HOW WE MAKE
METAL HOUSE NUMBERS
A behind the scenes look at our process manufacturing luxury address numbers
1. LOADING CNC ROUTER
Our metal house numbers all start as a raw sheet of aluminum. The first step is to fasten down a sheet of 3/8" thick 6061 aircraft grade aluminum onto the table of our CNC router. We start the router and warm up the spindle by rotating it at speeds up to 18 000 RPM. The surface height and XY coordinates are then calibrated. At this point we load the CAM (computer aided machining) file on our laptop which contains the toolpaths instructing the router on how to machine the house numbers.
2. MACHINING
Our CNC router gets to work in an automated chain of events. It relies solely on what we've programmed it to do during our design of the CAD/CAM file. The first toolpath is drilling holes for the hidden mounting studs. It then proceeds with chamfering these holes. The metal house numbers are then cut out in a series of roughing passes. We then switch tools to 3 flute end mills and proceed with the finishing passes. This is the final touch that machines a smooth surface finish on our house numbers. This is a superior finish which can't be achieved with a waterjet or laser. During all of these processes the router maintains tolerances accurate to +/- 0.001 inch to ensure our metal address numbers are machined to the highest quality.
3. TAPPING
Once the address numbers are cut out on the CNC router we begin tapping. This is a process where threads are formed inside the holes that were drilled with the router. Threads are tapped 3/4 the way through the numbers from the back side (the holes do not go through the front). We use a specialized tapping mechanism to ensure each and every thread is formed perfectly. These tapped holes will accept the threaded studs used for mounting our house numbers.
4. TUMBLING
One of our simplest and most satisfying machines to use is our vibratory tumbler. Our metal house numbers are tumbled and vibrated in a circular motion with ceramic media. A washing solution cleans the aluminum and keeps everything wet while being tumbled. This process rounds off sharp edges, leaving us with address numbers that have a smooth finish that looks great and feels equally as good being held in your hands. After this step we remove the numbers and wash them in a chemical to promote adhesion of the powder coating.
5. POWDER COATING
To begin powder coating our metal house numbers, we strategically hang the numbers on racks. The racks are rolled into our powder coating booth one at a time. All numbers are blown off with compressed air to prevent dust on the surface. A ground wire is attached to the metal rack so that the numbers are grounded. We then begin powder coating. This is a process where dry powder is positively charged while being sprayed out of a powder coating gun. The charged powder is then electrostatically attracted to the grounded metal address numbers. We operate a top of the line powder coating system from Switzerland to ensure the best finish possible on our house numbers. Once the powder is applied, the rack is rolled into a large powder coating oven. The metal numbers will reach a temperature of between 375F and 400F in the oven. They will remain in the oven for a pre-determined time period to properly cure (bake) the powder coating. Once the numbers have baked they will be removed from the oven and allowed to cool.
6. FINAL INSPECTION
The address numbers are then removed from the powder coating racks and inspected. During this phase we are looking for any dust that may have found it's way into the powder coat finish. If any dust is found we move the number to a blem bin, where the number can be redone at a later time. Once the numbers have passed inspection we place them in airtight bags to keep them clean and protected.
7. STOCKING INVENTORY
The finished house numbers are then moved to our inventory shelving. We have hundreds of unique bins to store the large variety of house number sizes and finishes that we offer. Our inventory is tracked so that all house numbers are in stock and ready to ship. When a bin gets low, that particular variety of address number goes into our production cue.
8. SHIPPING
Once we receive an order we begin the shipping process. This begins with creating a custom drilling template specific to the address number combination of the customer. This is designed on our CAD software and printed on our professional large format printer. The correct house number digits are gathered up in the size and finish requested. We give the numbers a final look over to ensure they are free of defects and in perfect condition. The metal house numbers are carefully packaged and placed in one of our elegant boxes. We include mounting studs, colour matched spacers, an installation guide, the drilling template, and a thank you card. A shipping label is created and the order is set out for pick up by the courier. We'll then email the customer and provide them with their tracking number.