2) - Low Cost Fast Modular Tooling saves Sinclair Research from overheating
Four weeks prior to their press launch of the Zeta II cycle power pack, Sinclair Research established that their motor was in danger of overheating when cycling downhill.
AAV were approached to tool and manufacture a plastic cooling fan to solve this problem- with delivery required in two weeks.
We used our interchangeable insert system for this requirement, and drew up and manufactured in house the hardened steel inserts required to manufacture the part.
Samples were despatched within 10 days of receipt of final drawings. Whilst we can offer considerable savings in cost and lead times, 10 days delivery cannot always be guaranteed!
3) - Custom Micro Pay a little more to save on total supply solution Unfortunately we were not favoured with the order on the grounds of being slightly too expensive.
In subsequent conversations with their engineers it appeared that Custom Micro were having quality problems with the plastic box, and in addition their in house workshop were having problems machining the slots in the boxes as required to the quality and in the time required.
Initially AAV helped out by machining the stock already supplied to Custom Micro, using our in house CNC machine.
Subsequently we took possession of the tooling. We made enough to satisfy their immediate demand, and then modified the tool to cure the sinking problem which had been occurring on all production to date.
Since then we have continued to produce this item for the customer on a regular basis.
Visit the Custom Micro website.
4) - AAV Plastics Design Saves Customer £3,000 repair bill AAV Plastics Design quoted for making the plastic parts. We inspected the tool and found that it was indeed in need of attention.
In subsequent discussion it was found that only a small amount of work would be required to make the tool so that it could be run. However we found that to make the tool so that parts would not require extensive trimming would cost around £2,500.
However we also looked at the cost of manually trimming the parts being made, and offered to trim them for a reasonable cost. Comparing the cost of trimming to the repair bill meant that the repair would take 8-10 years to pay for itself. It was decided that at this rate of return the option of trimming the plastic parts was preferable.
5) - PENTHAM obtain 30 different plastic parts from one tool! After a wide ranging trial of different plastics materials the optimum plastic material was found to be an EMS Grilon material, a high glass content Nylon.
During the development process it became clear that not only would the hole positions vary, but that the distance from the engine to the starter would need to be varied, both along the axis of the engine, and the distance of the starter away from the flywheel, the starter pinion size would vary, and the nose cone would need to be made so that the location in the engine was not concentric with the body of the starter.
After a long and hard think we designed modifications for the tooling which would enable (nearly) all of these combinations to be achieved. This has enabled the range of engines on which the starter will fit to be substantially increased, and thus increase the sales potential of the starter.
Visit the PENTHAM website.
In September 1998 AAV Plastics Design quoted to make a new plastic badge reader box for Custom Micro Products- an existing customer.
Existing customer Crydom Magnetics were in possession of an existing tool to manufacture a plastic level sensor body in the high temperature/ chemically inert material PPS (Polyphenylene Sulphide).
The plastics moulder running the tool at the time required a major rework for the tool costing over £3,000 for remaking the inserts for their tool. In addition they were not prepared to run the small quantites required by Crydom.
Pentham mechanical starters have developed a plastic spring starter for starting diesel engines- using a steel spring to store mechanical energy which is then used to start the engine.
They required a tool to manufacture the plastic nose cone to fit the starter to the engine, and hold the front bearing of the starter.
The tool was manufactured to make a series of plastic parts to fit different hole positions for mounting on different engines.