CHALLENGING APPLICATIONS
Over the years Imperial Machine & Tool Company has developed a reputation as a shop willing to tackle a wide variety of challenging applications. Frequently these challenges are material related, such as our expertise with costly and difficult to machine materials like tantalum, tungsten, and molybdenum. While these refractory metals pose higher risks, particularly due to material properties like hardness, softness, or brittleness, other challenging applications have more to do with depth of holes or features of very tight tolerances.

To us a challenging application is something to be welcomed. It sets us apart from others who are willing to handle more typical operations but shy away from the difficult. It all gets back to relationships and customer service. We take pride in being a “go to” resource for our key customers. We want to help solve thorny problems and frequently work hand-in-hand with engineering departments to develop new methods and approaches.

A prime example of a recent challenging application is this titanium (6AL4V) hinge pin. Used as the key connection point on a major artillery system it is important that the pin be both strong and lightweight. Accordingly the entire 18” depth is bored while holding .003” concentricity with the outside diameter. Making it even more challenging, the bore is not straight but rather flares out larger than the entrance hole. Rounding out the challenges, the outside diameter is held to a tolerance of ±.0003”.

Our approach to this and many similar difficult items is what sets us apart. We realize that by using conventional tools and standard machine shop methods we’d be licked before we started. While we consider the solutions to this particular problem to be proprietary, they involve multiple tooling items and high pressure coolant flow for continuous chip removal. Additionally, the boring tools were custom-designed specifically for this item as were all the holding and turning fixtures.

With customer service in mind and dedication to innovative solutions, here at Imperial Machine & Tool we continually push the machining and fabricating envelope for our customers.
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