When the University of Wisconsin-Platteville sought to add equipment into their school's Industrial Studies program they chose the Tormach PCNC 770. After purchasing four machines, instructors and students quickly incorporated the mills into the curriculum. Tormach staff recently visited the campus to see firsthand how the mills are being used and to learn more about an exciting project students undertook for one of Wisconsin's most historic homes.
In late 2014 students from the school’s 3D drafting class, CNC machining class, and metal-casting class began working on a project for Taliesin Preservation, Inc. The non-profit organization — located in Spring Green, WI — is dedicated to the preservation of Taliesin, the Wisconsin home of world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The school was tasked with restoring some unique window hardware for the historic property. To tackle this difficult restoration project, UW-Platteville used their PCNC 770s to mill out the casting patterns that form the hollow cavities in the sand molds. PCNC 770s were also used to mill the cores that assisted in creating internal and external window-hardware threads. After the patterns were milled and the molds were created, the molten metal was poured. Our three-part video series highlights this intricate process.
