Delcam customer Tower Tools seals Boeing success : CAD CAM News

Delcam customer Tower Tools seals Boeing success

The seal for the Boeing 777 was the largest produced by Tower Tools with its Delcam software.Delcam customer Tower Tools has lately realized its largest project with its Delcam manufacturing software, the tooling for the cargo-door seal for the freight version of the Boeing 777.

he seal measures 3 by three metres square, and has a little and variable cross-section.Like many of the company`s projects, the moulds and the associated checking fixture were supplied to Meggitt Polymers and Composites."When the Boeing representative visited us, he seemed a short anxious about having a comparatively small company responsible for the tooling for such a vital component," admitted Myles Ball, Managing Director at Tower Tools."He was a lot happier when the first seal was delivered in 18 weeks, six weeks earlier than the average for a stamp of that size.In addition, the seal fitted perfectly and worked first time."Tower Tools has specialized in moulds for rubber products, in detail for aerospace seals, since it was founded in 1957 in the center of Leicester.The party took its name from the nearby clock tower.It touched to its present situation in 1995, where it has bigger and better premises with easier approach to the freeway network.Meggitt, together with GKN and Trelleborg, are the company`s major customers, but it also undertakes work in early shipping sectors and for medical applications.Unlike many customers who have bought Delcam software after a testimonial from an existing user, Mr. Ball first invested in the package in 1998 after speaking to a party that had decided on a cheaper CADCAM package."The owner told me that he had made a big mistake and that he wished he had paid the duplicate for the Delcam system," remembered Mr. Ball."From that moment, I knew I had to have Delcam software.The demonstration convinced me; the software seemed to be far more intuitive than the other packages I`d seen."Comments from a Delcam user were important when new Engineering Manager, Andy Lowe, arrived at Tower Tools and began using the PowerSHAPE design software."I found PowerSHAPE to be real dissimilar from the organization I had used previously," he explained, "but a sub-contract draughtsman that we used told me it was the best system for tooling design so I stuck with it.Ironically, I became so much more productive once I got used to the different way of running that we didn`t want to subcontract as lots of our design work.""The flexibleness of the package is crucial to us," added Mr. Ball."For some projects, we are supplied with a fully-detailed CAD design of the stamp so we use PowerSHAPE just to create the mould.At the other extreme, we can be sent drawings of two adjacent parts and are told to make something to meet the gap between them so we want to figure the seal from scratch.PowerSHAPE also makes it really gentle to make checking fixtures from the instrument designs.""The PowerMILL CAM system also gives us many benefits, not least the power to machine undercuts in three-axis by using special cutters," he continued."The tractability of rubber means that undercuts are far more usual in rubber moulds than in those for plastics.""Even more important has been the living that we have received from Delcam," he concluded."Whenever we make any problems, the help-desk staff go out of their way to serve us.The regular training days are invaluable in keeping us up to see with developments in the package and the latest project and machining techniques."