Any suggestions for a machine shop that can handle large assemblies?
 

Anyone know of a any good machine shops that can handle large assemblies? Primary materials involved the fabrication would be 316 stainless and beryllium. EDM and electron beam welding would be required along with relativley close tolerance machining (+/- .005 on alot of stuff). Need to be able to machine and integrate assemblies weighing in the neighborhood of 20 tons or so.

Any ideas?

Can't say for sure, but one would think perhaps near a ship yard or sub building area would be able to handle something like that. I was E-beam welder for Hughes Aircraft for 8 years, a very cool machine ;)

Lendaddy runs a machine shop and is looking for work.

I hadn't thought of shipyard-type places. Good idea. Is anyone familiar with Remmele Engineering (in MN or WI?). They built some stuff for me years ago and they seem like a shop that could handle what we need.

We've got several large assemblies that need to be manufactured (some in the millions of $$ per assembly) and no one seems to want to bid them.

For instance - we need another one of these made (the thing hanging from the crane):

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1227287237.jpg

The warp core for the Enterprise?

Mike, Al Myers at Flambeau metals in WI can probably help you. I kknow he used to do huge rollers for paper mills. If not he can steer you in the right direction.
Warren

I'll check into this. Thanks.

I could help you with big rotating equipment, but not that monstrosity :D

"The warp core for the Enterprise?"

Looks like a particle beam target/moderator to me.

Wish I could help you, but too big for our shop.

General Tool or Magna Machine in Cincinnati have equipment that can handle that size job.

Well, I've got a milling machine in my garage............:p

Seriously,
Check out this site: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/index.php and perhaps post an inquiry here: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=34

Practical Machinist seems to be the Pelican of the manufacturing world. Mostly knowledgeable professionals and shop owners, and the board has a serious yet helpful feel. (Plus, I can surf the site at work and not feel like I'm goofing off ;))

Best of luck,
Jim

Yea, that's well outside our abilities. Cool stuff and I wish we could but he needs a shop with big big dollar equipment and expertise.

electron beam welding is very very cool.

So, what is that thing?

Looks like a cylindrical core of prefabulated amulite, surmounted by a malleable logarithmic casing in such a way that the two spurving bearings are in a direct line with the pentametric fan. ... The main winding of the normal lotus-o-delta type placed in panendermic semi-boloid slots in the stator, every seventh conductor being connected by a nonreversible trem'e pipe to the differential girdlespring on the 'up' end of the grammeters.

In other words, the guts of a turboencabulator.

You're actually pretty close. :) It's called an Inner Reflector Plug. It has liquid hydrogen upper and lower neutron moderators that are cooled with gaseous helium, beryllium reflectors, cadmium coated neutron reflectors and lots of stainless shielding. All water cooled. Our liquid mercury target module fits into one of the slots in the bottom and it's position needs to be controlled to within +/- .010". And the target weighs 100 tons. Not an easy task positioning 100 tons to that accuracy...

We just finished work on a 90 ton gas turbine. The tolerances on it are with 0.002" and within 0.0005" on the journals. The size of your piece isn't the problem, it's all that stuff hanging out of it.

Have you checked Craigslist for a slightly used one? ;)

Yeah, we had one of these made a few years ago and it didn't go too well - lots of problems. Now we need another one and everyone is no-bidding. It is extremely complex and the size conspires against us.

Yep, there's one on ebay right now with a decent "buy it now" price but the guy wants too much for shipping. ;)

Edit - funny you mention "used". I will be in charge of replacing this when the time comes and the radiation levels this thing will possess are going to be mind-boggling. Probably in the neighborhood of 10^8 rem. Try handling something that radioactive that is that heavy. Not going to be fun.