Subtractive Manufacture

Synova Lase-MicroJet cutters are entirely unique because the laser beam is focussed through a thin, low-pressure water jet. This brings several advantages including a longer working distance and cuts whose walls are closer to parallel. Perhaps the greatest benefit is that the water jet provides constant cooling, all but eliminating thermal damage even on sensitive materials. Our system is computer controlled in four axes (translation in x/y/z and one axis of rotation) allowing for relatively complex shapes to be cut.

Work area: 400 x 300 x 200mm

Resolution: 1µm

Materials: Any hard material, including metals, ceramics and even diamond. Maximum material thickness of about 7mm.

Accepted file types: DXF

Manufacturers website: www.synova.ch/machines/mcs-series/

Points to note:
The standard MicroJet nozzles we have in stock give beam width (and hence cut width) of 50µm. If you require a thinner cut please let us know as different nozzles are available from the manufacturer.

The DMU 40 is a high-end 5-axis CNC milling machine. It has rapid traverse and a high speed spindle for faster operation and to enable the use of smaller tools. It has extremely tight tolerances for high precision.

Work area: 400 x 400 x 375mm

Spindle speed: 18,000 rpm

Materials: All rigid engineering materials including metals and most plastics.
Accepted file types: Technical drawing / CAD model

Manufacturers website:
www.dmgmori.com/products/milling-machines/universal-milling-machines-for-5-sided-5-axis-machining/dmu-evo/dmu-40-evo-linear

This advanced CNC lathe offers a range of useful features that set it apart. Most significantly, the sliding headstock means that the part being worked is always supported very close to the tool, allowing for unusually small diameters to be achieved without loss of accuracy. Integration of rotary tools, front and back spindles and comprehensive tooling allows for useful features including non-circular profiles, non-central holes and internal or external threading.

Diameter range: < 0.5mm – 12mm

Materials: All rigid engineering materials including metals and most plastics.

Accepted file types: Technical drawing / CAD model

Manufacturers website: www.citizenmachinery.co.uk/l12vii.asp

This PCB processing machine produces circuit traces as small as 50μm, along with spacing of 25μm. It can also operate as a conventional laser cutter for thin materials.