Apparatus for encapsulating a workpiece which is to be machined

摘要

A method and apparatus are provided for encapsulating a workpiece in a material having a lower melting temperature than that of the material for the workpiece to form an encapsulated block of standardized size and shape which may be mounted in a standardized fixture to facilitate machining on the workpiece. The invention includes both specialized molds for use in encapsulating a workpiece for various types of machining and systems for clamping and injecting encapsulant into such molds under pressure. After machining on a given side, a block is re-inserted in the appropriate mold and re-encapsulated to standardize size and shape for a subsequent machining operation. The process of machining and re-encapsulation are repeated until all sides of the workpiece requiring machining have been machined, at which time the encapsulant is removed from the workpiece, normally by being heated and melted.