Todd Milanowski had worked in design and manufacturing for 10 years before co-founding Prime Components with partner Ringbrothers. He had been a machinist in his first job, teaching himself different CAM systems along the way. That led to his next job, where he met his future Reactor col-laborators, and where he taught himself GibbsCAM.
“By the end of the first day, I was making holes and doing elementary machining,” he says, “It was interesting to find how I could use various functions of the software and do what I love, creating.”
The resto-mod is thoroughly documented in Build Book #5, published by Team Killeen of Sherman Oaks, CA in 2007. GibbsCAM (and a 21-tool, 3-axis Fanuc Robodrill CNC machining center) are featured and credited for the machining of over 30 assem-blies from 6061-T65 aluminum billet, many of them prominent in the award-winning Reactor.
Designing and machining parts was a challenge, but not an overwhelming one to Milanowski, who attributes his abilities to curiosity about the way things are made, along with a desire to make them better. “I was fortunate in working with gifted people who taught, challenged and inspired me,” he says. “I have had the privilege of being exposed to very talented designers and engineers. Sean Smith, the artist on this project, is one of them.”
Many of the parts machined by Prime Components
are under the hood, doing mechanical duty while adding considerable aesthetic appeal to the engine compartment. The hood hinge assembly, com-prising six machined components, including a turnbuckle adjustment; the shock tower cap assem-blies; and the air boxes, air box covers and a double-boomerang assembly that holds the covers in place are some examples. Several other mach-ined parts contribute heavily to the aesthetics of the exterior. These include the hood pin and locking plate, the lower fascia air scoops and, in the tail, the Reactor logo plate, gas cap, tail light bezel, and the lower exhaust valance with its four openings.
When the Prime Components partnership was formed in 2005, they bought SolidWorks, GibbsCAM SolidSurfacer and a CNC machining center. They chose the Fanuc Robodrill for its small foot print, its work envelope and the Fanuc control, which facilitated surface machining. “The machine is small,” says Milanowski, “but with direct drive and its high torque, the machine is good for high-speed machining techniques like lighter cuts made at high feeds and high RPM with rapid motion.”
GibbsCAM had been Milanowski’s choice for its extensive capabilities and ease of use. However, he purchased the SolidSurfacer module, which is much more capable than the entry-level version he used previously. He had never done surface machining with GibbsCAM, but anticipated having