Inventing Accurate and Reliable Cutting Blades from Metal Strip for Pyrotechnics
A big name in pyrotechnics operating in the mining and quarrying sector expressed to us their need to find a supplier for a technical connector part.
The goal was to develop a metal part that could strip electrical wire sheathed in 0.8 mm insulated sleeving using a device with fixed blades tough enough to withstand multiple cycles of stripping.
The challenge was multi-faceted: Our engineering department examined the subject and came to the conclusion that to design the right component, we would need to:
- Cut a 0.2 mm wide slot on a 0.5 mm thick metal strip, a task that requires specially designed tools. To achieve this, we relied on our background in micromechanics to develop cutting and bending tools that offered the right degree of precision.
- Find the right material grade and combine it with the right heat and surface treatments to ensure sufficiently tough stripping blades that would withstand the required number of cycles. It was our metallurgy expertise that enabled us to satisfy this key part of the specifications.
- Develop the necessary means for producing this highly unusual type of product. Our large-scale production capacities meant that we could easily handle this industrial side of things.
We worked hand-in-hand with the client to design the various prototypes and produce the part on an industrial scale.
To date, nearly 50 million parts have been produced on our La Ferté-Bernard site, made possible thanks to the trust the client placed in us as well as all our skills. Our 100% satisfied client is now using these parts on site.