When Yeovil-based CDK Seals won an order for the production of metal components from a new aerospace customer, this manufacturer of seals for the food, pharmaceutical and petrochemical sectors, had to employ new production equipment and methods.
Historically, CDK has produced its seals from a variety of PTFE composites on specialist machines. However, the new £100,000+ order required a three-part assembly featuring steel, aluminium-bronze and PTFE parts. These components include both a concave and convex part, as well as a housing that makes for an assembled measurement of 80 mm diameter and 60 mm height. A major issue for CDK was that the 1500 assemblies, with a total of 4500 parts, had to be machined to a 0.03 mm tolerance. Unfortunately, the company’s micrometers could not measure many of the complex features, especially the curved surfaces. This situation was particularly pertinent for a 4 mm diameter cross-drilled hole that is positioned on one of the
concave surfaces.
After assessing the market options, CDK engineers visited Mitutoyo and it was agreed that the Crysta Plus M433 CMM could provide the solution.
“Mitutoyo installed the machine and did the programming for the three seal components, so we could be up and running instantly,” says managing director Dave Paget. “The training was straightforward and we have the CMM networked to a PC, so we can store any subsequent programs off-line. Mitutoyo also provided a series of 3, 2 and 1 mm diameter ruby probes.
These small probes enable us to get inside the 4 mm diameter drilled hole and check the concentricity as well as the angle of the hole that has a critical tolerance of ±0.1°.”
For further information
www.mitutoyo.co.uk