Expert spindle rebuilders that pay attention to the details and communicate throughout the process offer fast, reliable rebuilds that last.
For aerospace manufacturers, CNC machine tool spindles are critical to any drilling, milling, boring, grinding, routing, cutting, or sawing process. However, when these systems deteriorate and fail due to contaminants, human error, improper maintenance, lubrication issues, or poor spindle design, a quality rebuild is often required.
Despite the availability of aerospace spindle rebuilders nationwide, not every firm provides the same level of quality. Even a rebuilder that has the equipment may not have the experience, technical knowledge, or attention to detail necessary to rebuild a spindle that performs reliably for many years.
Even reputable rebuilders vary in the extent and quality of the initial inspection, accuracy of quotes, and level of communication with customers. Given the direct correlation between these factors and the ultimate quality and longevity of the rebuild, most machinists continue to believe that it makes little difference which shop they contact.
In actual practice, however, the difference can be significant and seriously impact shop productivity. As a result, most machinists can easily relate tales of failed spindle repairs that led to costly downtime.
“After one spindle rebuild, I had to pull the machine out of production within a short time for additional repair,” says Tom Collins, maintenance supervisor at Edro’s Engineering’s Walnut, California facility. Edro Engineering, which serves North America and Europe, is a one-stop tooling solution shop for machining services, special materials, custom mold bases, PVD/DLC coatings, and additive manufacturing.
“Any time these CNC machines are down it costs us money, so we never want them down,” explains Collins, who is responsible for more than 50 milling machines, jig borers, and surface grinders. “Because we run our spindles often at high speeds and we do surface grinding of stainless steel and specialty materials, frequent rebuilds are necessary – even expected.
“So, if we send out a spindle and it is not properly repaired, it has to be removed again for additional repairs and that is going to put the machine down for even more time – and that’s even more money,” he adds.
Morgan Stipp, who supervises a grinding operation for Embee Processing in Santa Ana, California, agrees that minimizing downtime is essential.
Stipp oversees about 20 precision grinders at Embee Processing’s 124,000ft2 metal finishing campus facility in Santa Ana, California. This includes Studer CNC grinders, Okamoto NC OD grinding machines, centerless grinders, and other equipment with thread, surface, and superfinish grinding abilities.
Most part configurations require the chrome or high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) surfaces to be ground, polished, honed, and deburred after plating to achieve the desired surface finish. These operations are performed to ensure a flawless finish with tolerances as low as 50 millionths of an inch, according to Stipp.
“We are extremely picky with our precision grinding because it has to be essentially perfect for our customers. Without the right equipment and properly maintained spindles, we would not be able to stay in business,” Stipp says.
Stipp believes the thoroughness of the initial inspection performed by the repair/rebuild shop not only impacts the longevity of the spindle after it is rebuilt, but also the accuracy of the price quote.
“Having a machine down for unexpected extra maintenance because the inspection missed something can cost us a lot of money,” Stipp says. “We also do not want any surprise upcharges either, due to the original inspection and quote not being thorough enough.”
Both Stipp and Collins found the precision and attention to detail they required when they contacted MZI Precision of Huntington Beach, California, an experienced machine tool spindle rebuilder with a complete process to supply customers with a fast way back to maximum productivity.
While most aerospace spindle rebuilders only take minimal time to wipe parts before inspection, during disassembly the rebuilder cleans and polishes each component with emery cloth to clearly reveal even minute imperfections. Even the nuts are removed, polished, and then tested to ensure proper fit.
The next step is detailed measurement and documentation of every part of the spindle’s shaft and housing geometry. Micrometers are used to take detailed size measurements, and runout is checked using 50 millionths of an inch dial indicators. The shaft bearing shoulders are then checked to see that they are true and perpendicular. The housing bores are checked for size, alignment, and shoulders squareness. MZI Precision also takes video, followed by digital photographs, of each part during the disassembly process.
“If I have anything go wrong with our spindles, I will call them before the manufacturer. They will diagnose the spindle at no cost and send me a detailed quote, which has been down to the penny on everything. I’ve never had a surprise charge,” Stipp says.
