Tight tolerances and critical components

With a number of major OEMs amongst its customer base and strict Nadcap approvals, accurate, precise, and repeatable measurement equipment is a must. The Trimos length measuring machine successfully reduces the risks of manual measuring systems with its non-contact measurement capabilities, making it an ideal solution for a variety of Bromford Industries’ measurement needs.

Jason Kinsey, inspection technician at Bromford Industries says: “The Horizon H is accurate and easy to use. The probing point doesn’t allow for any ambiguity, which is exactly what we need to meet exceptionally high standards here at Bromford Industries. Its output is 100% reliable.”

Customers typically require strict tolerances for a wide range of high performance critical components, making high accuracy measurement equipment essential. Due to the criticality of parts and the demanding industries in which they are used, the company often works to tight tolerances. To do so, measurements must be accurate and repeatable to within 10% of actual tolerances to ensure quality.

The Trimos Horizon ‘H’ Series length measuring machine is simple to use and ideal for workshop environments – as is the case with Bromford Industries. The machine has also allowed the company to achieve accurate measurements to an extra decimal point, therefore offering extra levels of assurance and quality to its customers.

Bromford Industries specialises in the manufacture of components and assemblies for aero and marine gas turbines, aircraft landing gear, static gas generators, nuclear and specialist engineering applications. The company employs over 300 people across five sites, with a proficiency in high precision, complex component machining and fabrication, matched with full supply chain management.

With headquarters in Birmingham, facilities in Leicester and Alcester and sites in the USA and India, Bromford has a number of major OEMs amongst its customer base, including Snecma, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, GE Power & Water and Alstom.

Typical manufactured components include engine rings and casings, and critical parts for aircraft landing gear. The company has recently invested in nine new state of the art 5-axis Okuma machining centres, making the manufacturing operation at Bromford Industries a true ‘smart factory’.

In addition to the measurement of high performance critical components, Bromford Industries also uses the Trimos Horizon H to calibrate analogue universal gauges from Bowers Group as a digital backup.

The company also makes effective use of a Trimos Vertical V600 which is used in the factory on the shopfloor for component measurement. In addition, Bromford also uses Bowers Group’s XT3 Digital Pistol Grip bore gauges with Bluetooth to measure aerospace components. The ergonomic design of the XT3 features a large, clear LCD display facilitating fast, accurate measurement.

Mr Kinsey continues: “Aerospace components require the highest levels of quality and accuracy, therefore precise measurement is a prerequisite. The XT3 bore gauges are spring loaded for easy operation; when checking landing gear, we use up to eight interchangeable heads on the bore gauge, so they’re very versatile.”

Bowers Group www.bowersgroup.co.uk

Bromford Industries www.bromfordindustries.co.uk