Your reputation, profitability and safety record hinge on your ability to deliver high-quality products, which is why our goal is to help you maintain the highest levels of quality assurance possible.
Our laboratory is equipped with some of the most advanced technologies in the industry. These technologies allow you to efficiently identify hidden failure points in all your metal parts and materials—which, in turn, leads to enhanced product performance and vastly reduced deficiencies, breakdowns and recalls.
Our Quality Assurance (QA) team uses Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM) to measure the geometries of printed components. These machines use a probing system to detect discreet points on the surfaces of objects. With it, we can verify a part or assembly against design intent precisely. This gives us an opportunity to measure Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) components – including flatness, straightness, angularity, and profile of line and surface – with one software and one trace.
Our machine lineup includes the ZEISS CONTURA G2 RDS, which scans features in all angular positions with VAST XXT on the flexible ZEISS RDS articulating probe. The ZEISS CALYPSO software measures all the standard geometries while the ZEISS RDS articulating probe measures more complex parts where features require styli with different spatial directions. It reaches up to 20,736 positions in 2.5-degree increments- thus providing access to all part features.
Our dedicated ZEISS SURFCOM profilometer pulls topographical data to measure the roughness of different materials with varying surface irregularities to verify drawings’ technical requirements. The ZEISS SURFCOM profilometer measures waviness and profile evaluation, despite traditional roughness parameters. Most surfaces on additively manufactured parts can be rough to the touch. With post-processing and unique parameter settings in additive machines, we can improve the surface finish and accurately measure the roughness.
The SURFCOM TOUCH 550 benefits from the high performing pickup with an extended measurement range from 800 to 1000 µm and a Z-axis minimum resolution of 0.0001 µm that allows for wide range and high-resolution skid less measurement. In addition to flat surface, with SURFCOM TOUCH 550, the roughness or waviness of stepped or round surface can be evaluated with one trace. Also, due to large-sized granite base (1000 x 450mm), SURFCOM TOUCH 550 can measure any high and large flat workpieces.
Starrett Optical Comparators inspect, measure and compare the dimensions of additively manufactured parts. They can be used to measure geometric components such as perpendicularity, radius, diameter and concentricity deviation. They are incredibly flexible, making them usable on parts of varying sizes and features.
The Starrett HE400 offers a 16” diameter screen, 10” x 4” X-Y stage travel, LED lighting, choice of six bayonet-style fixed interchangeable lenses and Q-axis angular readout. This horizontal comparator is fitted with MetLogix M1 measuring software digital readout system for easy use. These measurement tools function using the principles of optics by utilizing illumination, lenses and mirrors to project a magnified silhouette of a part upon a screen.
Our QA team uses bore gauges to measure the inside diameter of a hole with high accuracy. They can have electronic displays, micrometer-type vernier scales or a dial. Diatest and Mitutoyo are currently the most accurate, easily used and durable tools. The modular design with extensive accessories enables gauging of most common bores. Also, they can detect geometrical shape defects such as ovality, concentricity, barrel-shape and more.
We’ve introduced portable measuring devices, bore gauges and micrometers, to complement our in-house CNC machining services. Bore gauges are used for verifying inner diameters of parts during the machining process or final inspection. Similarly, micrometers provide highly accurate measurements, which can measure up to 0.0001 inches.
Foreign Object Debris or Foreign Object Damage (FOD) is an important quality control measure, which explores debris, loose objects and wildlife that have the potential to cause damage to manufactured equipment or breach safety protocols. Our QA department has established a robust procedure to ensure FOD incidents are minimized, we’ve introduced frequent employee trainings, visual inspection of all parts, and 100 per cent inspection with a borescope on all flight parts. Using a Computed Tomography machine (CT), we non-destructively inspect obscured areas inside a part layer-by-layer to ensure no FOD exists.
We have put a first article inspection (FAI) process in place to cover any changes that occur in our manufacturing process such as change in design or manufacturing operation that affects fit, form or function of the part, implementation of corrective action, and a lapse in production for two years. The FAIs are performed for all flight parts and non-flight parts, if needed. A First Article Inspection Report is issued, which certifies the first part produced and inspected according to the technical requirements from customer.
All final parts are sent to the customer with an End Item Data Package, which contains electronic copies of documents of each operation occurred in every step of manufacturing like; powder CofC, heat treatment CofC, QA inspection reports, material lab report, surface roughness report, tensile chemical fatigue reports and etc.
Through non-destructive testing we can carry out a precise method of inspection that is repeatable and can be done jointly to correlate results. Our cost-effective testing instruments, such as 3D scanners and CT, support non-destructive inspections that verify and explore the properties of a component, structure or system for characteristic differences – ensuring final printed parts are error-free.
Our QA office can verify and evaluate that any printed part meets standards and expectations. All GD&T components are verified against drawings using CMM. Using 3Dscanners, like Faro Arm, we scan all the data points and create a virtual model based on the real time part and compare it to CAD model to probe any existing deviation.
Our powerful CT machine is used for 3D metrology and analysis with Scatter/Correct technology to automatically remove scatter artifacts for higher image quality with high-speed scan. The scanner offers beyond down to < 1µm detail detectability, which gives us the opportunity to collaborate in industrial process control and scientific research application.
