The Coaster Project

Lessons Learned

While the Haas CNC machine can be intimidating to new users, the commands are easy to learn. In today's world where more and more tasks are being designated to machines, it is crucial that engineers learn how to operate a CNC. Although the CNC machine performs the machining tasks for the operator, it is important to remember that the CNC is still a piece of heavy machinery with moving parts and sharp objects, and safety must still be a top priority when using this machine. It is important to remember the safety features and procedures of the CNC machine, such as the feed hold button, the rapid override keys, and the emergency stop button. 

Cost Estimate to Make One Coaster 

The coaster project only involves one component: a piece of aluminum bar stock. Because this is an automated process, no cost of labor needs to be considered in the price calculation. The cost of one coaster is calculated below:

Improving Coaster Production and Efficiency

As the coaster is already a mostly automated process, this project is very efficient. However, if this coaster was mass produced, I suggest automating the process of cutting the aluminum raw stock. The stock could be fed into a CNC horizontal bandsaw, and the aluminum squares could be collected in a bin to be installed into the CNC vertical milling center by a technician. If this process needs to be automated even further, the aluminum squares could fall onto a conveyor belt to be brought to and fed into the CNC milling center without the need for a technician. 

Cost Estimate to Make 10,000 Coasters

The cost to produce 10000 coasters is calculated below:

If the CNC lathe costs $5 per hour to operate, and it takes the machine 20 minutes to complete the operation, the final cost per coaster is $26.42.