Expander Tool for Aircraft Shroud

Customers from some of the most demanding industries count on us at Trade Tech, Inc. for precision machining on large scale projects. We specialize in fulfilling challenging specifications and complex geometries, which was why a metal forming house that specializes in the aerospace industry contacted us with this project. This client needed a large scale expander tool for use on a large aircraft engine shroud. The fabrication of the shroud included processes such as metal spinning and expander forming. We were able to consult on tool design and manufacture all the necessary tools for this project, completing the tool at the highest level of accuracy within a fast turnaround time.

We used A572 plate as our base material and manufactured the tool using high precision, state-of-the-art machinery. This included our 82″ CNC vertical turret lathe, EC1600 horizontal machining center, and vertical band saw. The required metalworking to create this tool including cutting segments from large forged rings, rough and finish turning, large vertical band saw cutting, and thick plate fabrication. The expander tool in its entirety was asymmetrical, with each segment having a unique surface profile. It was also of extremely large size, with part dimensions measuring 25″ in diameter and 39″ in height. This project was also machined at a very high level of accuracy, as we were able to hold this construction to form tolerances of ±0.001″.

Our customer was impressed with our results, as we were able to complete this entire project and deliver it to their Midwestern U.S. facility within just six weeks. For further information about this project or how we can put our advanced fabrication services to use for you, please contact us directly.