According to Edro Engineering’s Collins, the quality of the repair is also impacted by the expertise of the rebuilder and level of communication, traits he also found in MZI Precision.
“Communication is important, and it is a two-way conversation,” Collins says. “The company wants to understand how the spindle is run, the conditions, the types of parts being made, what metals are cut, the depths of cuts, etc., so the rebuild can be tailored to my application. Also, when I have a question, they answer it quickly.”
Collins also appreciates the spindle rebuilder’s use of only high-grade replacement components and bearings, which help to increase equipment reliability and lifespan. The rebuilder uses aerospace-grade bearings that are ABEC rated 7 or 9, the highest classification. Depending on the requirements, ceramic bearings are often recommended despite the nominal additional cost, due to longevity and higher running speeds.
“I have found their rebuilds to be as good as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and sometimes better. The spindles have run perfectly so I expect them to last a long time,” Collins adds.
While spindle rebuild reliability and lifespan is essential, quick turnaround is also important since equipment downtime must be minimized. “The turnaround for our spindle rebuilds has to be timely to keep our production on track,” says Collins.
Although aerospace spindle rebuilds are available from various sources, for manufacturers that seek greater production reliability, uptime, and lifespan out of their CNC equipment, working with an expert spindle specialist is usually the best option.
About the author: Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California.
Investment firm has ordered a total of 68 737 MAX airplanes in 2021, including 737-8 and 737-8-200 models.
Miami, Florida-based investment firm 777 Partners will nearly double its Boeing 737 MAX order book with the purchase of 30 additional jets. The new order expands 777 Partners' commercial aircraft portfolio to a total of 68 737 MAXs, in its fourth order this year for the fuel-efficient, single-aisle jets. Valued at $3.7 billion at list prices, the order will enable 777 Partners to expand 737 MAX operations across the fleet of its affiliated global low-cost carriers.
"We're delighted to be able to announce the almost doubling in size of our order with Boeing," said Josh Wander, managing partner of 777 Partners. "We have long been confident in the economics of the 737 MAX family, but we are especially excited about the 737-8-200 variant which represents the bulk of our additional orders. We're confident that this aircraft will be the hallmark ULCC/LCC asset, particularly in the sub-200 seat market. As travel demand returns, 777 has accelerated our quest for efficiencies in both operating cost and carbon footprint at our operating carriers. In these areas the 737-8 is compelling and the 737-8-200 is simply unrivalled."
The 737 MAX family reduces fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 14% compared to the airplanes it replaces, reducing operating costs as well as the environmental footprint for 777 Partners' affiliated airlines. Every 737 MAX features a passenger-pleasing Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead storage bins.
"We greatly appreciate 777 Partners for their trust in our products, including repeat orders for the 737 MAX and expanding their fleet to include the high-capacity 737-8-200 model," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.
Founded in 2015, 777 Partners now invests across six different industries: insurance, consumer and commercial finance, litigation finance, direct lending, media and entertainment, and aviation.
A321XLR MSN11000 will perform the flight testing and type certification program starting in 2022.
The structural completion of Airbus A321XLR, MSN11000, in the final assembly line (FAL) in Hamburg, Germany, follows the recent assembly and equipping of the major component assemblies (MCAs) and their subsequent delivery and introduction on schedule into the FAL in November 2021. These MCAs notably included (but were not limited to): the nose and forward fuselage, delivered from Saint Nazaire, France; the center and aft fuselage assembled in Hamburg; the wings from Broughton, UK; the landing gears supplied by Safran, and the vertical and horizontal tailplanes from Stade and Getafe respectively.
While other Airbus FAL locations will eventually be producing A321XLRs to fulfil the type’s large customer order-book, Hamburg has been chosen to pilot this new variant into series production starting with the three development flight test aircraft now in various stages of completion there.
Head of the A320 Family Program Michael Menking explains, “We are currently on the way to also have the A321XLR delivered out of other single aisle FALs. So, it is important for sure that all the teams learn from the experience in Hamburg so we can bring this knowledge to the other facilities. This is also what we are doing with the A320 family Airspace cabin which we started in Hamburg.”
