Manufactured Prototypes

Low-Volume Manufactured Prototypes

Thirty-five years of servicing the metal-casting and plastic industry – listening to your needs and leveraging the knowledge and relationships formed over those years – lets LMP provide you with the finest quality product at a very competitive cost. Our business is keeping your business on time and on budget. We anticipate customer needs, and consistently exceed expectations.

LMP is your one-stop source for aluminum, brass and bronze, iron, and steel castings in heat-and-wear resistant alloys. Not only do we manufacture molds and tooling in-house, we also tackle mold repairs and modifications.

We can custom build models from a variety of materials: foam, wood, urethanes, epoxies – even a variety of metals.
Our models are used for a multitude of purposes: size and use testing, simulation tests, aerodynamic wind tunnel analyses, and many other scientific applications.
LMP conventionally machines single or low quantity parts and prototypes to your material and dimensional specifications.
LMP machines and casts mold prototypes in a variety of materials for low-quantity runs of vacuum formed or molded materials.
LMP manufactures fixtures in small quantities for many industry specific tasks including:
- Fixtures for welding
- Trimming fixtures for the plastics industry
- Cooling fixtures to locate and maintain part shape while specific surface areas cool
- Fixtures for displaying your parts at your facility or tradeshow

EXAMPLE PARTS

SPECIFICATIONS

CASE STUDIES

Example Parts

Specifications

Commonly Used Materials

LMP can build models, prototypes or perform short production runs of parts in a variety of materials including:

ABS Plastics
Polyurethane Foams
Stainless Steel
Aluminum
Wood
Wax
Epoxy Resins

Production Methods

We have the ability to create prototypes, molds, fixtures, castings and various other low production parts with a variety of methods. From manual and CNC machining to water jet cutting, Electric Discharge Machining (EDM) and laser jet cutting, LMP can provide accurate parts or models. We can also use:

Stereolithography (SLA)
Direct Mold Milling
Pressure Pour PU Resins
Gravity Pour PU Resins
Pour Expandable Foam PU Resins

Basic machine assembly is used to finish all parts and fixtures if necessary.

Applications for Prototypes and Models

Models can be used to simulate die-cast parts in terms of size and use testing, simulation tests, aerodynamic wind tunnel analyses, and many other scientific applications. They can also be used in the production process to generate a mold. Models are not functional parts, they are only fully detailed representations of the final part.

Prototypes are fully functioning parts and they are used for low volume applications. Usually for single pieces and replacement parts, prototyping is a cost effective way to create short run tooling or even disposable tools. This includes:

Machining wax for Investment Cast Tooling pattern
Short-run thermoform or rotomold tool (disposable tools)
Metal washers
Various other parts and tools

Part Size Limitations

We can manufacture patterns and tooling of all sizes- from small, intricate equipment to large pieces that need to be trucked in for our customers. We have worked with short production runs of small washers to models as big as 30 in. diameter by 50 in. long.

Machining Tolerances

LMP has the ability to produce your smallest most intricate parts, molds, and models with tolerances +/- .005” using conventional and CNC machine tools.

Production Volume

LMP provides custom built to specification tooling- typically in a single quantity. For low volume production runs, we normally deal with anywhere from 1 to 25 or 50 parts.

Preferred Drawing Submission

We support DWG, DXF, IGES, DSN, SCPRT, x_t and other customer files utilizing our Surfcam software and can arrange for file conversion of any program we do not currently support.

Software

LMP uses Surfcam CAD/CAM Software for all tooling design and fabrication.

In-House Equipment

Motionmaster 60 x 60 x 30 CNC 5-axis router (2)
Thermwood 60 x 120 3-axis CNC
Freyer 30 X 60 X 30 3-axis Vertical Machining Center
Cintimatic 18 X 30 X 18 3-axis Vertical Machining Center
Wadkins Vertical Turning Center

Case Studies

NASA Win Project

LMP was recently awarded contracts which involved the construction of several simulation models to be used at the NASA John Glenn Space Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Astronauts will be placed in a simulated environment and required to perform the actual tasks necessary during space flight. The tolerances necessary for realistic recreation of the flight models, presented challenges requiring new twists on existing modeling methods.

First LMP machined a foam mold on our 5-axis router. The mold was then sprayed with a coating which provides a durable polished finish. LMP manufactured the chamber in quarter sections poured of polyurethane around the CNC lathe machined stainless steel window ring assembly.

The dome was completed with the use of a full mold. Several loose pieces were required, allowing the part to draw out of the mold. Both the window chamber and the end dome contained numerous machined stainless inserts incorporated into the part in the molding process.

NASA Win Project manufactured components

Photos (top left, clockwise):

Stainless CNC turned windows, welded and set up for the initial 1/4 segment pour of hapflex 665 urethane which ultimately produces the window chamber section of the assembly.
Molded urethane end dome with threaded stainless steel inserts.
An optics relay trainer to be used at NASA. It was manufactured from solid round stock 6061 aluminum. Inside the housing we installed an adjustable aperture (the adjustment arm is seen protruding through the body). Each end has a CNC-machined polycarbonate lens installed.
Complete assembly of window chamber and end cap.