Paul Tardif, design manager at Erodex, explains the role that the company’s design team plays in providing design solutions to a range of engineering challenges posed by clients.
“Primarily, we are a tool design office, specialising in aerospace tooling and the design of EDM electrodes, to make various jet engine components and enable the mass production of parts. We are currently working on a range of new engine projects and new part introductions for some of our major customers.
“The designs are primarily one-off, unique designs – almost like prototype tooling, meaning that we specialise in working on new parts that are being introduced, new engines being developed, or modifications to improve existing tooling,” he adds. “Once we have designed the tooling and it has been manufactured, it can be in service for up to 20 or 30 years.”
Much of the ‘added value’ created by the Erodex design team includes developing solutions to complex problems, finding new ways to make existing processes more efficient, and designing solutions that enable a high degree of accuracy and repeatability to be achieved. Tardif adds that “the accuracy required for grinding tooling, for example, is to grind within ±0.025 mm in terms of mass production tooling, requiring around ±0.01 mm in terms of accuracy from our tooling. The customers are then able to use semi-skilled labour to load components into the tools, and can expect a really high level of repeatability, always knowing exactly where the part will sit and how it is going to clamp. The component would often be expected to repeat to that same position within 0.02 mm every single time.”
For further information www.erodex.com
