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www.us-tech.com
October, 2017
Continuous Improvement Meets Today’s Manufacturing Demands
By Caprice Dreifort, New Business Development and Marketing Manager, A&D Precision I
n the world of manufacturing, continuous improvement is the key to success, a mantra that is
the very foundation of A&D Preci- sion. Founded in 1978, the company has survived the highs and lows of the industry by constantly evolving. This has allowed the company to stay on top of the latest technologies and manufacturing methods. The compa- ny combines an enthusiastic, tech- nology-driven approach with practi- cal engineering. Located in Fremont, California,
A&D services a variety of customers in various industries, including med- ical devices, automotive, semiconduc- tors, and the life sciences. The com- pany’s focus is on high-mix, low-vol- ume products, with a specialization in precision machining and electro- mechanical assembly. A&D has worked with customers of all shapes and sizes on a variety of projects, pro- viding solutions that range from pro- totyping to subassemblies and final integration.
Fully-Automated Machining A&D has always maintained
the latest equipment and technology in its manufacturing facilities. Most recently, the company expanded its capacity by adding a fully-automat- ed, machining division. This division includes multiple five-axis machining centers and a
A&D has multiple cleanrooms for medical and biomedical device assembly.
Most CNC machining centers
provide three axes of movement: side-to-side, front-to-back, and up and down — x, y and z. For parts that require machining on only one or two sides, a three-axis machine can get
piece can simply be repositioned to present each side to the spindle. This allows the top and all four sides to be machined in a single setup. Elimi- nating setups reduces the overall machining times, along with decreas-
Matsuura
H.Plus 405 17-pallet ma- chining center. These machining cen- ters are fully-automated, running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The centers are reloaded by a Robotiq ro- bot and monitored by a camera sys- tem to ensure that the division runs flawlessly.
the job done fairly easily. Machining a multi-sided part in a three-axis set- up, for drilling and tapping the top and four sides of a cube, for example, usually requires refixturing the part multiple times. By adding two more axes of mo- tion — tilt and rotation — the work-
ing the risk of error. Using a five-ax- is machining approach leads to faster production, while employing less di- rect labor and delivering greater pre- cision.
The company’s manned division
includes a new lathe, the Nakamura Slant, and multiple Haas UMC750 five-axis machining centers.
Assembly Capabilities A&D’s assembly division has
multiple Class 100 and Class 1,000 cleanrooms and the capability to as- semble products both large and small. The cleanrooms are used extensively for medical and biomedical products and can perform sonic welding, heat sealing and final packaging. The company’s technicians are
highly skilled and have assembled complex products that range from medical devices and surgical robots to subassemblies for nuclear applica- tions.
The company’s team of engi-
neers works closely with its techni- cians to create assembly drawings and detailed process instructions to document production from manufac- turing to final assembly and testing. From 2001-2009, the company
was one of the key partners that helped to build the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and most powerful laser facility. The
Continued on next page
See at MD&M Minneapolis, Booth 405
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