Project Spotlight – Benchmark Space Systems

Burlington Vermont based Benchmark Space Systems were facing supply chain challenges in getting the machined aerospace parts they needed for a critical deadline. The details of the part design are confidential, but we can say the part is a stainless-steel manifold in an aerospace assembly.

Manifold part

Benchmark Space Systems has worked with the Manufacturing Collaborative on our Industry Project Program where we provide a variety of design, manufacturing and testing services. We have done a variety of machining projects with Benchmark Space Systems including milling, turning and wire EDM. We have also employed our CT scanner for root cause analysis and problem solving. For this part, Benchmark needed to meet a critical deadline and could not get the parts they needed from other suppliers.

Benchmark Space System’s Peder Nilsson, VP of Supply Chain stated “The Manufacturing Collaborative had previously shown a strong ability to work flexibly and to tight schedules, even with difficult machining operations. The ability to meet this critical deadline also depended on transparent communication. Benchmark issued an extremely challenging timeline on this high complexity part. Manufacturing was not without its challenges but through the process we were able to collaborate very effectively across multiple parts of our respective organizations. When combined with a major effort on the Collaborative’s part, including late nights and weekends, the result was a successful on time delivery which had a major impact on Benchmark’s ability to deliver to customer expectations. This effort was a great example of a manufacturing partner demonstrating their commitment to a customer’s success and very much exceeded Benchmark Space Systems’ expectations, which were already high given previous successes.

The part has critical interface dimensions and features with tight tolerances. We chose to machine the part on our DMG Mori 5-axis mill. The 5-axis process combines traditional XYZ coordinate movement with a table that rotates and swivels. The technology allows machining on multiple faces with reduced setup and changeover that improves quality and allows faster, tight tolerance machining.

COLA kit

Before the part can be machined, it must be programmed for the various cutting tools and their speeds and feeds. The approach to toolpath programming is also critical for efficient and high-quality results. There are various options and approaches, Eric Hannett the Manufacturing Collaborative’s Advanced Manufacturing Engineer commented: “tool path programming is an art as much as it is a science. It’s about finding that perfect balance between precision and efficiency, where every movement is calculated, and every cut is intentional. In this craft, the smallest adjustment can make all the difference.”

Engineering student Eric Hannett works with a five-axis CNC mill at the Advanced Manufacturing Center in Randolph.

With the tight timeline Eric and his teammate Ian Barker put in the extra hours to get the parts made and inspected. The requirement was inspection of 100% of dimensions and features. The inspection took several different methods to achieve, including a functional gauge check. The parts are inspected during the machining process as well as when the part is complete. The part must be clean and free of burs (sharp edges where machined surfaces intersect). An inspection report and a certificate of compliance are generated and supplied per the quality requirements. Ian Barker, Advanced Manufacturing Production Engineer, manages the process flow through the Manufacturing Collaborative and is responsible for on-time delivery. The project was challenging because of the steep learning curve and aggressive delivery date, however these difficulties were overcome and the project was a clear success.