The Client: Fibre Reinforced Plastics, Henderson, New Zealand

The Objective: To produce an easy-to-handle plug by opening deadline for new DFS Shopping Complex in the old Customhouse in downtown Auckland

Existing Design: Provided by the client

Re-design phase: Design rework completed in 6 hours - original design converted to an acceptable format by Paul Zwaan for CNC machine operation

Machining phase: 18 hours from start to completion

Client comment:

The following is excerpted from an article in the December 97 issue of the specialist magazine Composite, written by the customer for whom Jackson Manufacturing created the machining for the Galleria plug. The article examined costing (monetary and time) for manual and automated manufacture of plugs.

I was recently faced with a problem wherein my plug making shop was up to its eyeballs in development work and I had a job come in that had a real tight time frame. If I couldn't get it done within a certain time I was going to lose it.

I was therefore forced to go 'outside' for the development work. We went down the usual avenues, chasing up plug makers and the odd boat shop, but all to no avail. Nobody was available to undertake the work within the allotted time.

The answer came in the form of a 5-Axis router. We found a computer guru who could translate the drawings into the appropriate language, and gave us a disc that could be loaded into the 5-Axis machine. A number of sheets of medium density fibreboard (MDF) were then glued together, and the whole lot delivered to the owner of the router.

About 5 days later, we had our plug,the moulds were made, product completed with the whole job finished several days ahead of schedule, much to everybody's delight.

The Process:

1. A laminated block of medium density fibre board (MDF) is secured to the 5-Axis machine table.		2.The general shape of the component starts to emerge after the machine head has made four rough cut passes across the project.
3.The final cut has a very small step over distance which results in a finished surface that requires very little sanding.		4.After hand finishing, a Victorian window arch is ready for despatch to the sign builder.
5.Fully finished, the Victorian window arch is installed in DFS, Customs Street, Auckland, New Zealand.