A Mid-Project Switch from Traditional to CNC Milling
Sometimes projects that appear routine contain hidden flaws that force manufacturers to adjust, adapt and get creative. In this case, our team was tasked with milling a thin, round part. Nothing jumped out to make planners think the job was anything but standard, so instead of setting up a CNC process, we opted for traditional…
Upgrading The Navy’s Minesweeper Sled: Innovative Engineering to Keep the Seas Safe
ENI is known for taking on difficult projects that are critical to the security of the United States. But few required more innovative engineering than the upgrades to the EDO Corp.'s MK 105 Helicopter Towed Minesweeping Sled. The helicopter towed minesweeper is a significant part of the US Navy’s effort to clear mines in harbors…
Building the Hubble Telescope: Earthly Solutions to Galactic Challenges
Recall a project that still inspires you, years later. We’ve got a few of those. And, to paraphrase Neil Armstrong, one of our favorites sure was one giant leap for welders. Customer and Industry Working with Perkin-Elmer, Inc. (now Goodrich Optical and Space Systems), Lockheed Missiles and Space Corp (the prime contractor), and the United…
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle: Precision, Ingenuity and National Importance
Some projects fly under the radar. They’re your typical, run of the mill, done this 100 times, project. But others, well, they’re so exciting they belong in a movie. Customer and Industry Lockheed Missiles & Space Corp. was the prime contractor on this project for the United States Navy, which was working to develop a…
Venus Probe: Finding Earthly Solutions to Cosmic Manufacturing Challenges
The 1970’s were exciting years in the developing US space program. NASA was developing means to explore both near and far space, and Excelco/Newbrook (ENI) was deeply involved in creating the necessary hardware. One of the premier projects in the early 1970’s was to produce instrumentation cases for the atmospheric probes for NASA’s Pioneer Venus…
Creative Manufacturing: Breaking Down a Complex Weldment Assembly Into Smaller, More Manageable Pieces
A maritime industry project called for a capture spine, which is a lifting beam used for launching and retrieving vehicles from the ocean. Since the weldment assembly was required to be very strong, light and resistant to the corrosion associated with seawater, the lead design team decided to use titanium. The Challenge The challenge was…
Stretching a Machine's Reach Without Sacrificing Precision
There are projects that you know can knock out of the park with the resources you have available. And then there are times when you need to ask a little more from your equipment. In those cases, inspection equipment helps you push the boundaries of what is considered “possible.” Over time “possible” becomes an excuse,…
Creativity and Customization Overcome an 'Impossible' Job
Customer and Industry One of our primary customers, who had a longstanding relationship with our firm, approached us with a proposition so challenging that every competitor in the industry deemed it impossible. The customer — familiar with our history of creativity and willingness to stretch the limitations of their machines — was confident that we…
A Look at the Relationship Between Welding Design and Manufacturability
Distortion isn’t something we like to see in a project – we work hard to avoid it and correct it when necessary. Sometimes, though, a project is set up for distortion during the design before it reaches our hands. In cases like this, we can retroactively address the problem, as highlighted in the example below.…
Creativity and Customization Overcome An 'Impossible' Job
Customer and Industry One of our primary customers, who had a longstanding relationship with our firm, approached us with a proposition so challenging that every competitor in the industry deemed it impossible. The customer — familiar with our history of creativity and willingness to stretch the limitations of their machines — was confident that we…
