Materials we machine
The gantry mill is set up for light, large and machinable materials: EPS, PU model and tooling board, MDF, hardwood, plastics and similar materials. Typical achievable tolerance is plus/minus 0.1 mm, on work up to 4 100 x 2 100 x 1 000 mm.
EPS and PU tooling board
Expanded polystyrene is the cheapest way to get a large, light shape: big plugs and blocks for lost-foam work, sculpture, set building and large masters. It machines fast and dusts heavily, which is exactly what a gantry with a big envelope and good extraction is for.
PU model and tooling board is the step up: denser, dimensionally stable, with a surface that can be sanded and sealed to something a laminate or a release agent will work off. It is the usual choice for composite moulds, master patterns and vacuum-forming tools.
MDF and hardwood
MDF machines cleanly into panels, forms and shaped jigs, and takes filler and primer well. Hardwood is used where a part has to look and feel like wood in the finished piece, or where it will be handled and knocked about.
Both can be machined into compound curves and undercuts on the five-axis head, so a curved panel or a shaped seat does not have to be built up from flat pieces.
Plastics and other machinable materials
Plastics and other suitable machinable materials are used for parts that need to resist moisture, take a fixing or stay dimensionally stable in service. If you are not sure what your part should be made from, describe how it will be used and we will recommend a material and confirm it in the quote.
Choice, sizes and cost
The right material follows the job: a pattern that will be laminated, a finished part that will be seen, or a form that is used once and thrown away. Blocks are supplied to the size the job needs, billed at cost, with the required dimensions confirmed in the written quote before machining.
We are straight about what does not fit: this machine and this workshop are set up for tooling board, foam, wood-based sheet materials and plastics, not for metal work.
Choosing between them
The shortest way to choose is to start from the job rather than the material: how big the shape is, how straight it has to stay, and what happens to its surface next.
| Material | Typical work | Why it is chosen | How it is finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPS (expanded polystyrene) | Large plugs, blocks, masters, sculpture and set work | Lightest and cheapest way to get a big shape; machines fast | Sanded and filled; usually coated before paint or laminate |
| PU model and tooling board | Composite moulds, master patterns, vacuum-forming tools | Denser and dimensionally stable; holds a sanded, sealed surface | Sanded, filled, sealed or primed |
| MDF | Panels, forms, jigs and fixtures | Machines cleanly into flat and curved shapes and takes filler and primer well | Filled, sanded and primed |
| Hardwood | Architectural and furniture parts that have to look and feel like wood | Structural and durable where the part is handled | Sanded; oiled, waxed or painted by the finisher |
| Plastics and other machinable materials | Parts that have to resist moisture or take a fixing | Dimensionally stable in service | Depends on the material - confirmed in the quote |
Questions about materials
Can you machine metal?
No. The workshop is set up for EPS, PU tooling board, MDF, hardwood, plastics and similar machinable materials. Tell us what your part is made of and we will say straight away whether it is a fit.
Which material should I choose?
It depends on what the part has to do — a mould master, a finished visible component, or a one-off form. Describe the use and we will recommend a material and confirm it in the quote.
Do you supply the material?
Materials are supplied and billed at cost, with the required block or sheet size confirmed in the quote. If you prefer to send your own material, send the dimensions and we will machine what you supply.
What thickness or block size is available?
Material is ordered to the size the job needs and confirmed before machining, so there is no fixed catalogue. Give us the finished dimensions and the quote states the stock size.
Not sure what will work?
Tell us how the part will be used and we will recommend a material, then quote the machining, the stock size and the finishing in one written price.
info@5axis.lt · +370 678 25 977 · Volfgangų g. 7, Paluknys, 21168 Trakų r. sav., Lithuania · Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00