ELARA2 miniature desktop computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine

ELARA2 miniature desktop computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine

The Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis (LAMDA) laboratory at ORNL conducts mechanical testing and microstructural analysis on miniature specimens with custom geometries, including tensile, compact tension, and bend bar configurations. These specimens must be fabricated prior to testing. In many instances, the materials of interest are radioactive and cannot be sent to standard commercial vendors for machining. Vendors licensed to handle irradiated materials often charge prohibitively high fees, and their turnaround times --frequently several months --are incompatible with typical project timelines. To address these constraints, the acquisition of a computer numerical controlled (CNC) milling machine is proposed to enable in-house specimen fabrication within LAMDA. This approach significantly reduces both lead time and cost per specimen. The CNC system would support operations such as milling, drilling, groove and undercut formation, and other precision machining tasks.