Precision Products (Brighton) Ltd, which specialises in subcontract machining of high precision turned parts, has been accredited to AS 9100 Rev C, the latest quality management system standard for the aviation, space, and defence industries.
The company, which already holds ISO 9001:2008 certification, is one of the first to achieve Rev C without having been accredited to a previous version of the AS 9100 standard.
Brian Owen, Managing Director, officially received the certificate from the British Standards Institute on 20th November 2013. The accreditation covers the firm's Rustington factory, which is also the headquarters, and a second manufacturing site at Hollingbury, near Brighton.
Precision Products is already an established, second-tier supplier to the aerospace sector, which accounts for around 15 per cent of the
subcontractor's turnover, a proportion that is expected to grow in the coming years.
One of the company's latest Citizen sliding-head lathes, a model A20 purchased mid 2013 (along with two Miyano BNA fixed-head lathes), is currently devoted 24/5 to producing a family of spacers used widely throughout all types of aircraft. The round and D-shaped parts are turned and milled from S 80 aerospace grade stainless steel bar to a flatness tolerance of 25 microns.
Another example of work for the sector is the production of a 304 stainless steel pawl which forms part of the coffee table assembly for first and business class seats on aircraft operated by a Canadian airline. Tolerances on the left- and right-hand parts are surprisingly tight, especially on one angled flat, as the ability to stow the table quickly and reliably in an emergency is safety-critical.
Other aerospace components machined regularly include gas springs for Boeing military transport aircraft doors, pistons, eyes, end plugs and studs in a range of materials from stainless steel to aluminium.
Precision Products will be promoting its AS 9100 Rev C accreditation, as well as its wide experience across most sectors of industry, on its stand number 5111 in hall 5 at MACH 2014, to be held at the NEC, Birmingham in April 2014.