DPC turns up the heat
DPC produced 12 parts, in batches of 15-60, including focus plates, mirror holders and optics blocks
Dawson Precision Component (DPC) has completed a project to produce precisely machined parts for optical thermocouples which will be used to measure high temperatures.
Thermocouples measure temperature by producing a voltage proportional to a temperature difference between two conductors. They are often used in hostile environments such as furnaces. The parts must therefore be very precisely manufactured to pick up subtle changes in temperature whilst not being damaged by the heat.
When the company producing the part was short of capacity in the run up to Christmas, it called on DPC to provide support. DPC’s precision technology and expertise allowed it to produce the complex parts needed, quickly and to specification.
DPC produced 12 parts, in batches of 15-60, including focus plates, mirror holders and optics blocks, which were required in the manufacture of the thermocouples.
All the parts were produced from aluminium. To ensure the end product could cope with the heat, the materials were first bead blasted- a process to remove surface deposits using fine glass beads at high pressure. They were then anodised – a chemical process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on metal parts, thus providing corrosion and wear resistance.
The parts have a number of interesting features - including walls with a thickness of 0.2mm - requiring high end machinery and a good understanding of tolerances and machining capabilities. Production used a mix precision turning on CNC lathes and milling on the machining centres.
Paul Dawson, sales director at DPC, says: “Such jobs are the bread and butter of the precision engineering industry, but complex features make them difficult and minor mistakes can cause big problems. Companies need to know their subcontractors will get such jobs right first time. Because we regularly invest in our precision machinery and because our staff have an across the board understanding of the machining processes – and don’t just blindly follow diagrams – we find we’re the first port of call for many companies who have complex jobs such as these.”
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