Of the four A320 family assembly lines in Hamburg, the one which is processing the first A321XLR is referred to as “FAL Line 2”, which is inside the “Hangar-9” building. The subsequent two A321XLR development aircraft – MSN11058 and MSN11080 – will follow in from the same assembly line.
Once all the MCAs for the initial -XLR aircraft had reached the FAL, they subsequently came together at a series of stations to create a whole recognizable aircraft. The journey through these stations took approximately four weeks.
At Station 42/43, the open and separate aft and forward fuselage sections offered accessibility to receive their fully equipped monuments (galleys, lavatories).
Subsequent join-up of these fuselage sections and final installation of the monuments took place at Station 41. Here over 3,000 rivets joined the forward and rear fuselage sections. Importantly, these fuselage sections contained the A321XLR’s vital new enabler: its special Rear-Center-Tank (RCT) produced by Premium Aerotec. The RCT holds the extra 12,900L of fuel needed for its 4,700nm range capability. The XLR’s lower fuselage also contains a larger waste-water tank for the extra-long flights. In addition, the interior furnishing (floor panels, cargo loading system, and cockpit linings) and cabin electrical systems were also fitted at Station 41.
With the above stage completed, the teams in the FAL carefully raised the whole fuselage section by overhead crane and then lowered it into a jig at Station 40. This was the most visually impressive stage, where they physically positioned the awaiting wing and landing gear assemblies up to their new fuselage with sub-millimetric precision.
Around 2,400 rivets were then used to ensure a robust connection of both wings to the fuselage. Here the aircraft also received its Toulouse-made engine pylons. Another milestone at this station was the functional electrical power-on. From then on, the aircraft no longer needed a crane, since it could be pulled on its own wheels to the next station.
Station 35 saw the installation of the horizontal and vertical tailplanes (the HTP from Getafe in Spain, and the VTP from Stade in Germany), the tail cone, inner flaps, main landing gear doors, radome, weather radar, air ducts, air conditioning system, water system, fuel-system (which is modified for the RCT on -XLR), belly fairing, the APU, and all the passenger and cargo doors. The hydraulic system power-on was also performed here, as well as the installation of cabin linings, hat racks, passenger service channel, and cargo compartment panels. Finally, the fuel tanks were sealed at Station 35.
Testing and cabin installation has taken place at Station 25. This comprised: fuselage pressurization testing; HTP final rigging; interior furnishing (including emergency lights, stowage, etc.); cabin systems tests (illumination, emergency lighting, audio, video systems, etc.); and system-tests (avionics, communication and navigation tests, tank leakage tests).
The last FAL phase will be at Station 23 for the final testing and interior finishing. This includes installation of seats for the flight-test-engineers, main landing gear testing, and overall cabin testing.
After having passed through all these stations, the first A321XLR will have transformed from a collection of separate parts into a real aircraft, and roll-out of Hangar-9 on its newly installed landing gear.
Gerd Weber, head of A320 Family value stream management & FALs points out: “In the final assembly of the A321XLR aircraft there is not a big variation compared with the other A321 aircraft. The major differences in the -XLR are seen in the ‘pre-FAL’, at section assembly level, where the RCT is installed, for example.”
He adds, “This test aircraft has a partial cabin installed to leave space for all the required flight test equipment. What is also specific for this first A321XLR aircraft is that there is a lot of documentation work to be done, especially for flight test installation, which is very different from our serial process. This requires a special focus by all the teams in closing the documentation and dealing with any discrepancies.”
From here, MSN11000 will enter a working party to install its sophisticated flight-test-instrumentation (FTI) suite followed by installation of its CFM LEAP engines and nacelles. The engines will then be tested for the first time, as well as the landing gear retraction mechanism and the door fairings, followed by an overall quality inspection of the aircraft.
The next production step is the application of the aircraft’s external paint scheme, shortly before the aircraft is handed over to the flight-test teams. Eager to take possession of their new machine for the first time, they will activate and run through a series of ground tests on all the systems, flight controls, engines and the APU. They will perform the taxiing runs and first flight of the -XLR, which will take place next year.
Interactive exhibit is presented locally by Parker Aerospace through Jan. 2, 2022.
Explore the future of aerospace technology in the traveling exhibit Above and Beyond, which has touched down at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio, until Jan. 2, 2022.
