws, bending machines, and grinding machines. 100kV powder coating system with oven. Electronic packing station with storage and connection to the ERP system and online shop.

Question 2

Material type (size, thickness, type)

Accepted Answer

Technically, we can machine materials up to 20mm thick. However, since we specialize in front panels, where the typical material thickness is 3-4mm, we need to source materials thicker than 10mm. Components like LEDs, pushbuttons, switches, and potentiometers are typically designed for 3mm thicknesses. If thicker material is required, recesses on the back are necessary to ensure the components still fit into the front panel. It's also important to note that not all tools can be used at their full depth because the tool shank is wider than the cutting edge. For example, 3mm tools are available with a 3mm shank, allowing them to mill through the material without issue. A 1mm cutter, on the other hand, can only machine up to 5mm thick. We usually source aluminum as AlMg1 or AlMg3 with a protective film on one side. The back side may have scratches because the supplier doesn't protect it with a film, which isn't usually necessary since only the front side is visible in most cases. Material: The standard material thickness for front panels is often 3mm. However, we usually also stock other thicknesses such as 1mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 4mm, etc. These are available in the usual anodized colors : Black anodized , Silver anodized, Red anodized, Blue anodized , Green anodized, Gold anodized, and raw aluminum (not anodized).In general, all parts can also be powder-coated and printed in any RAL color.Maximum panel size: 1000 x 500 mm is our standard stock size for aluminum. For a clean, milled edge, a trim allowance must be taken into account. This reduces the maximum size to approximately 990 x 490 mm. 19" front panels can be manufactured in any rack unit. Maximum printable area: Our UV printers have a print area of 500 x 320 mm. The maximum print height is 100 mm. Maximum size for powder-coated parts: 500 x 400 mm

Question 3

Machine-related limitations

Accepted Answer

Milling depth: Depending on the milling cutter, holes, pockets, and threads can only be milled to a certain depth. Minimum diameter and corner radius: Typically, a 2mm or 3mm milling cutter is used. This results in small corner radii for internal contours during CNC machining due to the round shape of the cutter. With a 2mm cutter, the corner radius is 1mm. If the corner radius is critical for fit accuracy, the corners can be milled with a 1mm cutter, or the corners can be "over-milled." In this case, the cutter extends slightly into the corner. Perfectly rectangular components then fit. If the required depth cannot be achieved according to the specifications, we will contact you and find a solution.

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Front Panel Manual

Case manual

FAQ

Manufacturing tolerances and machinery

Material type (size, thickness, type)

Machine-related limitations