Quote:
Originally Posted by Lil Giants
It's not STAMPED aluminum, it has been milled, cut & bent precisely so when everything is put together it's symetrical & runs true... plus all the R&D to get it to this point of a proven working concept.
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Joe, no offense, but I don't think either one of us could say we know for sure.
The thicker components of the WA500 probably are CNC machined, but I would also wager that the thinner components are stamped. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Stamping yields high quality parts, held to tight and accurate tolerances too. Don't think of it as a knock on the quality of the model. The axle mounting brackets for the front axle, the cylinder mounts for the bucket cylinder, the front fenders, the c-channel bracket that the steering cylinders bolt to, the hood, the rock bucket components, and many of the cab parts could have been stamped. Progressive dies can cut, punch holes, and form small parts like these, and do so accurately. I'd almost guarantee you that many of those smaller parts could not be formed with a brake press. The bends would be to close together for the tooling. For a stamping die, it would be a cake walk. You should see what a progressive stamping die can make. You'd be surprised.