De-burring machine provides benefits for aerospace manufacturer
De-burring machine provides benefits for aerospace manufacturer
Keywords: Aerospace engineering, Machine tools
Smiths Aerospace – Cheltenham, one of the UK's manufacturers of customised actuators, reports that it has been able to improve product quality and make savings on production costs following the installation of an ISPC Walther Trowal De-burring Machine at its manufacturing premises in Cheltenham(Plate 2).
Plate 2 De-burring machine provides huge benefits for Aerospace Manufacturer
Smiths Aerospace – Cheltenham supplies many of the world's leading aerospace and landing gear manufacturers with actuators and has equipment flying in all current Airbus aircraft. Each is individually machined from a solid aluminium billet and forging and as one of the final processes each has to be de-burred for performance, aesthetic and subsequent safe handling purposes.
This process was carried out using hand tools but Team Leader – Vince Turbill realised that a new approach to product finishing was needed: “Hand de-burring was time consuming, expensive and labour intensive”. Vince explains: “We were looking for equipment that would enable us to increase our throughput, improve quality and be versatile enough to handle all our actuator bodies”.
Having seen a Walther Trowal Vibratory Finishing Machine in use at a sister company and realised the potential time and cost savings, Vince and his colleagues appreciated that a similar system would be the ideal solution for their problem. Therefore, a number of samples were submitted to ISPC Walther Trowal's Surface Technology Centre in Birmingham such that the samples may be assessed and an empirical trial conducted within a suitable machine in conjunction with recommended processing media and compound.
The results were very impressive and a subsequent demonstration was arranged such that the trial could be repeated under the close scrutiny of Vince. A standard VN 500 Vibratory De-burring Machine was ordered as a result, and because no foundation work was required, the equipment was immediately put to work.
The VN range of equipment was developed for finishing either individual or batches of components, but for simultaneous processing of different actuators and to prevent damage, the work chamber of the Smith's machine is compartmentalised with dividers.
The range feature a polyurethane lined trough type work bowl with powerful vibratory drive system, which induces a rotary movement of the processing media and work pieces. An acoustic enclosure ensures that noise levels during processing are minimised.
The VN 500 is linked to a model ZM 03 Effluent Treatment Unit, which separates out solid materials from the effluent produced by the vibratory finishing process. It can process up to 500l of waste water per hour, separating metal fines, broken down media and oils from the process water, converting them into an easily disposable dry cake. It is able to separate solids less than 1μmeaning that up to 90 per cent of the compound and 95 per cent of the water can be recycled, thereby keeping running costs to a minimum and eliminating environmental problems.
De-burring of actuators is now said to be extremely flexible and labour efficient, thanks to the cellular VN 500, which has been installed close to the manufacturing source. Finishing is controlled by just one man – under the old manual deburring system, two were required.
The Smith's production team is reported to be very pleased with the performance: “It's the perfect machine for the job, and produces an incredible burr-free surface finish. Even though we have to first mask each orifice with a plastic bung to ensure that none of the processing media enters the fine-limit bores, the combination of improved performance and reduced labour costs, along with increased use on all our machined components, means that the return on this investment should be measured in months not years”.
Details available from: ISPC. Tel: +44 (0) 161 9286388; Fax: +44 (0) 161 929 0381.
