The aerospace industry demands nothing less than total excellence. When we are approached by OEMs with aerospace components with particular challenges, our engineers are more than ready to meet them head-on. Our willingness to tackle bigger and more complex grinding problems is what separates us from other grinding service providers in the industry. Our grinding experts are able to work with difficult materials, incredibly demanding tolerances, and component complexity that are too daunting for other companies to handle.
An aerospace component manufacturer located in New York recently approached Duval for help producing a large engine seal ring. To accommodate the unique challenges of this project, Duval’s engineers needed to design and assemble a custom grinding fixture that would be able to hold the ring in a specific way and be sensitive enough to prevent the coating from cracking during the grinding process. This fixture would help the accidental application of uneven pressure that could affect the final diameter or tolerances of the component.
The Challenge of a Large Part with Tight Tolerance Specifications
At 54” in diameter, the engine seal was particularly large; it also had an HVOF carbide coating on the surface of the face that needed grinding. The part was very thin, which meant the machine had to handle it carefully to avoid any warping or cracking. As an engine seal for aerospace machinery, the tolerances would need to be exact. Blueprint designs called for a tight tolerance of ±0.0005.
Designing and Developing a Custom Grinding Solution
It was immediately obvious that no standard machine on the manufacturing floor was prepared to take on the challenge. Duval’s precision grinding experts were able to develop an especially complex grinding fixture consisting of up to 100 components (standard fixtures use between 10 and 20) that would be able to hold the engine seal ring and grind it evenly.
Although the fixture was difficult to design and put together, our engineers utilized their 300+ years of combined experience and deep understanding of machining and grinding tools to rise to the occasion. We are committed to producing components with reliable, accurate results and will take the extra time to ensure that our machines will perform the job to your exact specifications.
Streamlined Aerospace Grinding Services with Reliable Results
Designing custom grinding fixtures for specialized components has been an in-house process over the entire course of the company’s life. Whether your component is highly complex, exceedingly small, or particularly large, we will work with you to create an effective grinding solution. Precision is our only product, and achieving accurate, repeatable results for your grinding jobs is our priority.
Does your aerospace component pose a challenge that other grinding experts can’t accept? Contact the experts at Duval Precision Grinding today!