We’ve gone through the operational processes of our waterjet and now it’s time to dig a little deeper on how our CNC punch machine functions.
Our Engineering Team produce the metalwork for our Aviation Team’s Ground Power Units, which typically have louvred panels, allowing for adequate ventilation for their products by allowing the heat generated to escape whilst keeping out unwanted elements such as water, dirt and any other debris. These louvred sections can be easily manufactured with the use of our punch machine, a modern sheet metal fabrication method that is completely computer-controlled.
Sheet metal punching is a cutting process in which material is removed from a piece of sheet metal by applying a great enough shearing force. Operating co-ordinates created via CAD/CAM software are uploaded to the machine which then can be used to produce holes or cut-outs of various shapes and sizes into sheet metal loaded on to the operating table. The die, located within the machine and underneath the sheet, has a cut-out in the shape of the desired feature. Punches and dies are usually geometric shapes (however, custom tooling can be made for punching more complex shapes). The punch is pressed downward at high speed through the sheet and into the die below as there is a small clearance between the edge of the punch and the die, causing the material to quickly bend and fracture. The slug that is punched out of the sheet falls freely through the tapered opening in the die. A CNC punch press can be hydraulically, pneumatically, or electrically powered and deliver around 600 punches per minute. We use a Muratec CNC Wiedeman Centrum C2500 which allows us to have 29 tools in the machine at any one time, ideal for projects with multiple patterns or cut-outs.
Our CNC punch machine is a versatile piece of kit, but we can also achieve similar results with our waterjet and laser cutters, so if you have a design that needs to be put into production, feel free to contact our Sales Team who can provide you with a quote free of charge. Just give them a call on +44 (0)2380 254285 or contact them via email at sales@redboxengineering.com.
