Core Machining & Kitting

MSA Manufacturing production facilities are equipped with cutting equipment to handle almost any type of closed cell foam core and honeycomb core material used in composite laminate part production, with grooves, perforations, scrims, contours and finish combinations as required.

Core materials cut and kitted include:

  • Foam cores (PVC, SAN, PET, PU)
  • Honeycomb cores (PVC, PC, Al, Aramid)
  • Balsa core materials

Core cutting capabilities include:

Routing (Large Parts):
  • 3 Axis CNC Router – Bed envelope: 2450 x 1225 x 250 mm.
  • 5 Axis CNC Router – Bed Envelope: 2450 x 1225 x 1200 mm.
Milling (Small Parts):
  • 3 Axis (Small Parts) CNC Milling machine: Bed envelope: 400 x 300 x 250 mm.
Abrasive Vertical Wire Cutting:
  • Cutting volume (metric) – (W) 2200 × (L) 3000 × (H) 300 mm.
  • Ideal process for accurately cutting rigid, semi-rigid and flexible foams.

In contrast to a traditional router, the wire cutting frame remains stationary and foam core materials move along a motorised conveyor belt, which accurately positions the foam material to ensure precision cutting throughout the shaping process.

Waterjet Cutting:
  • 3 Axis CNC waterjet cutting machine – Bed Envelope: (L) 3000 x (W) 2000 x 100mm (max) sheet thickness.
  • Intricate shapes can be accurately cut.
  • Fumeless, heat free cutting process, so no stress, dimensional change or heat damage to materials.
  • Complex shapes can be cut from sandwich panels and honeycomb core sheet materials.
  • Sheets can be ‘nested’ and waste can be minimized, so is a very cost effective process.

Kit Design & Kitting Services

Material cutting patterns are optimized to minimize material costs and waste.  Kits are supplied by MSA with full traceability, with each part of a kit being clearly labelled.  To save production time for customers, kits are sequentially packed to make it as quick and easy as possible to unpack and use on the shop floor.

All kits are based on customer supplied data in 2D or 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) model form.  The design of each cut to shape piece in a kit takes into account the component core and laminate design of the part, any restrictions due to the materials specified, the final part’s end use and the manufacturing processes used by both MSA and the customer.

Surface Flattening – is part of MSA Manufacturing’s Digital Engineering kit design process for producing accurately cut kits for complex, curved parts, such as boat hulls, aerofoils, or wind turbine blades; digitally flattening curved surfaces enables the exact material shape and dimensions needed for each kit part to be calculated and programmed for CNC machining and cutting.

MSA Manufacturing combines cost and time saving benefits with hassle free material outsourcing