Even an independently operated aerospace manufacturer can struggle to build certain complex parts. Oftentimes, these manufacturers do not have the proper equipment or bandwidth for the project. The precision grinding experts at Duval, however, have years of experience designing, grinding, and finishing complex parts precisely for aerospace OEMs. Our machinists are more than capable of finding solutions for difficult requests.
Our Specialized Precision Grinding Services Accept Challenges Others Can’t Handle
Recently, a global aerospace component manufacturer based in western Massachusetts came to Duval Precision Grinding with a difficult project. The job was so complex, the aerospace OEM was not only unable to do it themselves, they also struggled to find anyone else willing to take on the challenge for them.
The part was a rotor blade drive assembly component used in helicopters. It had to be made of hardened steel and required several grinding operations including ID grinding, OD grinding, jig grinding, and surface grinding. The design of the part was very intricate. Our expert grinding machinists had to devise a custom operation in order to see it through.
Custom Solutions for Aerospace Manufacturing Challenges
The part was an extremely hard 60 on the Rockwell scale. Besides the surface grind, jig grind, OD grind, and ID grind, it also needed 12 vertical flats and 12 radii. Required tolerances had to be held from flat to flat within .0003″ variation, parallel to the inner diameter within .0002″ and have a true position within .001″.
The part received ID grinding and OD grinding within a .0005″ total indicator reading to each diameter; we also gave it a precise spline gear pitch diameter. Custom fixturing was critical, too, as all 12 flat features (occurring every 30 degrees) had to repeat within .0003″ to the already-established ground diameters. A quality inspection was performed using a Hexagon GLOBAL Advantage coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with a highly accurate Leitz scanning probe. A CAD model was utilized during the inspection programming of the part on the coordinate measuring machine. Through proper planning, tight fixturing, high-end inspection techniques, and the skill of seasoned operators, the customer was satisfied with the completed part; it was completely manufactured to all blueprint requirements.
High-Demand Parts with a Tight Turnaround Time
The aerospace manufacturer had 65 of these components on backorder and needed them as soon as possible. The complexity of the part made the grinding operations for each component particularly time-consuming, but our experienced machinists worked incredibly hard around the clock to ensure that the client received every piece in time. At Duval, precision is our only product. We are committed to giving our clients the best results with the fastest, most reliable turnaround times possible.
Do you have a complex aerospace part or other industry component that seems too daunting to take on? Call Duval Precision Grinding today, or request a quote, and let us find a solution that works for you!