Is the MechMate suitable for manufacturing these?
 

http://musicmanipulatives.com/images...ipulatives.jpgI currently cut these music manipulatives out with a band saw and scroll saw. I would like to manufacture them by the thousands. Would the MechMate be suitable for this purpose? I would love to build one if it is what I needed.

If it is not inappropriate to ask, would anyone be able to quote me a price for having them cut out? I actually have 15 music shapes I would need. Maybe a price on 100 sets of 15 shapes for a total of 1500 pieces?

Also, would anyone have any suggestions as to what type of material would be best suited for handling by small children without them breaking? I currently make them out of 1/4" oak plywood, and sometimes, if the kids are too rough on them, they do break.

Thanks!

1/4" (6.35mm) is child's play for a Mechmate,
you can cut hundreds from a single 4x8 sheet using CAM software with nesting and in the matter of couple of hours.

I make toys from plywood too, but use only 10mm (3/8") and 15mm because its more durable and simply unbreakable in small shapes.
Baltic birch plywood BB/CP (not waterproof) is what I use and it comes in 1525 x 1525 mm boards here in Europe.

I am sure you will get some PM from folks willing to cut these for you in those amounts.

How about using styrene, fairly durable and not brittle like ply on that small cross section, not sure if its available in 1/4" though?

If making something out of plastic in such large quantities I don't think cutting is good as casting. Wood is a natural material and much more adequate for child toys or small presents.

100 sets 0f 15 different shapes is just the right quantity to manufacture with any CNC router, but too small for a custom die/mould for other manufacturing processes such as punching & injection moulding.
*PS how can anything not break under children's creative destruction?

Follow up questions:

I'm assuming that inside corners would necessarily be rounded. What would be the diameter of a typical bit for this type of work?

Is it possible to have the top edges slightly rounded? That would save a lot of sanding! I guess what I'm wondering is if you can get a straight bit combined with a round-over portion on top.

Curtis,
All is very possible with either a single or multiple tool change.
- diameter would be most likely 1/4" or 3/16
- round the edge you can either do it post cutting with a round over bit on a static table or have 3d cutting profile to cut the part.

Curtis, I don't think there is any doubt that a MechMate is suitable for this job.

Hey, Gerald, thanks for the reply! I just don't know much about manufacturing. I am just trying to figure out what would be the most cost effective method of producing these in large quantities.

I'm great with computers and enjoy woodworking. I think a CNC machine like the MechMate would be right up my alley, assuming I could find the money to build one and a large enough space to house one.

We use 1/4" bits almost all the time.

It can be done as a second operation on the MechMate, but there are a couple of challenges to that approach; the radius must be small because the material is thin and the roundover bit can't be allowed to cut through the tabs holding the part to the sheet.

A 1/8" radius bit like this should work.

In our shop we generally roundover parts with a stationary router table.

If a major concern is strength, a 1/4" groove could be cut into the backside of the part and epoxy poured in.