Tools and machines needed for making a chassis

[Erick Cartmenez]

I should get my hands on some unexpected money soon,
and I would like to open a little chassis workshop, that could produce about 10 or more chassis a day.
What tools and machines do I need to build, lets say a Cooler Master 690 look-a-like case?
And, if it's possible, say the price for those tools.

Sorry for my English,
thanks! : )

[clokker]

I'm sorry, but if you'd already built a chassis- of any sort- you'd know what kind of tooling is needed...and if you haven't, why are you preparing to reinvent the wheel?

Your best bet- especially given today's economy- would be to approach a small (probably underutilized) metal fabrication shop and go from there.
They would already have the equipment and expertise in it's use, which it seems you don't.

Any investment in production tooling- and in the case of a PC chassis, it hardly matters that you're talking about 10 units/day as opposed to say, 1000/day- is going to be quite large...probably larger than your "unexpected" windfall.

A project like this typically starts with the new- hopefully, worldshaking- concept, and then progresses through R&D and production design ("Yeah, that looks great on paper but we can't make it!") to final manufacture.
You seem to be approaching this backwards...buy some equipment and then see what can be made with it.

With desktop PC sales plummeting worldwide, why do you want to go head to head with already established companies?
Even boutique sales are falling, what makes your concept viable?

[Erick Cartmenez]

Ok, let's say I wan't to equip a small metal fabrication shop, for start.
Can you please recommend me the tools needed to make a chassis, from A to Z?
I worked with metal before, but I would like to hear better oppinions from you guy's.
So please, one more time:
the tools needed to make a good chassis, and their price? : )
(for a small metal workshop)

[Stoner133]

A Brake for bending corners, Shear for cutting stock, Greenlee for punching out holes. In the shop where I work all of these are hydro power so they were very expensive but you can find manual versions of each but have no idea of what they would cost.

[clokker]

Without a design to start with, I don't see how this is possible.

[Maxw]

My first thing to buy for modding was a pillar drill! It seriously makes everything much easier. I know you're not modding but it's a good investment.

[NidStyles]

Working with metal, and having fabrication experience are two different thing's. I can say I've work with metal, I worked in a machine shop for 7 year's. That also mean's I have fabrication experience, and unless you have worked extensively with various metal's and understand metallurgy it's a mute point. There's more that goes into fabrication than just knowing how to operate a tool. Operating the tool is the first step. Everything else is from experience.