Back again, For those of you who might not know, I work for Phillips Patterns & Castings in Muncie, IN, an aluminum Foundry and Production CNC shop. We making American made parts, Im an engineer, Foundry worker, CNC operator/somewhat programmer, pattern maker. I know some of you are really interested in casting process and how things are made, some of you may have ran across my last thread on this http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=622365 .This one how ever is a lot more relevant to the hamb. I've designed up a 671 blower and i am machining the pattern right now, should have castings by next week and ill post the video hopefully by beginning of next month. For anyone who likes manufacturing, how things are made or just wants to show support for an American manufacturing company, you can follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/DiamondP We post all of our builds and will be taking you through the in-depth processes that are required to manufacture a product. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask. Part one: Design to Casting Photo Albums 1-150 http://imgur.com/a/9WQsQ If anyone wants to help us out, feel free to share the video on any other forum --------------------------------------------------------- Cutting the pattern Starting on the patterns plate Cutting the coreboxes that are used to make the core, which is then used to make the hollow inside of the blower. Corebox and pattern done Mounted the blower to the plate, machining the rest of the pockets and the pattern will be done. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Cutting out the rest of the cope side of the pattern with the renwood mounted to the aluminum plate
New photo up. also, If you have questions please ask them on the thread, that way everyone can read them. I've found that most people tend to ask questions that someone else has already asked. Not referring to you though exwestracer, you'res was more specific. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [/B][/SIZE]Day 6- Machining pockets into the 1" aluminum plate that will be the pattern board, the blower pattern will be located and mounted on this board. Done ----------------------------------------------------------- Machining the pockets ------------------------------------------------------------- 1" aluminum plate setting up for machining -------------------------------------------------- 1 of 2 coreboxes, rough cut ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 3- Finished, The Lines you see are just pencil marks, now just need to mount it to a board, flip it and machine the underside pockets and cope coreprints --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd layer finishing cut Third layer cut and glued, rough cutting it then finish cut with a 0.25 ball mill, should be done today then start cutting the core boxes next week. Second layer completely done, will cut and finish the top tomorrow. ------------------------------------------------------------- Finishing cut on the second layer, tolerance ±0.0005, Z level drop is 0.0020. Half way done ------------------------------------------------------------- a photo of the CNC machine cutting the pattern, im cutting this in 3" layers of renwood. The layers are just super glued together then i post-process the tool paths and drip-feed it to the machine. This photo is of it doing a Z plan cut and leaving a 0.0500" machine stock. --------------------------------------------------------------- This photo is the designed pattern i am cutting. --------------------------------------------------------- This photo is what the finished casting will look like.
My question is why? There are several places to get these now, it is possible to make new ones and make money selling them?
yes this is pattern is going into production as soon as its done, the faces will be machined to fit half and full round plates.
we are going to me making an 871 after this one, then probably a 471 and intake manifold adapters to.
We are able to manufacture them because unlike a lot of company's, we started as a manufacturer, making parts for other company's and have moved into making and selling our own products. a lot of company's that sell products, dont actually own the foundry's or machine shops so they outsource various components (rotors, cases, gears, ect.), which means they have to pay a mark up each time. We manufacture from start to finish, right here in our foundry and CNC shop, and by the end of winter we will be putting in our own powder coat line so we will be able to coat them to. The only things we don't do in house is heat treat, anodize, and hydro-coating. People talk about American manufacturing being dead but its not, just really down right now, if you do it right and make high quality products you can actually make a good bit of money. And since a lot of hot rodders understand buying american and prefer quality products, we have found our marketing niche
I always like to see someone succeed. I hope you do well by producing a good product and make lots of money.
More power to you. Good luck. If you can do it bigger, better, faster, or cheaper, you'll do good. Manage to achieve all 4 and you'll clean up.
www.diamondp.com Feel free to compare prices We also have but aren't listed on our sit yet, 55 and 53 tooth belts which are actually being machined on our lathe right now, about 30 feet from me. we have steel gear couplers coming in from a broaching company in Detroit within a week and manifold adapter plates being cast soon.
ill post photos of the 55 teeth being machined in the lathe in about an hour, have to get back to the machine right now, been waiting on it to get done for 6 hrs now
new photo up of the second layer completely done. -------------------------------------------------- here is the 55 teeth i was talking about
We will be making Adapter plates to intakes, which i've already made the pattern for just waiting on the foundry to cast them. What you will be able to do though is send us your intake, we would machine it so our adapter fits perfectly, then have our welders weld it from the inside so you wouldn't see any weld marks on the outside. We've done this a few times already but i can't recalled what we charged for it. It cost a lot of money to make the tooling for intakes, especially supercharger intakes. If demand is high enough for them though we might consider making the tooling for some supercharger intakes. We will make anything as long as we feel it will turn a decent profit. If you want us to make one the best way to persuade us would be to start a poll on here of various engine you think would be popular or ones that no one makes anymore and are hard to find, then let everyone vote on which ones they would like to see made &/or would buy themselves. Once i have an engine i would take a poll on various prices people would pay for them, then go from there.
more photos, third day, cutting the third layer. just curious though, im working at my uncles shop for this pattern so this dog doesn't run around molten metal or anything, but how many of you out there have shop dogs? this one's name is paris.
Why use a cast blank for the pulley rather than start with a round billet? Cheaper, stronger, less waste? It can't be because it's easier. As for the blower intake question, I think you'll be swamped with guys wanting 4-71 intakes for everything from flatheads to SBC's. Maybe you should think about V belt drives a well.
Its cheaper for us to cast them, we mainly pour A356 which we can make stronger than 6061, but i believe the pulleys are cast from 319. Billet is definitely not less waste than casting, we cut the gating off and remelt it. the inside of the pulley is hollowed out with a pocket, you can see it if you look close at the pictures. We also you high efficiency electric furnaces and nitrogen degassers to purify the metal, resulting in a cleaner, stronger casting. there is only an 1/8" machine stock on a casting that is machined off and that goes to waste. We are talking to an extrusion company right now on making a die. It will extrude the teeth and all, that way we just have to hollow it and drill the holes. Ya i know, tons of people have been asking about 471 stuff. We actually make v belts too, just forgot to mention it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ thanks
Is this an exact duplicate of a GMC blower(the type originally used on diesel engines and modified for gasoline automotive engines), as in, side by side you could not tell the difference?
Just wondering if your employer is OK with doing all this? I have been around employer's who could care less about "government projects" as long as it was not during work hours. Some even welcomed the projects as a means to sharpen employee skills, good will, and employee loyalty. On the other hand, I have seen employers go ballistic over such things also!
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