I recently had a customer ask me about the size of the holes in our CNC machining. We had some back and forth about this because I kept repeating that we can machine any size or shape hole, and he wanted to know what the size actually worked out to be. It finally dawned on me what we were talking about.He wanted to know what size drill bit we would use to create a certain diameter hole. He was looking to find out what drill bit he should specify so that there would be a ½” diameter hole on the enclosure.Using a drill bit is just one of the options of customizing plastic electronic enclosures. Some companies use drills and while they can machine squares by “drawing” the shape with the drill bit, a round hole would simply be created by boring the desired sized drill into the plastic. The size of the holes is limited to the diameter of the drill bits.
CNC Machining
Another option is CNC Machining. CNC stands for computer numerical control. There are multiple types of CNC machines, for all kinds of materials. Polycase uses special machines designed especially for plastic materials. Using specific coordinates, the program tells the computer where to mill the hole, as well as the size and shape. based on what coordinates the hole should span. An operator enters the programming code into the machine, and also changes out the blank parts for the machined versions.There are many types of set ups as well. Some machines have a robotic arms that move around the products. This type of machine is most often used with large product that is difficult, or heavy, to move around. The type of machine typically used for our plastic electronic enclosures has a table with clamps. The enclosure is set within the vice so that it does not move during the process, and the table moves around the end mill.In my next post, we’ll explore what CNC Machining can do to make our plastic electronic enclosure into your end use product.
In Plastic Electronic Enclosures