SPS Aerostructures Ltd: IN-HOUSE CALIBRATION OF VARIOUS GAUGES

SPS Aerostructures Ltd is a leading engineering company serving the aerospace industry throughout the world. The well known business has gained a formidable record for its extensive manufacturing experience, covering the production of precision machined components, sheet metal fabrications and avionics assemblies for incorporation into all types of aircraft including commercial airliners, military jets, helicopters and satellites.

From their UK facilities situated in Annesley and Mansfield, SPS Aerostructures are able to satisfy a wide range of customer requirements, ranging from small prismatic parts to large complex structural components. The latest Catia V5 machine-programming software has enabled SPS to interface directly with airframe design teams, whilst the company’s wide range of state of the art machine tools, including 3-axis vertical to 5-axis horizontal CNC machining centres, FMS multi-pallet technology and the latest snap-off tooling, helps the company to achieve optimum operating efficiency.

To guarantee that SPS Aerostructures maintains the hard won reputation for the high quality of its output, the company operate a rigorous quality and traceability regime, and make regular investments in the best available measuring equipment. To ensure that the company’s large inventory of gauges remain within calibration, and are available for use at all times, SPS have recently purchased a state of the art Trimos Labconcept calibration machine from Bowers Metrology UK.

SPS Aerostructures’ revolutionary Labconcept is capable of performing a myriad of calibration tasks whilst simultaneously generating calibration certificates. The machine’s specially developed QM-Soft (Quality Management Software) allows the operator to complete all calibration tasks to national, international or user defined standards and to customise the generated calibration certificates for individual needs. Speed of use is improved by easy to use TFT touch-screen technology, whilst set-up times are minimised by using the machine’s impressive array of quick fit accessories.

SPS Calibration Engineer, Colin Hearson reported, “Having previously worked in several UKAS accredited commercial calibration laboratories, I was aware of the excellent reputation of the Labconcept, and although I considered all of the alternative calibration machines now available, due to the sheer volume and wide variety of measuring instruments passing through our calibration system, I decided that the Trimos Labconcept best met all of our criteria in terms of speed, accuracy, and flexibility.

Prior to the purchase of our new Labconcept, most of our measuring instrument inventory was calibrated by an external calibration laboratory. Losing crucial gauges during their period of calibration for up to 2 weeks can potentially result in production delays. Our Labconcept now enables us to calibrate the vast majority of our measuring instruments ‘in-house’ and to instantly download the calibrated instrument’s findings onto our calibration software. The savings made by the company on external calibration costs, will ensure that the Labconcept achieves a very short payback on investment time.

We now see our new calibration machine as the ‘peak of our calibration system’, in that we are able to trace most of our dimensional findings to one, ultra-reliable precision source. We have also used the machine as a ‘referee’, if the accuracy of a gauge being used is in doubt; we now have the ability to make an instant check, giving our operators absolute confidence in the accuracy of their work.

Our much valued customers have learned to expect nothing but the best from SPS Aerostructures and our latest purchase will help to make sure we deliver exactly that”.

For more information about the Labconcept click here.

Published on December 15, 2008 09:20 updated on November 10, 2010 12:04