Product category:
Materials and components
News Release from: Tecan | Subject: Photo-chemical machining
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 25 February 2008
Machining techniques create unique
jewellery
PCM enabled the jeweller's name to be etched into the side of each piece as part of a single process.
When commissioned by the Tate Modern to produce a niche range of jewellery items, Tess Blenkinsop realised she would need to involve high-precision manufacturing techniques to bring her pendants and earrings to life The pieces are all based on small coloured boxes with fine open lattice faces
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 12 Mar 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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She chose to use photo-chemical machining (PCM).
Tecan offers a 48-hour turnaround PCM service, producing burr and stress-free bespoke solutions.
It soon produced on-spec, high-precision 'blanks' ready for final fabrication by the jeweller.
The final parts were supplied in flat-pack form and tagged into a sheet for the customer to crop-out and hand form.
The forming was facilitated by the use of 65% depth-etched bend lines.
There were two different parts of similar design, a necklace box and an earring box, both of which were produced from 0.50mm thick aluminium.
Both parts were anodised and dyed in three different colours - red, blue and black.
PCM enabled the jeweller's name to be etched into the side of each piece as part of a single process.
The project is an example of the company's ability to cost-effectively produce custom parts using a combination of PCM and fine metal finishing.
The company offers a rapid turnaround on high-specification prototypes of flat metal components with very low tooling costs, based on a standard metal sheet 'blank' size of 300 x 400mm.
Base materials include stainless steel, copper, brass, aluminium, nickel silver, with many other materials available.
Designers and engineers are offered an extremely flexible opportunity, being able to specify as many parts as can be fitted into the prototype blank sheet's surface area.
It is possible to 'part-etch' areas of the design, such as fold lines, allowing the end user to easily fabricate custom 3D parts.
In addition to prototyping new parts and lower-volume runs, the service targets those seeking urgent access to high-quality precision-engineered parts for repair or retrofit.
Once the design is finalised, down-the-line production speeds and costs are reduced because the tooling is already in place.
Future modifications can be readily incorporated using the company's CAD system, ensuring any 'knock-on' tooling costs are also minimised.
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