ShopSolutions “The ease of stacking the plates and the configuration of
Kornfeld’s modular design was really what sold me on it,” said Hutchinson. “Since you can lay out one plate at a time and stack the levels successively, you can minimize the distance between the plates without having to reach your hands into that small space.”
Kornfeld said that designing a creative, customized fixture doesn’t always make financial sense. For example, when repairing an expensive jet engine component, it is more important to get that engine back into service in the minimal time possible, rather than trying to process the largest number of parts possible. Even for production runs a standard, off-the- shelf grid, plate, or basket may do the job well enough and at a lower cost than a custom solution. But either way, you won’t know which solution will be best unless you speak with someone who has the experience and expertise to analyze your business needs and show you which option offers the greatest business value. Kornfeld said that he
Hi-Tech Furnace designed a stackable graphite fixture that would hold 200 pieces per level. The fixture had five levels with 4" (101.6-mm) spaces in between, allowing 1000 blades to be processed at a time.
frequently advises customers to purchase a standard fixture rather than ordering a custom one. In cases like Hitchiner, however, a creative solution is providing long-term benefits. “We bought these fixtures in 2009 and they are still usable,” said Hutchinson. “We haven’t had to buy any since.” ME For more information on Hi-Tech Furnace Systems, go to www.hi-techfurnace.com, or phone 586-566-0600.