With the addition of a state-of-the-art laser cutting machine, KLINGER IGI is ready to conquer projects from solid ground to outer space.
Known as the Silicon Forest, the northwest corner of Oregon is home to a dense cluster of high-tech industries. This region of the United States manufactures semiconductors, chips and electronic displays, and other computer components and peripherals. It’s also home to the North America’s aerospace industry. Nestled nearby is KLINGER IGI, a cutting specialty shop known for their work with exotic materials and challenging geometries. Using CNC waterjets, lasers, routers, and die cutting machines, KLINGER IGI is an expert resource for fabricating bespoke parts in intricate shapes.
Cutting-edge laser technology boosts capacity in aerospace component fabrication
Lasers are a new addition to the facility, a highly anticipated upgrade that has allowed the team to expand capacity, both in volume and in complexity. As a supplier to aviation, space, and defense manufacturers, KLINGER IGI is always testing the bounds of product precision, using the latest tools and technologies. As explained by Pat Moody, former Managing Director of KLINGER IGI, “Precision is the driver—the edge quality, the feature quality. There's always a pressure to miniaturize, and the best way to miniaturize cut parts is by hitting tighter tolerances. Higher precision has helped us win business with some pacesetting aerospace electronics manufacturers.” From satellites to spacecraft to scientific instruments, this focus on meticulous results has made KLINGER IGI a go-to supplier for mission critical parts in heavily regulated industries.
KLINGER IGI is constantly pushing the boundaries of precision with advanced cutting and punching technologies.
A thin margin
With each generational design improvement, computer displays and digital controls grow ever smaller and more intricate. Dissimilar materials stack in wafer-thin layers inside fitted components, with even a minute deviation in size or shape causing the entire assembly to fail inspection. Laser cutting allows KLINGER IGI to cut parts with cleaner edges, meet tighter dimensions, and develop more complicated structures. According to Pat, “The aerospace industry, the defense industry, the medical and scientific device industry all incorporate really small electronics components into their products, and those components often have very intricate geometric features. The laser provides the precision that lets you cut tight to those geometries.”
Besides refining the fabrication process, laser machining also creates other opportunities for improvement. For one, this system allows for more intricate product marking, such as date and location of manufacture. Traceability is becoming increasingly essential across all industries, for reasons that include quality control, regulatory compliance, and product safety. Further, laser cutting can also be used for knockouts, a secondary operation in die cutting that would otherwise require additional steps to remove small pieces that the die leaves behind. Even the dies themselves can now be created with increased precision, as lasers offer a higher level of accuracy than the old method of saw cutting.
It doesn't get any more precise than this: KLINGER IGI trumps clear cuts in aviation.
Free to innovate
AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 quality system certified, this KLINGER branch is one of the group’s top specialty fabrication resources. It shows in the sheer volume of products produced, but also in the vast array of demanding industries supported. “We’ve got parts everywhere,” Pat says. “It's amazing because on a monthly basis, we're dealing with anywhere between 400 and 600 different discrete parts that are going out to customers. Next month, the production mix will be entirely different.” This always-evolving project list keeps the team operating dynamically. Job agnostic and material agnostic, KLINGER IGI employees cross train on all machinery and materials to ensure a steady workflow in a high mix, medium volume job shop.
From tankers to rockets
Pat also credits KLINGER’s partnership for much of IGI’s success, saying, “We're given a lot of authority and autonomy by KLINGER’s leadership to chase new opportunities and emerging markets. Plus, they support us with CAPEX that sustains our automation initiatives. By encouraging us to be creative, we've developed more business in high tech industries than we could have using older equipment and processes. That’s just one of the reasons the team loves being part of the KLINGER family.” This balance of individuality within a group is yet another mark of precision, allowing KLINGER IGI to help build everything from tanker ships to rocket ships.
Fact Box
Glossary for laser cutting
... CNC
Computer Numerical Control. The use of a computer to control the movement of the laser cutting machine.
... Focal Point
The point where the light rays refracted by a lens meet, giving the highest concentration of energy.
... Kerf
The width of the groove made by a laser cutting machine.
... Pulse
A single burst of laser energy, which can achieve higher power than continuous wave lasers.
... Vaporization
Conversion of a solid or liquid into a gas. A laser vaporizes material as it cuts.
