SBIR-STTR Award

Fairmount Technologies (FT) proposes to develop a new process for machining curved extrusions that will have profound benefits in terms of improved part quality, lower production cost and reduced environmental impact. FT envisions a CNC process embodied in a ExtruMach multi-axis CNC machine that is much smaller in footprint, while being more capable than existing machines in that it will neither need fixtures, nor risk the part geometry becoming inaccurate (as is the case when a formed extrusion is flattened for machining), and be capable of thinning the part. It will take the known contour of the extrusion into account to trim, drill and thin extrusions as required.

Fairmount Technologies (FT) has demonstrated that ExtruMach is a disruptive technology for drilling curved extrusions and proposes to further develop this during Phase II for milling extrusions. ExtruMach-PoCM (proof of concept machine) is a flow-type multi-axis CNC machine with a small footprint, which is more capable than existing machines in that it has no limit on the length of parts it can handle, and does not need fixtures. The machine to be developed in Phase II, ExtruMach-Mill, will in addition be capable of milling and thinning the part, which is a breakthrough that will eliminate the current reliance on chemical milling in large acid baths. ExtruMach-Mill will take the known contour of the extrusion into account to trim, drill and thin extrusions as required. The technical goal of the proposed ExtruMach-Mill Phase II SBIR project is to develop ExtruMach technology to TRL7.