Machining costs idea
Discussion
For very low volume...ie:..one pair. you would be far better off using an off the shelf part or at best a fabricated steel upright...a little heavier but much cheaper than all the design,fixturing and machining of billet....and much more readily available.But to answer your question expect to pay approx. 50 pounds per hour for maching and then approx the same for design and fixturing.
Did you sell your GT40???
Did you sell your GT40???
Edited by Fran Hall on Sunday 8th October 18:39
Edited by Fran Hall on Sunday 8th October 19:07
I did sell the GT40!!! I will already have the design etc so that is not a problem so it is the machining only that I would need, the problem I am having is that I am having to compromise the oversall chassis design by using other suppliers components and I will always find myself at the mercy of their own supplies which could change/stop etc
£50/hour of machining seems ok to me though, I wouldnt imagine it would take any more than a few hours to machine a piece of billet aluminium though you reckon?
£50/hour of machining seems ok to me though, I wouldnt imagine it would take any more than a few hours to machine a piece of billet aluminium though you reckon?
The toolmaker's I use to make components charge around £35 hour. If you design it yourself and supply a drawing (doesn't need to be a CAD drawing, microsoft word will do) it shouldn't take long to make.
Just be sure that the billet isn't too much larger than the end components.
IMO, saving weight would be worth the extra costs. You could ask your local machinists for a written quote that should be valid for a month.
Let us know what you decide and the outcome.
Just be sure that the billet isn't too much larger than the end components.
IMO, saving weight would be worth the extra costs. You could ask your local machinists for a written quote that should be valid for a month.
Let us know what you decide and the outcome.
Hello M400 NBL, have you got the contact details for the toolmaker you know? I would be supplying them with CAD drawings for the uprights as I guess they would turn into a program for a CNC milling machine at a guess. I would want to use billet aluminium, easier to machine than steel anyway but also the weight saving is crucial really and aluminium would help with this. Also off the shelf uprights are cast in many cases or rediculously expensive (re Quaife) and this way I would have a part perfect for the design
Corvette - not thought about those and can you buy them off the shelf from anywhere in the UK and are CAD drawings available?
S2000 - as above but are they uprights on the front?
Elise - have looked at GT version of these with the hubs and I think they are quite large for what they are and I could not CAD drawings
MGF - wouldnt want to use something coming from a company that no longer exists
Ultima - will not sell parts to people who are not building one of their cars
Forman P4 (car builder solutions) - do not have CAD drawings and seem a little expensive for cast uprights at £1500 for a full set (not including VAT), no CAD drawings
Ferrari 308/348/355/360/430 - these parts are just comically expensive from breaks or dare I say from new(!), paying for the horse and thats it really and the chance of getting CAD drawings for any Ferrari parts is about as likely as finding a nun running naked round Rome
The best option I have at the moment is having custom items machined which are perfect for the job and if I can get this done at £35 per hour then it seems worth it
S2000 - as above but are they uprights on the front?
Elise - have looked at GT version of these with the hubs and I think they are quite large for what they are and I could not CAD drawings
MGF - wouldnt want to use something coming from a company that no longer exists
Ultima - will not sell parts to people who are not building one of their cars
Forman P4 (car builder solutions) - do not have CAD drawings and seem a little expensive for cast uprights at £1500 for a full set (not including VAT), no CAD drawings
Ferrari 308/348/355/360/430 - these parts are just comically expensive from breaks or dare I say from new(!), paying for the horse and thats it really and the chance of getting CAD drawings for any Ferrari parts is about as likely as finding a nun running naked round Rome
The best option I have at the moment is having custom items machined which are perfect for the job and if I can get this done at £35 per hour then it seems worth it
Because I have just started working at a new company, I am sort of tied to one company they have been using for decades. I'm not sure of the hourly rate of the company I will paste below but the quotes they have given me have been sometimes half that of others. Give them a call and tell them that Gary, formerly of Avery Dennison (they relocated this year) gave you their details. The quality of their work is second to none too.
Langton Engineering, 01628 632764, Precision Engineers Denmark St, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7BN.
Talk to Neil Langton if possible or ask Tony for his e-mail address.
Best of luck and give my regards to Neil.
Langton Engineering, 01628 632764, Precision Engineers Denmark St, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7BN.
