MANUFACTURING PROCESESS AND SERVICES

A majority of our manufacturing is conducted “In House” with the emphasis on producing high quality British Made products. This is especially 
useful as it enables us to respond quickly and efficiently when designs have to be altered, even once manufacture has commenced.

Although not all items or finishes can be done “In House” we have a wide range of external suppliers we work closely with to provide this “One Stop” manufacturing facility.

Listed below are some of the methods of manufacture we employ and a brief description of how this is done.


LOST WAX CASTING
(Investment Casting)

From a customer’s pattern or master pattern a mould is made using a vulcanising (hot) rubber or a silicon (cold) based rubber. When the pattern is removed, molten wax is injected into the mould and when cool, produces an exact copy in hardened wax.

As many copies as required are made and mounted on a “tree”. This is then covered with a stainless steel can and a plaster slurry (Investment) poured over it.

This hardens quickly and is then placed in a kiln under regulated temperatures so the wax is allowed to melt out. This is how the process gets its name “Lost Wax Casting”. In turn this leaves a cavity in the investment where molten metal is poured. When the metal solidifies the investment is then removed leaving the castings ready for finishing.


SAND CASTING

We use a high quality type of sand to produce “Fine” sandcastings. This enables us to reproduce the quality and detail that may not produced when using standard Green sand.

The pattern is placed in a box and sand compacted round it. Another box is placed on top and sand again compacted around the other half of the pattern.
The two boxes are separated and the pattern removed. A gating system is cut into the sand and the two halves then replaced together. This leaves an empty cavity where the pattern originally was and the molten metal is poured into this. Once the metal has cooled the sand is broken away to leave an exact replica of the original pattern, that is now ready for finishing.




SPIN CASTING

This method of manufacture has a wide range of applications from kitchen door furniture, badges and buckles through to key rings and functional brackets in a Zinc Alloy. The main benefit of this process is that items can be produced very quickly, even within 24 hours from receipt of pattern, without the expense of hard tooling.

Once a master pattern or multi masters have been made they are placed between two rubber sheets, which are then vulcanised.

The mould is then opened and the patterns are removed. A spruing system is cut into the mould and is then placed in a “Spin Casting” machine. Molten Zinc is poured into this and the centrifugal force allows the metal to fill the cavities. Once the Zinc has cooled the mould is separated, leaving the castings ready for finishing.



SERVICES

From our well-equipped machine shop we are able to provide the following.

Turned Components             Forming
Drilling                                 Pressing
Machining                            Bending
Linishing/Polishing
Soldering/Brazing

Design Form can also provide a wide range of “In House” antique finishes.

Whilst plated, laquered and painted finishes are not done “In House” these can be undertaken to provide that fully finished product.

All other components required in designs that are not manufactured on site are then sourced as locally as possible from a number of preferred suppliers.