Nationally sponsored by Boeing and presented locally by Parker Aerospace, Above and Beyond features 5,000ft2 of interactive demonstrations showing how aerospace has advanced from the first powered flights to the latest innovations in aircraft and spacecraft design.
The exhibit is suitable for families, students (especially those ages 7 to 14), adults, and has content sure to be appreciated by aviation and space enthusiasts as well as aerospace industry professionals.
Within the exhibition, guests can design and fly a supersonic jet in a virtual high-speed flying competition, step into a simulated space elevator that takes them to the edge of the universe, and fly like a bird in an ingenious flight simulation using motion-sensing technology.
Five main interactive galleries focus on up, faster, farther, higher, and smarter with exhibits showcasing advanced technology, including additive manufacturing, tackling the problem of space debris, concepts for future aircraft, carbon fiber materials, and uses of unmanned aerial systems.
The historical roots of aviation are revealed with an expansive multitouch timeline and stories about the people behind the advances in flight. A montage of dreamers and doers share their excitement for their jobs and the next century of flight. There’s even a place to add your own dreams to a collaborative vision of flight 100 years from now.
Child-friendly, informative, learn-by-doing educational exhibits emphasize interactions accessible to anyone who’s ever played a video game. Evergreen Exhibitions produced these engaging experiences with extensive input from a wide range of experts from NASA and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
Great Lakes Science Center’s Associate Director of Strategic Content Claire Dorsett says Above and Beyond tells a story that resonates with audiences. “They can walk out our doors still thinking about what they’ve experienced and can start to identify in their world where those concepts are relevant to them.”
Dorsett adds Above and Beyond is a perfect complement to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, as it attracts children’s attention to the STEM pathways that may lead to possible careers.
Dorsett explains, “First comes awareness, then deeper exposure, immersion, and then guiding them to those pathways. Our goal is to galvanize students’ curiosity into the confidence to pursue STEM.”
The interactive exhibit develops a context, she adds, that ties in with what national and local manufacturers are doing. “It’s not just something that someone else is doing, it emphasizes it’s something happening right here in your own back yard, and you can be part of it, too.”
Above and Beyond, which runs through Sunday, January 2, is included with general admission to the Great Lakes Science Center at GLSC, 601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114. Great Lakes Science Center also includes the NASA Glenn visitor center featuring an Apollo space capsule.
Watch a video with highlights of the exhibit.
Machining Aerospace Parts: Meet Growing Industry Demands with Security and Reliability with Sandvik Coromant specialists; Medical Center of Excellence Capabilities at DMG MORI USA.
As the aerospace industry shows continued recovery, cycle time reduction will become more and more critical to meet the increasing demands. The positive industry trends signal the need for new solutions to machine HRSA materials efficiently with maximum material removal, while predictably producing quality parts. With this in mind, Sandvik Coromant specialists will share best practices to meet these demands and introduce latest innovations from Sandvik Coromant made for machining difficult materials and aerospace parts.
Attend this session and learn:
• How to boost process security when turning components –and how CoroTurn® 107 stability makes it possible
• Why the new CoroMill MH20 is a powerful high feed pocket milling solution for ensuring secure and vibration-free machining
• Produce higher quality surface finish with VERICUT and the M5 series combined
• How the new S205 HRSA turning grade for higher speeds increases productivity in semi-finishing and finishing applications
• The key solutions needed for productive turning of difficult machine materials in aerospace
Click here to register for the Dec. 16, 2021 Manufacturing Lunch + Learn taking place at 12PM ET.
David DenBoer, Aerospace Industry Specialist, Sandvik Coromant
Scott LewisAerospace Industry Specialist, Sandvik Coromant
DMG MORI USA Medical Center of Excellence Capabilities
DMG MORI USA has established the Medical Center of Excellence located at their headquarters, in Hoffman Estates, IL, to advance design manufacturing solutions for the medical industry. Listen for a preview of capabilities and a discussion on how DMG MORI USA delivers complete solutions.
Dan Strubel, Applications Engineer, DMG Mori USA
Carson Huber, Applications Engineer, DMG Mori USA