Home    Engineering Tooling     Architectural Items     Artistic Works     Technical Information     Contact Us

• Foundry Patterns for sand casting
• Gravity Die tools
• Vacuum form tooling
• Expanded polystyrene moulds
• GRP Moulds, patterns, plugs
• Solid Surface Moulds ('Corian')

Our capabilities range from skilled patternmakers working at the bench on traditional wooden foundry patterns, to modern CNC controlled mills and routers converting 3D CAD files into machined profiles for foundry patterns, vacform tools, EPS tools, and GRP moulds. Our facilities include CNC milling of complex 3D shapes with a footprint of up to 1m x 1.5m.

We can take your concept, whether it is a CAD design (IGES, DXF or DWG formats) or on the back of an envelope (any format) and advise on tooling design. In fact, we'd like you to involve us while your design is taking shape because we can advise on choosing materials and making the design easy to manufacture.

We have recently installed VISI 3D modelling and machining software to enable us to fully model and visualise complete mould tools.

Using VISI 3D CAD/CAM software we can create or import 3D models which can be viewed and if necessary modified on screen. We can then build a modelled mould tool around the outside on the computer	The mould tool components can then be exported as 3D data to our CNC machine which generates a cutter path allowing us to machine a mould or a pattern (or 'plug') for a mould in MDF, resin modelboard or aluminium	This is a plug which will be used to create a mould for a GRP tractor bonnet. Nearly a metre in each direction, it has been CNC machined all over

We can also undertake CAD work to convert your concept into a manufacturable detailed design, and if required we have relationships with foundries and plastic moulders who can make the end product from foundry patterns, vacform tools or GRP moulds we have constructed.

Although we have invested heavily in our CAD/CAM facility, we are still happy to work from rough sketches or even a worn out part of a classic car or boat.

We plan all projects carefully to ensure that they are completed to agreed timescales, and pride ourselves in a fast on-time turnround whether it is for a major new tool or a minor repair. Please contact us to discuss your requirement.

© Copyright 2007. GF James Pattermakers Ltd.