Mori Seiki’s Cutting Dream Contest 2007

February 15, 2008 10:35 AM

The Gold prize in the Die and Mold machining section of Mori Seiki’s Cutting Dream Contest Awards 2007 was won by the Kawanami Ironworks Inc. Based in Kyoto, Japan, the company machined a jacket from aluminum.

The engineer responsible at Kawanami Ironworks explained the process. “The model was entirely made up of free form surfaces, so the most difficult task was planning the sequence of operations and positioning the job datum.” The ultimate aim was to produce a finished product which properly represented the look and feel of the jacket.

5-Axis machining videos from Sescoi, who developed WorkNC.

posted by prostyle (15 comments total)

Oh Jeebus, I wish the videos were of the jacket (and worked better on my computer). CNC machining rules so much.

Check out an entire engine block machined from a solid block of aluminum.
posted by DU at 10:42 AM on February 15, 2008 [1 favorite]

Finally, something to match my tinfoil hat!
posted by ardgedee at 10:43 AM on February 15, 2008

Goddammit, and I can't yet afford a dinky little Sherline/Taig. Foo.
posted by aramaic at 10:49 AM on February 15, 2008

Goddammit, and I can't yet afford a dinky little Sherline/Taig. Foo.

Ditto. And even if I could, I'd have to dump a lot of basement junk to find a place to put it.

I've started building a Gingery lathe, but it's very slow going what with being lazy and all.
posted by DU at 10:50 AM on February 15, 2008

That's amazing, and yet at the same time really naff and ugly.
posted by Artw at 11:05 AM on February 15, 2008

at the same time really naff and ugly.

Yeah. I'm sort of torn about it, personally. On the one hand it's amazing & the toolpath must have been insane, and on the other hand I kinda feel like "you spent all that effort for *this*? THIS is what you've been doing with all of our expensive equipment? Really?"
posted by aramaic at 11:08 AM on February 15, 2008

It's a remarkable sculpture of a jacket... but not a "wearable" jacket. Right?
posted by tkchrist at 11:11 AM on February 15, 2008

The amazing thing is that the bear can dance at all.
posted by DU at 11:11 AM on February 15, 2008

It's a remarkable sculpture of a jacket... but not a "wearable" jacket. Right?

I think that's right. I don't know if that makes the jacket sculpture more or less impressive, honestly.
posted by chrominance at 11:29 AM on February 15, 2008

I like how the surface of the metal makes the jacket look like a graphite illustration of a jacket.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:39 AM on February 15, 2008

Anyone know if you can acquire a trial version of the WorkNC without pre-qualification?
posted by Mitheral at 12:16 PM on February 15, 2008

S/b the aluminum prize, amirite?
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:25 PM on February 15, 2008

As neat as it is, I get a real trophyish vibe off of it. Like the thing you might award to someone for having the best satin jacket in the county or something.

Still, an amazing bit of work, I'm sure.
posted by quin at 1:15 PM on February 15, 2008

As much as I geek out about CNC fabrication, I would still rather have this. It is carved, by hand, from wood, by this gentleman.
posted by Enron Hubbard at 6:54 AM on February 16, 2008

I work with this stuff for a living--I'm trying to imagine how insane this code looks. Good lord.
posted by TrialByMedia at 9:20 AM on February 16, 2008