Challenge MET™ - Monsees Group

Two prism mounts, on different mounting angles, to size and true position tolerances of <0.001”

An advanced optics customer had a prototype design that included one barrel with two prism mounting pockets that needed to be on different angles and positioned exactly. The part had a combination of tightly-toleranced features that included: Part made from 6061 aluminum; all tolerances met after black anodize, 0.001” profile tolerance from one prism seat to the next; 0.0008” size tolerance for prism pocket walls; 002” true position on prisms seats to the barrel face, O.D. and timing feature; traceable inspection on prism position relative to critical features for customer alignment.

Monsees Group worked with the customer to optimize GD&T to meet application needs and determine achievable and acceptable tolerances. We used a combination of mill-turn and 5-axis milling equipment to complete the part in two setups. To provide inspection data, our 5-axis programmable CMM was used to measure critical diameters, outside flange features and prism positions in one setup.

Multiple, critical flatness and parallelism tolerances with a #4 finish

A customer in the metrology industry was launching a new product for high-precision surface measurement, and needed a cosmetically-appealing, tight-tolerance calibration plate. Product requirements included: Uniform, #8 grind finish on the top surface of the plate; minimum hardness of 40Rc for the finished product; parallelism less than 0.0001″ on the top surface relative to the back mounting surface; and diametric pockets placed on the top surface with similar flatness and parallelism tolerance requirements.

Monsees Group worked with the customer to determine material, design details, and achievable tolerances to produce prototypes and production lots inside their budgeted cost. The final process used a combination of conventional milling, rough grinding, hard milling, and finish grinding to meet the final specifications.

Produce cam barrel assembly prototype to tight specifications, produce at 20% cost savings

This optics industry customer placed this project with Monsees Group after struggling to achieve necessary tolerances at quoted costs from another supplier. Monsees’ challenge was to produce parts to the higher standard set, while meeting the previous supplier’s costs. Product requirements included: parts made from 6061 Aluminum; all tolerances met after black anodize and application of Teflon lubricant; 001” true position between cam barrel bore and cam profile; 001” total size and roundness tolerance across length of cam barrel bore; 001” total size and roundness fit on O.D. of all optical cells and actuated barrels to be housed inside cam barrel.

Monsees produced all parts in the assembly per original drawing specifications to tolerance and delivered prototype barrels to customer. Based on that first lot, our Precision Components team discussed process opportunities and identified improvements to processes that would result in required cost reductions. Reductions were achieved over 1 to 2 subsequent runs and passed on to the customer.

Die assembly to hold and cut a single sheet of 0.001” thick Mylar plastic on a production line

A custom production machinery industry client had an untested die design, and brought Monsees Group engineers on-site to discuss design and feasibility. After incorporating a number of recommended changes in design, and confirming anticipated requirements with our team, a design was finalized and placed with Monsees. Product requirements included the following: 0001” clearance between punch components and die; tightly specified vacuum lines to place and hold Mylar sheets without deformation; related tolerance requirements in assembly to place and fit die components; acquisition of purchased assembly components, including inspection for quality; testing of completed assembly.

Monsees Group’s Custom Machining group was able to complete this project using our highly accurate vertical milling and wire EDM equipment to meet the required clearance. Experienced personnel cut matching punch and die profiles using wire EDM, and fit the die in assembly, finishing dowel pins hole locations to size and locking the assembly in place. The assembly was tested and put into production without issue.

Critical objective housing for an advanced optical assembly, from prototype to production

An advance optics client consulted Monsees Group on initial design for a new optical assembly, including the objective housing, which had several required customer interface points and tight tolerances specified relative to the optical centerline. Our Custom Machining team provided feedback with respect to achievable tolerances and agreed to an initial design for this objective housing to be made from INVAR 36 material. Product requirements included the following: Eight optical bores on different centerlines with true position tolerances ranging from 0.001” – 0.005” relative to critical customer interface points; three ground mounting surfaces located by dowel pins with 0.001” – 0.002” true position requirements; multiple fit tolerances of 0.0004” total on different planes at optical bore interfaces; tightly-specified anti-reflective thread to be placed to a depth of 4” on a partial diameter; serialized laser engraving and electroless nickel finish.

An initial lot was produced from this design and delivered to the customer in 8 weeks, with a follow-on quantity to meet an initial customer order for testing. Monsees’s Technical Services team worked with the customer to incorporate necessary changes to the design and ultimately modify the initial lots produced. Meanwhile, our Precision Components team developed a production plan, including investments in tooling and fixtures, to produce parts at a higher quantity and maintain quality. Initial production lots were monitored and improved in-process, with many changes to the initial process made to improve outcomes in a production environment.

Fully inspect existing thread core and produce replacements to exact specs on a tight deadline

This injection molding customer provided an existing detail from their operating mold, as well as a part drawing and shrink factor. Monsees Technical Services completed a full inspection, and made note of areas where wear and galling compromised those measurements. Our team reviewed the part and the part drawing, in order to produce a solid file and finalize a drawing for manufacturing. Part requirements included the following: custom impression thread for proprietary cap design; key timed to thread for interchangeable drive gear; typical injection molding requirements for shutoff, venting, cooling, etc.

Our Custom Machining group designed and produced tooling required to soft machine the custom thread impression, ground all shutoffs, keys, taper angles and impressions diameters, and delivered parts complete to the customer in 6 weeks.