Central Patternmaking Ltd | Pattern Making | Die Making and Tool Making | Tool Making Supplies

You get all this from Central Patternmaking, thanks to the combination of our range of expertise, our extensive design and manufacturing capabilities, and our on-going programme of investment in the latest production technology.

But that's not all. At Central Patternmaking, you also get something else just as important - good old-fashioned customer service.

• Patterns
• pattern maker
• pattern making
• tooling industry
• production foundry tooling
• production mould tooling
• prototype tooling
• die maker
• die making
• tool maker
• tool making
• reverse engineering
• rapid prototyping
• product development
• modelmaking,
• CNC machining
• digitising
• checking jigs and fixtures
• vacuum forming tools
• tooling design
• 2D drawing production
• Catia V5
• Patterns and Models
• Production Foundry Tooling
• Dies
• Checking Jigs and Fixtures Full CADCAM, CMM and Digitising Services

Sophisticated CAD systems facilitate the rapid production and manipulation of complex 3D forms.

Using Catia V5, Pro/ENGINEER and Delcam's PowerSHAPE, we can:

• Provide design concepts for customer review 
• Create 3D parts from supplied 2D drawings 
• Accept customer-supplied models, in any neutral or native formats, and manipulate them to generate our CAD tooling, adding, for example, split lines and moulding tapers 
• Output the 3D CAD models in STL format for rapid prototyping 
• Produce fully dimensioned 2D drawings from the 3D models. The full associativity of our software means that the drawing is automatically updated if the model is subsequently modified, ensuring the two always remain at the same revision level

Reverse engineering is undertaken with our Renishaw Cyclone, a fully automated contact scanning system.

Digital representations of existing parts are generated, from which any number of exact duplicates of the original can be produced. Additionally, for complete reverse engineering, the point cloud data generated from the scanning process can be used to create fully surfaced 3D CAD models.

If required, we can export the digitised information for supply to those customers with their own machining facilities.

Specialist CAM software enables highly efficient machining strategies to be created, quickly and easily.

Using Delcam's PowerMILL, cutter paths are generated from the 3D CAD models. These are evaluated using an accelerated visual computer simulation prior to machining and, where necessary, modified to produce the optimum machining solution.

The latest CNC milling machines feature automated tool changing, giving maximum productivity with continuous, round-the-clock production. The accuracy and precision of the CNCs, coupled with the application of high-speed machining techniques and the use of balanced tooling, produces machined parts of outstanding quality, which reduces or even eliminates the need for hand finishing.

We can machine a diverse range of materials, from the softest model board to the hardest tool steel, producing consistently high quality parts to extremely close tolerances each and every time.

Our flagship CNC machine is a Hardinge Bridgeport VMC 1500XP3 with a Heidenhain iTNC530 control, which has a working surface of 1700mm x 610mm and a machining envelope of 1500mm x 700mm x 600mm.

A dedicated CMM inspection facility allows the thorough inspection of our products to ensure they fully meet customer requirements.

Our inspection software allows us to inspect our tooling directly against the source CAD model. Inspection reports are generated, which can be supplied upon request.

Subcontract CMM inspection is also undertaken.