Talk to Neil Langton if possible or ask Tony for his e-mail address.
Best of luck and give my regards to Neil.
If the CNC the billet they would charge you for making the path files from your drawing, which would take a fair chunk of time at about 50-75 quid an hour, plus table time of 50 quid an hour, plus finishing at 25-50 quid an hour.
If your thinking of something being milled from a regular rectangular chunk of about 3 litres and loosing, say 65% of the material, your talking 2-6 hours for the CNC paths, 2-6 hours on the table (depending on level of finish) and 1-2 hours hand finishing. If you also need it checking against you part design you talking another hour at about 20-30 quid an hour - all per part, so double it for the pair, but take off the CNC path design time (they can just reflect them).
If you don't need it that exact (average CNC table is accurate to about about 1 thou but then once finished) then you can get a decent tool maker to do the same sort of job in about 8 hours per part for 35-60 quid an hour, but the tolerances would need to be a bit more open.
ETA - I used to work with on CAD and CNC for a toolmaking and RP comapny called Penta Pattern & Model, based in the midlands I can give your their details if you want
If your thinking of something being milled from a regular rectangular chunk of about 3 litres and loosing, say 65% of the material, your talking 2-6 hours for the CNC paths, 2-6 hours on the table (depending on level of finish) and 1-2 hours hand finishing. If you also need it checking against you part design you talking another hour at about 20-30 quid an hour - all per part, so double it for the pair, but take off the CNC path design time (they can just reflect them).
If you don't need it that exact (average CNC table is accurate to about about 1 thou but then once finished) then you can get a decent tool maker to do the same sort of job in about 8 hours per part for 35-60 quid an hour, but the tolerances would need to be a bit more open.
ETA - I used to work with on CAD and CNC for a toolmaking and RP comapny called Penta Pattern & Model, based in the midlands I can give your their details if you want
Edited by MTv Dave on Monday 9th October 11:26
jkyle69 said:
Corvette - not thought about those and can you buy them off the shelf from anywhere in the UK and are CAD drawings available?
They'll be making them by the million and there'll be plenty of aftermarket stuff in the States. The latest C6 stuff has to be a top choice.
jkyle69 said:
S2000 - as above but are they uprights on the front?
double wishbones all round.
jkyle69 said:
Forman P4 (car builder solutions) - do not have CAD drawings and seem a little expensive for cast uprights at £1500 for a full set (not including VAT), no CAD drawings
For that money they'd surely tell you the important dimensions.
jkyle69 said:
The best option I have at the moment is having custom items machined which are perfect for the job and if I can get this done at £35 per hour then it seems worth it
One offs are very expensive, even dozens off are fairly pricey.
Why the need for a CAD file? All you need are the important dimensions and you can measure these yourself. A another idea is to take your S2000/Corvette/Forman upright to a company to generate a drawing from that shows the important dimensions.
The alloy Prosport ones that I used can be unmachined for under £500, they cost me about £80-£100 each to get them machined to take my bearings etc
can't get CAD drawings for them but I'm sure the basic dimensions can measured to see if they suit.... will be very similar to Ultima and NF ones though
can't get CAD drawings for them but I'm sure the basic dimensions can measured to see if they suit.... will be very similar to Ultima and NF ones though
Edited by andygtt on Tuesday 10th October 14:58
OK, a quick summary-
S2000
RX8
Forman P4
GD Cobra
Corvette
MX5
Elise
Jaguar S type
(I forgot some of those earlier)
Take your choice to a local engineering firm and ask them to do you a CAD drawing showing the important dimensions.
Or just measure it yourself.
The advantages of this method is that you get a properly tested part that will fit lots of mass market and aftermarket bits. All you need to do when ordering wheels, brakes or steering parts is to state the car you got the uprights from.
S2000
RX8
Forman P4
GD Cobra
Corvette
MX5
Elise
Jaguar S type
(I forgot some of those earlier)
Take your choice to a local engineering firm and ask them to do you a CAD drawing showing the important dimensions.
Or just measure it yourself.
The advantages of this method is that you get a properly tested part that will fit lots of mass market and aftermarket bits. All you need to do when ordering wheels, brakes or steering parts is to state the car you got the uprights from.
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