Xinmao · Fabrication notes
A workshop sequence for through-cut patterns and relief carving, from cutter paths to coating and installation.
How is an aluminium screen made? For CNC-carved solid aluminium, the workshop converts the pattern into cutter paths, machines the plate, removes burrs and assembles the support. Surface treatment follows the agreed fabrication sequence, then the finished screen is fixed into position.
Through-cut patterns and relief carving use different machining operations. The steps below explain both.
01 · CAD to CAM
Turn the drawing into cutter paths
The pattern is drawn at the finished panel size, including its uncut border, fixing holes and joints between modules. In CAM, the programmer selects closed contours for openings and sets the cutter on the correct side of each contour. Tool compensation accounts for the cutter’s radius so the finished opening follows the drawing.
Internal corners need room for the rotating tool. A 6 mm cylindrical cutter leaves a nominal 3 mm radius in a simple internal corner. A smaller cutter can reach tighter detail, with suitable machining conditions. The programme also sets the top and bottom cutting levels and separates machining operations for different features.
02 · Machine setup
Support the plate and establish the cutting depth
The workshop cuts a blank from the selected alloy and temper, then positions it on mechanical fixtures or a suitable vacuum table. A sacrificial layer beneath the plate allows the cutter to pass through without entering the table.
Opening up a sheet can reduce vacuum retention. The support arrangement must therefore keep the remaining pattern and cut pieces secure throughout the job. The operator establishes the workpiece position and Z reference before machining. Where uneven stock would affect shallow carving, the surface can be face-milled if the design permits, or mapped by a probe on suitably equipped machines.
03 · Through-cut machining
Mill the openings and finish their walls
The end mill enters the waste area and follows the programmed opening. Where the setup calls for several depth passes, each pass removes another layer until the plate is cut through. A finishing contour can then remove the allowance left on the opening’s wall.
Cutter geometry and chip clearance matter on aluminium. Tools intended for non-ferrous machining can have polished cutting edges and generous chip channels. The cut needs effective chip evacuation so material is not repeatedly trapped between the tool and the wall.
The outer profile is released according to the workholding plan. Cutting order and support should preserve the narrow bridges between openings until the panel can be removed without bending them. Feed, spindle speed and pass depth depend on the alloy, tool and machine.
04 · Relief machining
Rough the depth, then machine the surface
For relief carving, a three-dimensional model defines the raised areas and recesses. Roughing removes the bulk of the unwanted metal. Finishing paths then follow the model with an appropriate tool, such as a ball-nose mill for curved surfaces.
The spacing between finishing passes affects the ridges left by the cutter. Finer paths take longer but can reduce the work needed to obtain the intended texture. Deep recesses also need tools that can reach without interfering with surrounding features.
Relief depth consumes plate thickness. For example, removing 3 mm from a 10 mm plate leaves 7 mm beneath that recess, before other allowances. This is a geometric example, not a recommended screen construction.
05 · Fabrication
Deburr the panel and build its frame
After machining, remove burrs from the opening walls and both faces. Chamfer or smooth reachable edges to the specified detail, without rounding away fine pattern features. Clear machining residue before further fabrication.
A folded-edge construction uses formed returns and its specified brackets. A separate frame may use aluminium tube with slots that receive the carved plate. The panel is located in the frame and joined by the designed welded or mechanical connection. Trial assembly establishes fit and alignment before the final finish. The forming photograph illustrates sheet fabrication, rather than this screen’s particular frame.
06 · Finishing
Clean, pretreat and apply the surface finish
Machining oil and residues are removed first. For powder coating, the aluminium receives the specified pretreatment, is rinsed and dried, then sprayed with charged powder. Oven curing melts and cures the coating. The material supplier’s curing schedule governs metal temperature and time; an oven setting alone does not establish adequate cure.
Anodising uses a controlled electrochemical process to grow an oxide layer, followed by colouring where required and sealing. Alloy and surface preparation influence the result. Architectural Class I begins at 0.7 mil, approximately 17.8 μm of oxide. PVDF liquid coating follows its own specified preparation, application and curing system. Cut edges and relief recesses remain part of the finished surface.
07 · Site installation
Set out, fasten and align
Transfer the approved screen positions onto the floor, walls and overhead support. Install the designed brackets or anchors into the actual supporting substrate, position the frame and complete its connections. Align adjacent modules, retain the designed movement allowance and protect the coating during fastening.
For a Xinmao screen and partition, the machining drawing, frame connections and fixing detail should describe the same assembly.