Composite Machining Center

November 13, 2012

Royal Engineered Composites successfully installed a Composite Machining Center (CMC). The CMC, built by Flow International Corp., is reportedly the first ever Class B machine to be built.

Royal will use the CMC to provide the high-quality cutting. The Class B CMC offers both a 5 axis router and a 5 axis abrasive waterjet cutting arm with an envelope of 6.5m x 2.5m x 1m. The CMC machine will be used to cut and drill parts and will open Royal to larger scale opportunities.

Related Glossary Terms

  • abrasive

    abrasive

    Substance used for grinding, honing, lapping, superfinishing and polishing. Examples include garnet, emery, corundum, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride and diamond in various grit sizes.

  • abrasive waterjet ( AWJ)

    abrasive waterjet ( AWJ)

    System that uses high-pressure waterjets in combination with a slurry of fine abrasive grains to machine materials. See waterjet cutting.

  • composites

    composites

    Materials composed of different elements, with one element normally embedded in another, held together by a compatible binder.

  • machining center

    machining center

    CNC machine tool capable of drilling, reaming, tapping, milling and boring. Normally comes with an automatic toolchanger. See automatic toolchanger.

  • waterjet cutting

    waterjet cutting

    Fine, high-pressure (up to 50,000 psi or greater), high-velocity jet of water directed by a small nozzle to cut material. Velocity of the stream can exceed twice the speed of sound. Nozzle opening ranges from between 0.004" to 0.016" (0.l0mm to 0.41mm), producing a very narrow kerf. See AWJ, abrasive waterjet.