Prototype and pre-production parts offered free with order

Citation

(2003), "Prototype and pre-production parts offered free with order", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 75 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2003.12775aad.014

Prototype and pre-production parts offered free with order

Prototype and pre-production parts offered free with order

Keywords: Machining, Components, Aerospace

A new service has been introduced by Weymouth based photo-chemical machining (PCM) specialist, Tecan. The service offers high-specification prototype and pre-production flat metal components at very low set costs, based on a standard metal sheet “blank” size of 300 mm × 400 mm and includes plating. If a subsequent qualifying order is placed for the same parts, the whole cost of the prototype blank is refunded (Plate 11).

Designers and engineers are offered an extremely flexible opportunity, being able to specify as many parts as can be fitted into the prototype blank sheet’s surface area of 120,000 mm². Multiples of the same part can be produced, or for example, completely different pieces could be produced with varying profiles and sizes. Typically, the service takes around 2 weeks to produce the finished parts, this can be upgraded to a 5-day “rapid service” turnround, at an additional set fee.

Plate 11 Weymouth based PCM specialist, Tecan, offers high-specification prototype and pre-production flat metal components at very low set costs, which can be refunded on subsequent qualifying orders

“We are dedicated to making it as easy and cost-effective as possible for our customers to source their precision prototype parts,” said Tecan sales and marketing director, Noel Cherowbrier. “There is no longer a need to seek quotes from other suppliers, because the cost of a blank is set, so customers know the cost from the start. They know the size of the blank and the sizes of their individual custom parts, and so can readily specify within these limits, this significantly speeds and simplifies part procurement.”

Materials available include copper, brass, stainless steel, aluminium, phospher bronze, beryllium copper and mild steel. In-house plating finishes include tin, electroless nickel, sulphamate nickel, 60/40 tin lead, silver, copper, Alochrom 1200, and Types 1 and 3 anodising (decorative and hard) – gold plating is also available at a set additional cost.

Typical components produced by the company include leadframes, evaporation masks, crystal masks, hybrid lids, meshes and bespoke parts. Also, other very high-specification components requiring demanding levels of finish – typically for application in the precision engineering, electronics, aerospace, pharmaceutical and medical equipment markets. For the provision of designs, the company accepts dxf, dwg and Autocad files.

Details available from: Tecan Components Limited. Tel: +44 (0)1305 765432; Fax: +44 (0)1305 780194; E-mail: sales@tecan.co.uk; Web site: www.tecan.co.uk