O
n July 4, 1997, the Mars Pathfinder orbited around Mars while its rover landed and explored the planet's surface, sampling the Martian soil for signs of life. Launching a vehicle from Earth and successfully sending it approximately 120 million miles to another planet, requires the right combination of brilliance and precision. These are two of the reasons Maroney Company of Northridge, CA was chosen by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to manufacture over 150 different components for the monumental flight.Maroney Company and their work on the Mars Pathfinder project demonstrates what it takes to succeed and stay ahead in today's competitive machining industry. They have been in the forefront of the machining industry since John Maroney founded the company in 1955. In the sixties TRW selected them over 28 EDM shops nationwide to create parts for the Apollo 11 LEM descent engine, an integral part of the first moon landing.
Maroney has made parts for motion picture cameras, medical miracles, animatronics, alternative energy systems and many other unique and demanding fields. Their parts have been to space, inside human hearts and to the depths of the Earth.
Today their niche is producing "near impossible" to machine parts. "The secret of our success," says President John Cameron, "has been our employees and the ability to control the different operations from concept to completion."
Assemble the Components for Success
It's a
simple philosophy as long as you have assembled the components to make it
work, from the people to the equipment. Maroney Company operates with 12
people in the shop, one engineer (John Maroney himself) and over 50 machines
including a SIP MP 44 CNC jig bore with tilting CNC rotary dividing table with
5-axis simultaneous machining, two Mitsubishi CNC sinkers with 32-bit
"Fuzzy Logic" control, Mitsubishi SX20 and DWC110SA Wire-EDM
machines, an Agietron 270 HSS+SF+F Wire-EDM system, five Bostomatic CNC mills,
Mori Seiki and Hardinge CNC lathes plus other EDM's, CNC machines, grinders,
lathes, saws and inspection equipment.
Linking everything together is a powerful UNIX system with two Hewlett Packard workstations and one of the most advanced CAD/CAM systems available, ESPRIT by DP Technology. ESPRIT is used to run all the major CNC machining stations, with the exception of a single CNC grinder.
The state-of-the-art equipment gives Maroney tremendous capabilities as demonstrated in the gyro suspension flexures they machined for JPL as part of the Mars Pathfinder project.
The part is a single piece, separated by eight independent wafers of material that are only .003" thick, (thickness of a single human hair). Total tolerance allowed is only .0001". "Being able to produce this part not only speaks highly for what the machines can do," says Maroney, "but the machines are driven by the programming system. We are confident we have the best system available on the market today.
"Having a strong CAD/CAM system has been extremely necessary for our projects," he continues. "A good example are the tungsten carbide, Vascomax gears we made for the Mars Pathfinder." Tungsten carbide gears were chosen by JPL for the project, because the temperature of the atmosphere they encounter during space flight will reach almost absolute zero.
Working from the client's design, Maroney Company machined complete gear blanks and then used CNC sinking and wire-EDM to finish the gear profile after heat treat. The gears were tested in application by JPL and determined to be class 14 gears, which means nearly perfect.
"Our largest error anywhere in those gears was in the neighborhood of 15 millionths of an inch. We attribute the good results to being able to control the entire process in-house, ESPRIT's ability to precisely rotate and copy the gear profile for each tooth, machinery capable of receiving the program and, of course, operators with the ability to program and use the system. We call it completing the circle," notes Maroney.
Having the Equipment Work for You
DP Technology created ESPRIT as a full-spectrum CAM system with a universal post-processor which seamlessly integrates with all its machining functions. The extensive library of posts that comes with the program allows Maroney to receive a design file from a customer, put it in the system, and quickly program and send it to a machine.
"There are standard posts for all our CNC machines, and we also have the ability to create custom posts," he says. The accuracy and efficiency of the system enables the shop to turn projects quickly. Coupled with the friendly graphical user interface that makes navigating through the system easy, two operators at Maroney Company working a single shift are able to keep six EDM machines running up to 20 hours a day.
The software has allowed Maroney to remain compatible with the changing times, which is critical in completing projects requiring exotic metals and precision accuracy like the Mars Pathfinder work.
JPL approached Maroney Company with over 150 different pieces of hardware, non-checking drawings, ones that needed to be completed as they were produced.
Tolerancing was to be established to best meet criteria of the assembly. The first step was working with the design files received from the client via modem. "DXF, IGES, the format didn't matter," he adds, "because ESPRIT's connectivity allowed us to import and export files smoothly and accurately.
"We worked hand-in-hand with the design engineers at JPL," he adds. "The were given the task to design, and then turned to us to give them the actuality of their designs." Clear communications had to be maintained between the two parties to succeed within the tight time frame of the project, so an open door policy was established.
"After seeing a part, we would make our manufacturing suggestions and, with the advantage of knowledge based machining capabilities, were able to quickly show them the changes on the computer and how the part would be produced. They could modify the part configurations as we talked. Once both parties were satisfied, the part was sent to post and then to the machine."
Knowledge is Power
Knowledge based machining allowed Maroney Company to capture specialized information from original designs and manufacturing processes to build a database within ESPRIT that could be used throughout the project. This ability saved many hours of programming time and was a key factor in completing the highly successful Pathfinder project in an eight month period, resulting in a substantial savings of time and money for JPL.
Maroney Company is progressing with technology, and none of it would be possible without their powerful CAM system, state-of-the-art machines and the talented group of people that make it all work. "Buying the best technology is easy," he notes, "but the team is what makes the difference. I tell the guys to go beyond the best they think is possible; get out on the edge."
John Maroney keeps the team stimulated by giving them the best equipment to work with and making sure they know how to use it to its fullest capabilities. They stay current on the latest technology by attending trade shows and taking full advantage of the training offered by their software and equipment vendors.
"The right person with the right equipment can do incredible things," he says. "Design engineers recognize the craftsmanship and the true artistry in the parts we produce, from the involute and the convolute shapings in some of the gears we made for the Pathfinder project, down to the little details like the machine finishes and no-radius corners. It's that attention to quality that keeps clients like TRW, Boeing, Hughs, JPL, Panavision, and others satisfied and coming back."
Doing the "impossible" job has earned Maroney Company high acclaim from its customers and placed them among the best in the machining industry. It has been their equipment and software that has allowed them to control their destiny, and their talented people who have used it to go to Mars and beyond. They show the impossible can be achieved when the best equipment is teamed with the best people.
