Restoring Production with Precision Wire EDM & Cleanroom Expertise
Solving contamination issues with precision machining and SEMI-certified cleanroom expertise
A new customer approached Innovent in urgent need of precision EDM and CNC machining for a critical component in their FTIR Gas Analyzer system. While their existing supplier met dimensional specifications, they were facing a major challenge, contamination issues that compromised performance and reliability. This was a critical concern, as the component operated under vacuum conditions, requiring an ultra-clean manufacturing process to prevent system failures.
Our engineering team worked closely with the customer to assess their current supply chain issues and quickly identified that their primary obstacle wasn’t dimensional accuracy but cleanliness. With decades of SEMI-certified expertise in precision manufacturing and cleanroom processes, Innovent developed a tailored solution. By leveraging our advanced EDM and CNC capabilities, combined with our Class 100 cleanroom for final cleaning and assembly, we delivered a component that exceeded their cleanliness requirements.
The result? A seamless transition to a reliable supply, restoring their production schedule and eliminating costly downtime. Innovent’s expertise not only solved their immediate challenge but also set a new standard for quality and performance in their FTIR Gas Analyzer manufacturing process.
Manufacturing Challenge
Stringent Timeline
Our customer was in a line-down situation when they came to us, as something had shifted in the process of their current production supply.
Design and Development
Innovent created unique EDM fixturing in order to hold the part and perform multi-axis burning to create non-uniform interior cavity.
Constrained Budget
The customer had gone to market with a certain price point. Due to this the customer needed us to meet their existing price point for the critical component.
Vacuum Expertise
Innovent ensured contamination-free manufacturing with SEMI-certified cleaning processes and final assembly, cleaning, and packaging in a Class 100 cleanroom.
Innovent Solution
Innovent Technologies provided a comprehensive Process Control Plan that outlined the proposed manufacturing process, addressing key areas for optimization. During the project, several design modifications were implemented to enhance manufacturability, reduce costs, and incorporate external processing solutions that were better aligned with the end application’s requirements.
Innovent’s swift action enabled us to deliver First Article Inspection (FAI) samples to the customer quickly, allowing them to validate the changes at their facility. Once approved, we seamlessly transitioned to full-scale production, ramping up to the customer’s required rate of 15 units per month.
This rapid response not only helped the customer recover their production schedule but also eliminated a critical bottleneck that had frequently disrupted their production flow, ensuring a smoother and more efficient operation moving forward.
In-House Capabilities Utilized:
- Precision Fabrication: Innovent utilized the in-house wire-EDM and CNC machining capabilities to manufacture the part.
- Supply Chain Management: Innovent then turned to its Special Process Approved Vendor List for a coating process that helped prep the component for the cleanroom
- Cleanroom Assembly: Innovent installed the pins and helicoils, then cleaned the component in our Class 100 cleanroom.
Business Impact
Our solutions have played a pivotal role in fueling both business and market growth for our client, delivering remarkable outcomes in the form of substantial time savings, enhanced efficiency, and superior quality. By tackling complex manufacturability challenges head-on, we empowered our client to not only overcome obstacles but to thrive in a highly competitive marketplace. Our approach strengthened their market position, fostering long-term success and operational resilience.
This collaborative effort was instrumental in the successful scaling of an innovative FTIR Gas Analyzer system, a breakthrough technology that has had a profound and lasting impact on Industrial Process Control. Through our strategic support, our client was able to meet critical operational demands while positioning themselves as a leader in their industry.
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This case study was originally posted to Innovent.