Machining stainless-steel aerospace parts: One-hit machining on sliding-head lathe achieves customer cost reduction targets

摘要

A shaft for an aerospace fuel system is being machined at both ends in one hit from S143 aerospace stainless-steel bar in a reduced cycle time on a Star SR-20RIII sliding-head lathe at the Crediton-based sub-contractor Rotamic Precision Engineering. Previously, the part needed three separate operations on a fixed-head lathe and a vertical machining centre. Moreover, the reduction in cycle time has enabled Rotamic to achieve the cost reduction target set by the customer, Gary Squires, Rotamic's workshop supervisor, says: "We used to have trouble holding 25μm total tolerance on three stepped outside diameters turned down to around 4mm from 9.5mm-diameter bar.