A precision-machined component can meet every requirement specified on its drawing and still create an issue when assembled with other components.
To ensure components fit and function properly together, complex assemblies require thinking about the completed assembly as a whole as early as the design process. Considering the completed assembly early can help identify design and manufacturing considerations that could affect fit and function later in the process.
At Big Rock Machining, our in-house assembly process provides another opportunity to evaluate how machined components work together before they reach the customer.
Machining With the Complete Assembly in Mind
Having precision machining and turnkey assembly services under one roof streamlines manufacturing services and gives our team a better understanding of how individual components need to work together in the finished product.
When a machinist understands how components will be assembled, they can identify considerations that may not be apparent from an inspection report.
Because we assemble products in-house at Big Rock, our team can ask questions and identify potential manufacturing challenges before production starts. This ensures any issues are addressed early, when changes are easier and less costly to make.
Looking at the assembly as a whole helps our precision machine shop improve the fit and function of the final product.
Planning Early to Prevent Risk
Thorough planning early in the process can help prevent issues during assembly.
Provide Your Manufacturing Partner With as Much Information as Possible
The more information we have about an assembly, the better we can account for its requirements and the project as a whole throughout the manufacturing process.
During planning, our team relies on:
Assembly drawings
3D models
Functional requirements
Critical dimensions
Torque specifications
Special inspection requirements
Together, this information helps us understand the product’s actual use case and the elements that may not be apparent from an individual part drawing.
Account for Finishes Before Parts Are Machined
Surface finishes, like coatings, can add thickness to a component. Even if the change is only a few tenths, on tight-fitting parts, this can be the difference between a good fit and a part that won't assemble.
When plating or coatings are involved, we pay particular attention to features such as:
Threaded holes
Bearing fits
Dowel locations
Close-tolerance bores
Mating surfaces
Considering these features early gives our manufacturing team an opportunity to account for the finish and how it might affect the completed assembly.
Problem-Solving Together
Even with careful planning, issues can sometimes emerge when multiple components come together.
When this happens, manufacturing, quality, program management, and engineering departments work together to understand the root cause and find a solution.
Potential assembly issues can include:
Threads that become tight after plating or coating.
Surface finishes that affect fit
Weld distortion
Hardware fitment issues
Tolerance stack-up across multiple components
Minor dimensional variations that may not affect an individual part but impact the final assembly
The goal is to correct the issue and understand why it occurred to prevent similar problems in the future.
Catching an Assembly Issue
One recent example involved two mating components that required different surface finishes.
Both parts had allowable coating thickness ranges, and while each component could meet its individual print requirements, the combined coating thickness prevented the parts from fitting together as intended.
After catching the issue during assembly, we corrected it by stripping the coating from one component, remachining it to provide additional clearance, and sending it back for recoating.
Because our quality measures ensured we caught the issue before shipment, the issue was resolved before our customer received the part.
Considering the Complete Assembly From the Start
Assembly provides another opportunity to verify that precision-machined components, finishes, hardware, and tolerances work together as intended.
With in-house assembly, Big Rock can evaluate the assembly as a whole rather than as individual components. And we can conduct a final inspection before sending the completed assembly to the customer. This means an additional opportunity to catch and address issues before shipment.
Have a complex assembly project? Request a quote from Big Rock Machining today.