FOOLPROOF, EXTREMELY PRECISE MEASURING SYSTEM
Quaife Engineering has been at the forefront of high performance transmission technology since 1965, when renowned Engineer Rodney Quaife produced the first five speed gear cluster for a Triumph motorcycle. This gear kit, which went on to compete with considerable success at the famous Daytona events, embodied a philosophy that to this day remains central to every Quaife product – that of affordable excellence.
Since its inception Quaife Engineering has grown to become a very successful business and is now a respected OEM supplier to global auto manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler. True to the company’s abiding values, whether producing low volume motorsport transmissions, a prototype electric vehicle power train, or a large OEM differential order, Quaife’s goals remain unchanged - to deliver outstanding quality, performance and value for money.
Quaife has an ongoing involvement in both two and four wheels motorsport, this association helps to ensure that the company fully understands time pressures and the need for a competitive edge. Quaife’s flexible team of highly-skilled designers, production personnel and assembly technicians thrive on the tight deadlines, engineering challenges and quality requirements that have helped to deliver podium positions to Quaife’s numerous global motorsport clients.
This same company culture can be found in Quaife’s volume OEM, ATB differential program. Based in a 23,000 square feet, high-tech manufacturing plant in Gillingham Kent, the impressive facility contains a large number of multi-pallet CNC machine tools, that offer a combination of speed, accuracy and manufacturing flexibility. Quaife’s hi-tech Gillingham operation supplies some of the world’s leading car manufacturers with technically advanced differentials, most recently the Ford Motor Company for the acclaimed 300bhp Mk2 Focus RS.
In addition to supplying a growing number of car manufacturers, Quaife’s ability to deliver high performance driveline solutions to its motorsport clients, this competency is now proving to be directly transferable to an increasing number of diverse transport sectors. Customers now include companies involved in the commercial vehicle and military fields, in addition to the electric, low emissions and mobility transport sectors. Quaife’s transition into specialist vehicles has been made possible by the company’s design team’s experience in working with customer product development teams, from initial concept through to evaluation and validation.
Mindful of the high loads placed on the transmissions of all types of vehicles, Quaife ensure the quality of their manufactured drive-train components, not only through the ingenious design work applied to the company’s products, but also through the company’s rigorous Quality Control regime. From the testing of incoming raw materials, through operators’ regular in-process dimensional checks, to the meticulous final inspection of each completed component, the quality of the company’s output is closely monitored at every stage of production.
To help maintain Quaife’s jealously guarded reputation for the quality of its products, the company make regular investments in the best available inspection equipment. Typical of this expenditure is the company’s recent purchase of an advanced air-gauging system from Bowers Metrology. To help ensure the extremely accurate, O.D. bearing journal diameter of motor shafts supplied to an Electric Vehicle manufacturer, Quaife undertook a search for a foolproof, extremely precise measuring system that could keep pace with the machine tool used to manufacture this critical part.
Karl Green explained “As the external diameter of the shaft’s bearing journal had such a tight tolerance, we needed to eliminate the slight inconsistencies that can occur between operators when using conventional micrometers. Having examined several alternative technologies we spoke to Bowers Metrology. Impressed by the company’s grasp of our gauging needs, their suggested air-ring and readout column proposal, and the cost effective quoted price of Bowers proposed system, we placed an order.
“Now in regular use, our operators are able to achieve excellent accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility with the Bowers air-gauge ring. By inserting the shaft into the ring and rotating it through 360 deg, all of the very precise data, relating to the critical bearing journal is downloaded to Bowers’ PC 2200 electronic/air column. Whilst rotating the shaft in a dynamic mode, the advanced column displays the status of the measured shaft in real time, in both digital and analogue modes. As a belt and braces, we also programme Bowers’ PC 2200 with the bearing journal’s permissible upper and lower limits. On the rare occasions that these tolerance limits are approached, the column’s normally green (within tolerance) LED lights, changes to amber. This indication of a small deviation from a nominal condition, enables instant adjustment to be made to the manufacturing process, ensuring that out of tolerance situation cannot occur. Our easy to use Bowers air gauging system has proven ideal for our needs and is now ensuring the delivery of premium quality products to our customers.”
So successful has our flexible Air-Gauging system been, with the addition of add-on plugs and rings, we will redeploy the Bowers equipment within other production areas as further applications arise.”
In addition to offering a comprehensive range of standard air plugs, rings and calipers, Bowers is also able to produce many different types of bespoke air gauging products. Owing to Bowers’ engineers experience in the field, they are able to design and manufacture cost effective air gauging products to solve a wide range of measuring problems.
To enable the results of every class of Bowers air-gauges to be understood and presented in a clear, precise manner, readings can be displayed on Bowers’ advanced PC 2200. As used by Quaife Engineering, this state of the art electronic/air column can take readings from both air gauging products and measuring probes. The flexible column is capable of a multitude of measuring functions including static and dynamic gauging, classification grading and probe mixing.
For more information on the Bowers Air Gauging range, click here.
Published on November 02, 2011 08:56