Original Date: 04/20/1998
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

ITT Aerospace/Communications Division (A/CD) established a state-of-the art model/machine shop which can produce very close tolerance products. Equipped with computer numerically controlled machining capabilities and automated process generation and verification, this facility is also used for short turnaround and unique build requirements. ITT A/CD’s previous process for producing a filter housing was labor intensive, and required numerous manual operations. Operators performed machine programming by generating paper tapes, and many calculations were performed by hand. Machining processes involved multiple tooling steps that required a part to travel from tool station to tool station. In addition, most jobs required secondary operations; troubleshooting was difficult; and machining errors occurred frequently.

After winning a new project, ITT A/CD decided to update and streamline its process. Changes included reducing schedules, minimizing costs, limiting non-recurring engineering, tightening tolerances, and establishing design guidelines. The company also developed dimensioning schemes to standardize tolerances and critical dimensions. Programming techniques were now performed via commercial software packages (e.g., Pro/ENGINEER, Pro/MANUFACTURING, Vericut, Interleave) when entering machining parameters into the system. ITT A/CD reduced cycle time by minimizing its processing techniques and establishing cluster towers, which consolidated tooling into one tool station. By connecting all machining equipment to a common Intranet, operators can easily access all machining information.

Since implementing these improvements, ITT A/CD reduced the cost of producing a filter housing from $1,934 to $736. This significant saving helps the company remain competitive.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.