Eclipse Growth in 2013

admin • December 9, 2013

It’s hard to believe that we moved into our building over 3.5 years ago! Since then, I don’t think we have taken time to slow down or rest one bit. Since we have moved, we have been upgrading our facility, moving into new spaces, knocking down walls, working on infrastructure, and buying machinery at a hurried pace. In that time, we have made improvements that you may or may not be aware of, but either way we would love to share these big changes from 2013 with you!

Large Diameter CNC –  Most of you are aware of our ability to make sometimes ridiculously small parts, well this year we have added the ability to machine diameters up to 30 inches in house ! This control gives us even better opportunities to meet customer demands for pricing or expedites due to tighter control throughout the process.

CNC Milling –  While technically, our CNC mill has been around a little over a year, in 2013 we really began our mastery of this process. Not only just used for “ 2nd Opp’s “, we are also turning plate to a fully finished part on this machine.

Variable Table Saw –  To better facilitate our 2nd opp saw process for split machined rings and part notching, we built from scratch a 100% custom table saw capable of measurable cuts all the way down to .001″ .

Increased Square Footage –  As mentioned previously, in just the last 2-3 years, we have increased our building size from 3700 sq feet to over 7300 sq feet! This new floor space has been used for new machines, better organization and the addition of manpower. In 2013 alone we have  increased our manpower by 10%  and actually  doubling the number of staffed machinists!

AS9100 –  In a previous blog we have discussed our ongoing process of becoming AS9100 certified as a manufacturing company. This has also lead to the creation of a full time Quality Control department beyond just “receiving” and the promotion of James Jaramillo  to our Quality Control Supervisor and AS9100 Lead.

Manufacturing Software –  Several years ago we moved to a new specialized manufacturing and inventory system. Through the years we have continued to plug more and more of our information into this software making it the focal part of our business. In addition to the behind the scenes work or moving our information to a new and more robust database system, increasing productivity and reliability, this year we have begun utilizing our software as the central point for all of our controlled document storage .

All of these are big projects that have really taken strides in 2013 and we would also like to remind everyone of a few other points. Because of the continued success we have had in your most demanding applications, we have really been plugging two of our custom blended compounds , EZ032 and EZ036. When other polymer solutions don’t provide the wear life you’re looking for, inquire with us about these specialty compounds.

As always, we will ask you: What are your needs ? What support do you require? Tired of being pitched “out of the box” solutions to your very custom engineering problems ?

Eclipse Engineering is ready to take your call and answer your questions.

 

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Eclipse deals regularly with challenging sealing applications from all industries. High pressures and speeds create unique sets of conditions where seal design and material properties are pushed to the limit. While reciprocating applications can certainly test seals to the edge of capability, often times rotary applications can present the greatest challenge to seal integrity and wear life. Unlike reciprocating configurations where the seal is acting on a different part of the shaft or bore throughout it’s operating range, rotary seals must operate on the same sealing area continuously. This makes things like heat rejection much more difficult, especially in unlubricated or dry running applications. Extreme localized heating can have negative affect on both seal and hardware life. Rotary applications also pose sealing difficulties due to the simple fact that surface speeds can be much higher than in reciprocating systems. A simple electric motor can operate at very high rpm, while long stroke, high speed reciprocating machinery is a major piece of equipment that is far less common (though Eclipse also has sealing solutions in a number of these situations). A customer approached Eclipse with an application that was beyond the scope and capability of any standard, off-the-shelf rotary seal. This sealing system would require a combination of both wear resistance in high-speed rotary, as well as excellent leakage control and sealability. Two factors that, more often than not, work in opposition to each other. The Customer Issue The customer was developing a test system that required an electric motor shaft passed through the wall of a large vacuum chamber. The testing apparatus needed a sizable motor to meet the speed and torque requirements. Adapting the motor to operate inside the chamber would not be practical due to contamination and motor cooling concerns. Therefore, the motor would have to be placed outside the chamber and a driveshaft would have to go through the chamber wall. Which, of course, would need a seal. Operating Conditions:
 Rotary Shaft Seal
 Shaft Diameter: 2.5”
 RPM: 7,500 RPM - unlubricated
 Pressure: Vacuum internal side / 1 ATM external side Temperature: 40° - 90°F The customer knew any kind of off-the-shelf rotary seal with a rubber element would not last any amount of time in the combination of speed and a dry running condition. They also knew a single lip PTFE seal would likely not meet their leakage requirements. Therefore, they turned Eclipse for a custom sealing solution.