Online factory eMachineShop announces major expansion of services

Citation

(2006), "Online factory eMachineShop announces major expansion of services", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 53 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2006.12853cab.008

Online factory eMachineShop announces major expansion of services

Online factory eMachineShop announces major expansion of services

eMachineShop (www.emachineshop.com) the world’s first “factory on the internet” announces expanded capabilities to meet skyrocketing demand for parts designed and delivered online.

According to Jim Lewis, eMachineShop President, “We added plasma cutting to allow our online customers to order larger and heavier metal shapes at low cost. Rubber molding and die cutting open completely new capabilities to meet the production needs of our customers. Each of the new services helps companies, organizations and individuals gain the convenience and cost advantages of getting parts via the internet.”

Plasma cutting

eMachineShop now provides plasma cutting to its available cutting tools in order to save customers money. A plasma cutter uses a jet of ionized gas to cut metals up to about 1 in. in thickness. It gives similar precision to laser cutting, but at a fraction of the price.

Rubber molding

EMS now offers rubber injection molding plus conventional plastic injection molding. This will allow online manufacturers to build custom shaped, shock resistant coverings for cell phones and other electronics, ranging from meter housings to toys.

Steel rule die blanking

As eMachineShop customers are increasingly ordering longer production runs, steel rule die cutting allows very low cost production of flat parts made of cardboard, fabric, plastic and other thin materials.

Welding

Along with cutting, molding, milling, and turning, a growing number of EMS customers have asked for welding in order to expand the EMS role as a turnkey online manufacturer. Conventional welding of steel as well as gas-shielded welding is now available at very reasonable rates.

“In addition to these major capabilities,” Mr Lewis added, “Numerous convenience improvements were included in the new version. We are finding that customers of all types are increasingly comfortable with designing and obtaining mechanical parts via the internet.”

eMachineShop at-a-glance

eMachineShop is an innovative web site offering the easiest, most cost-effective way to turn ideas into real 3D parts at both prototype and production quantities. The web site even offers a wide range of easy-to-understand tips and advice so that both engineers and non-engineers are able to successfully design and order custom parts.

Jim Lewis explained, “Whether designing a new part or need more of an existing part, getting custom parts is time consuming and costly. Until now, you had to buy and learn expensive and complex CAD software, make technical drawings, locate a machining facility, find a way to transmit the drawings to the shop, discuss the design with an accomplished machinist, sift through numerous price quotations, and eventually get your part – often paying thousands of dollars more than necessary while adding weeks of delay.”

Users download eMachineShop’s free CAD software. During the design phase, eMachineShop’s automated machining expert analyses the shape, material and finish to keep the user informed of any physical limitations, thereby making it easy for engineers and non-technical people to design parts quickly and easily.

A 3D preview spins the object around on the user’s screen to visualize the final part before ordering. From the customer’s screen to the customer’s door, eMachineShop takes care of everything totally transparently.

eMachineShop currently offers CNC milling, turning, punching, blanking, laser cutting, plastic extrusion, thermoforming, tapping, bending, water jet cutting, wire EDM and injection molding. Surface finishes include brushing, plating, powder coating, anodizing, polishing, grinding, and more. Materials span a broad selection of metals, plastics, woods, composites and others.

eMachineShop is a subsidiary of Micro Logic, a privately held technology organization located at 666 Godwin Avenue, Midland Park, NJ 07432, Tel: 201-447-9120, web site: www.emachineshop.com