Gedex
Precision Equipment: Innovation
The customer manufactures devices for imaging underground features from an aircraft. The details of the images depend on the precision of parts in the system, so manufacturing requirements are very rigorous.
Problem
Producing extreme requirements in low machinable material.
Solution
The flatness, parallelism, perpendicularity and general tolerance of most features had a tolerance of .0001″ (0.00254 mm). Apex overcame this challenge by having tight quality control throughout the entire manufacturing process. Programmers, machinists and quality controllers were involved in the planning steps to minimize the risks and assure a good final product.
The final challenge was making sure the part was not damaged during manufacturing. Even the smallest scratches would have affected the performance of the part, so special fixtures and handling procedures were used to prevent damage to the part. Apex also developed special clamping procedures to avoid deforming the soft material.
Results
Apex has up to now delivered 10 accelerometers, all of which met the stringent tolerance and manufacturing requirements. This is a direct result of developing new methods and procedures to overcome the challenges.
.0001” precision with 10% machinable material
