Tools of the trade:

 

As many of you know, our workshop in Brookvale is not only the place where all our watches are manufactured, but also where we run a business called NH Micro. Dedicated to manufacturing high precision components for parallel, precision industries. We manufacture components for the medical, scientific instrumentation, space, optics and photonics, high frequency communication and semiconductor industries, just to name a few. Our skills and experiences in making, small, highly precise and complex watch parts means that we are able to manufacture parts for all these other industries, where many manufacturers might struggle. I'd love to show you all the parts we've made... Parts that will be on the moon, that are already in orbit, parts that are used in some of the worlds most advanced brain implants, components that are allowing scientists to peer deeper into what makes this world "tick"... but unfortunately, more than 90% of the work we do is protected by NDA's. This means that these parts are bound with confidentiality agreements that limit our ability to show them publicly. This week we are manufacturing a part for a quantum computer. It's a small component that will end up being in the heart of one of the most advanced quantum computers in the world, being built by a massive household name. This particular component requires the use of a very specialised tool called an "MCD Flycutter". (M)ono (C)rystalline (D)iamond is a fancy way of saying either natural, or lab-grown diamond. Diamond is the hardest material known to man, and because of that, it is a fantastic cutting tool. if properly sharpened, it can hold an edge that is stronger and sharper than any other material. This incredibly keen edge, when used to cut non-ferrous materials, is able to make amazing surface finishes. Mirrors! The 2.5 carat diamond is bonded to a Tungsten carbide body, and sharpened by lapping against finer, smaller diamonds grains. This lapping process transforms the cutting edge into a perfectly sharp and smooth tip. Under even 800x zoom, you cannot see any defects or chipping! The lapping is usually done by hand, by seasoned experts. The part that is going into the quantum computer requires a mirror surface to be cut into aluminium. This surface is used to bounce a laser in a very specific, and accurate direction. The angles, flatness and surface finish have to be as close to perfect as possible. I can't show the final part, but we can show you the results from this MCD flycutter. In the link below you can see the surface that our MCD tool left on this piece of aluminium - no polishing, and exceptionally flat. Check it out here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9lr-fSRD6p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Josh