professional programming services
Lightweight tail section assembly
This typical aluminium airframe assignment involved programming approximately thirty five components for the tail section of a lightweight passenger jet.
One feature common to all the components was very thin and tightly toleranced wall sections, often less than 1mm thick. On the larger components this carried a serious risk of distortion, while vibration was a concern on the free standing walls of the smaller components.
Cycle times and material usage were also critical to ensure the profitability of the project.
We helped the client select new five axis machine tools capable of producing the
larger components, and wrote post processor configurations both for these new machines
and the client’s existing machining centres. We also contributed to the design of
an interchangeable vacuum fixture purpose-
A high speed machining technique of light, fast cuts achieved the tolerances required on all components, successfully avoiding distortion and vibration. The resulting surface finish was of a very high standard, which combined with an innovative strapping technique greatly reduced the need for polishing.
The smaller components were nested, with up to 60 parts per billet, maximising material usage. Cycle times were also considerably shorter than those forecast by the client.
The project consisted of two distinct groups of components; small parts measuring between 25mm and 400mm in length, and larger spars and frames, some measuring over 3m. The client already had a five axis machining centre available on which to produce the smaller components but needed help specifying new machines for the larger parts. With angled features nearing 50°, axis limits as well as spindle capacity and bed size were an important consideration.
Telephone : +44 (0)1629 592890
Email : cnc (at) peak-
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