Table Of Contents
Key Points
- There are many different types of machining projects, and different manufacturing partners will excel in different categories.
- Modus Advanced is best for the CNC machining of EMI and RF shielding enclosures that require application of form-in-place gaskets, RF absorbers, and thermal pads.
- For best-fit projects, Modus Advanced is poised to deliver parts with shorter lead times and strict quality requirements.
As a category, CNC machining is one of the widest and most diverse categories of manufacturing there is. CNC machining can be used to make a large number of components, and there are specific skill sets required to manufacture complex, precision designs and more standard high-volume designs.
Modus Advanced, in particular, excels in a few very specific categories that make us a unique partner for RF and EMI shielding projects.
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Read Everything You Need To Know About CNC Machining
Our Capabilities
From the highest level, Modus Advanced can machine both metal and plastic parts. But we typically work on very specific projects that take advantage of our full skillset, including:
EMI and RF Shielding Enclosures
We have a long history of machining EMI shielding enclosures, and our team is especially well-versed in helping engineers make their enclosure designs more manufacturable. We can provide expert guidance on design features that will help reduce the time it takes to produce a machined shield as well as the total cost.
We’ve even built an entire process around helping get your RF shield from the design phase to completion faster, and with the highest level of quality.
Enclosures that Require Application of Form-in-Place Gaskets
As a vertically integrated manufacturer, our in-house processes cover concurrent manufacturing processes like CNC machining, application of platings or coatings, form-in-place (FIP) gasket dispensing, and the application of thermal materials or RF absorbers.
Very few manufacturers do both CNC machining and FIP gasket dispensing. Typically OEMs would have to source the project to separate vendors for each process. This can lead to a lot of issues and back-and-forth between vendors trying to troubleshoot issues with the application of an FIP gasket on a previously machined enclosure.
Having access to a partner who knows how both processes will interact means our team can provide design feedback about the machined enclosure that will make application of an FIP gasket more effective, before the part is machined. This saves time, money, and plenty of headaches along the way.
Flat Aluminum Plates
Our team is especially skilled at controlling flatness of machined parts. Our incredibly stringent quality control practices have set us up to shine in this area, providing us the tools we need to control flatness issues and anticipate tool deflection. When tight tolerances around flatness exist, particularly when coupled with the application of form-in-place gaskets, our skills are nearly unmatched.
Quick-Turn Prototype Work
Within the confines of the project categories listed above, we are poised to work closely with OEMs on quick-turn work. Our concurrent in-house manufacturing processes allow us to deliver finished components quickly, and our team of engineers is well-equipped to work directly with your engineers to iterate on a design in a rapid prototyping environment.
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Precision CNC Machining Technology
Materials
By and large, the most common types of housing we see are designed from 6061 aluminum, but we are capable of working with a wide variety of other materials, including plastics, when necessary.
CNC Machines
Across our manufacturing locations we have multiple Okuma Horizontal Milling Machines, Vertical Milling Machines, and 5-Axis Milling Machines in order to ensure we can machine parts in multiple planes and with complex geometries.
We also use tool part probes, spindle probes, and automatic tool breakage detection software to prevent any lost cycle time. This helps us in our goal of delivering parts with shorter lead times and at the highest quality.
Quality Management Technology
Here are some of the tools we use to catch any issues and manage quality:
- Zeiss CMM: CMM allows us to ensure quality on the production floor quickly and accurately.
- Keyence CMM: This is a handheld and portable coordinate measuring machine that measures the dimensions of 3D parts.
- The Micro-Vu Excel: A measuring center on a gantry stage system equipped with a high-resolution camera-based measuring system to get fast, accurate measurements on a wide variety of parts.
What Makes Modus Advanced Unique?
You may be asking yourself why Modus Advanced is poised so well to help with the precision CNC machining projects listed. The answer is that we’ve strategically built our business to focus on delivering complex components faster.
- Vertically Integrated Model: We’ve structured everything from our business to our manufacturing floor to provide end-to-end parts to our customers. Because our mission is to help OEMs bring life-changing products to market faster, we’ve designed everything we do around reducing lead times for our customers. Our customers end up with those shorter lead times as well as improved quality, lower risk, and lower total manufacturing costs.
- 10% of our Staff are Engineers: In order to provide the level of useful design feedback our customers need, we’ve staffed our organization with plenty of degreed engineers. This helps to ensure we can guide customers from prototype to production and help them arrive at the most manufacturable designs.
- Commitment to Quality: At Modus, quality is paramount, so we invest heavily in the best technology to measure and ensure quality, and we've built a robust quality system to allow us to deliver the highest quality parts in the shortest lead time.
Your Partner for Precision CNC Machining Services
CNC machining is just one thing we do, but it supports a whole host of other processes that we have. And while we may not be the right fit for every machining project out there, we are absolutely the best fit for the types of projects that fit within our unique wheelhouse.
To get started on a machining project, reach out to our team today. Give us a call at 925-960-8700 or contact us online.
