

5 Axis Milling Machine Making V8 Engine Block - mhb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsmiIeAkE-o

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sophacles
Cool link, cool vid -- Im so glad this wasnt some javascript thing taking the
metaphor too far :). Seems like a waste of metal tho -- anyone know why this
would be done? (other than to show off 1337 cnc skillz?)

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maxharris
The metal chips are typically not wasted (it is trivial to wash and melt them
into a new billet). Milling from scratch gives you a stronger (and more
expensive) part than if you were to cast and machine it.

Ever watch Apple's unibody MacBook Pro video? They use the same technology to
machine the cases on our laptops.

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sophacles
Thanks for the info. Why is machining stronger than casting? it seems to me
that to make a billet you'd need to cast that first...

As a related question: Is one method more energy efficient than the other?

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maxharris
> Why is machining stronger than casting?

One reason is that billets are far less likely to have pores and other defects
(caused by air bubbles) than a casting.

> Is one method more energy efficient than the other?

Which is more energy efficient depends on the application and expected life of
the part. Casting several cheaper parts and paying to replace them may or may
not be cheaper/more efficent if you look at the entire process (including
shipping and human interactions with the part).

