Matched Carrier and Nest Plate Set for a Component Array Handler
A two-plate carrier set where the through-cut grid and the pocketed nest had to agree position for position across the whole array, checked as a matched pair on the vision measuring system.
CNC Milling
Aluminum 6061-T6, As Machined
What The Project Asked For
An equipment builder handling arrays of small components ordered a carrier set: a through-cut top plate with a grid of square and round openings and a matching lower plate with blind pockets seating the same array. The two plates are used together, so the accumulated pitch across the grid mattered more than any single opening.
Both plates were machined from the same datum scheme so openings and pockets agree position for position. The webs between openings are thin, so the top plate was cut fully supported on a sacrificial backing to stop the webs deflecting under the cutter.
The pair was measured optically for opening size and accumulated pitch and delivered with an edge condition suitable for parts that touch product.
At A Glance
- Project Type
- Precision Plate
- Industry
- Medical Devices, Semiconductor
- Material
- Aluminum
- Material Grade
- 6061-T6
- Machining Process
- CNC Milling
- Surface Finish
- As Machined
The Numbers That Drove The Process
The tolerances, finishes, and quantities this part had to meet before it could leave the shop.
Accumulated pitch across grid
±0.03 mm
Opening size
±0.02 mm
Pocket depth
±0.03 mm
Edge condition
Deburred, no burr on the product side
Machining, Inspection And Finished Parts
Photos from the job itself. Click any image to open it at full size.
How This Project Ran
What the drawing asked for, how the part was machined and inspected, and what was shipped at the end.
A pitch error that is small between two neighbouring openings becomes a misalignment by the last row of the grid, and the two plates were made separately but had to seat the same array. The thin webs between openings deflect under cutting load and leave burrs on the product side if the plate is not backed.
Both plates were programmed from one datum scheme and machined with the same fixture location so their patterns agree. The through-cut plate was machined on a sacrificial backing with the openings cut last, which supports the webs and cleans the exit side. Accumulated pitch across the full grid, not just neighbour-to-neighbour pitch, was measured on the Rational VMS-3626 vision system, and the two plates were checked as an assembled pair before packing.
The plates seated the customer’s array as a pair on first fit. Accumulated pitch across the grid measured within the drawing tolerance and no edge rework was needed on the product side.
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Parts From This Project And Similar Work
Machined parts that share the same industry or process, with material, process, and application on each card.
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Owen Lan
Sales, Zhongjiecheng Auto
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Owen Lan
Sales, Zhongjiecheng Auto CNC Machining
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