Manufacturing gear for choppers: 5-Axis Machining

END USER: Box39, +7 (921) 941-85-61, www.box39.ru.
CHALLENGE: Apply modern manufacturing methods to grow a custom motorcycle business.
SOLUTION: Automate production and improve part quality and machining efficiency with a CNC machine tool and CAM software.
SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Haas Automation Inc., (800) 331-6746, www.haascnc.com; DP Technology Corp., (800) 627-8479, www.dptechnology.com.

Vladislav Belyakov had long been driven by the idea of putting together a custom motorcycle in Russia. He soon discovered the necessary components must be imported, driving up costs and delivery time. Also, there were few local companies that had the CNC machines needed to produce high-quality custom components at a reasonable price.

“In most cases, these companies had to perform time-consuming and expensive manual finishing operations,” Belyakov said. “They were unable to produce complex parts with irregular shapes, such as multiple undercuts, surface openings and transitions in different planes.”

Box39 uses ESPRIT CAM software from DP Technology to program a Haas 5-axis machine. Image courtesy Box39.

Belyakov saw the manufacturing deficiencies in Russia as an opportunity to start a new business venture. He jumped from a career in financial services to motorcycle parts manufacturing in 2011 and launched Box39, a custom motorcycle shop in St. Petersburg. “Our first production facility was a rental garage,” he said. “We designed and put our first product out within 6 months of opening the doors.”

The company invested in CNC equipment to improve the quality and production efficiency of its existing products, according to Belyakov. Additionally, the new equipment would allow Box39 to develop parts with more complex geometries. After spending months evaluating different machine tools, the company purchased a Model UMC-750 5-axis universal machining center from Haas Automation Inc., Oxnard, Calif.