Living in the world of sub-micron

Run-out is an inaccuracy of a rotating mechanical system; specifically when the tool does not rotate in line with the main axis of the spindle. For example, when drilling, the run-out will result in a larger hole than the drill's diameter due to the drill being rotated eccentrically. The first law of machining: the run-out is dynamic and cannot be compensated for. The second law: the run-out is complex with the run-out error being compound. It is a result of a number of factors such as imperfect bearings in the spindle, worn bearings, imperfect chuck, collets or an imperfect tool itself. And here is the final postulate of machining: "Absolute alignment is impossible, a degree of error will always be present." This is a scary thought, you invest in a machinery tool holding the best tools money can buy, and you know upfront that no matter what, there'll always be some run-out.

Of course, if you're to drill a 6mm hole in the wall with a $99 cordless hand drill using a $5 drill bit from bunnings, then a run-out is not going to be important at all. But if you're trying to drill a 50 micron hole then even a 1 micron run-out of your entire system is way too much. This is the kind of challenge that we face in watchmaking. In particular, the weakest point in our system is not the spindle of the German CNC mill nor the 'Swiss drill bit', it is the chuck (the clamping system) that connects the two. To machine a watch main plate alone, it takes 12 tools which are rapidly exchanged, each one held in its own chuck. Most of those chucks have a run-out under 1 micron. But recently, we have acquired Japanese high precision tool holders by BIG Daishowa. These are sub micron run-out tool holders and the difference in price between the standard and ultra precision model is over $1,000 AUD per holder. Here is the link to Instagram video showing the measured run-out of our milling system: https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Rf8zbpV7F/ This information is in the public domain and we are proud to share advanced manufacturing capabilities that we all, as Australians, can be proud of.

Germany Update, Part One

***Josh and Tyler reporting from Germany: "No snow, beer too cold!"


Well, not quite - but probably not too far off either. Yes, the boys are having fun, and so far, plenty of good news. Our CNC lathe is ready; the official training has commenced and coding is well under way. With a bit of luck, by the end of the week they will be making their first watch components!
Sydney delivery and installation date is now June 1, which is in accordance to the previous estimate. The other good news is that the 316L steel samples obtained from an Australian supplier are within the required tolerances. So at least we won't have to air freight 4 metre long rods from Germany – or at least not for components smaller than 3mm.

The lathe itself is the crucial watch parts making machine, and this particular model is well used by both German and Swiss makers. Anyone from Nomos to Lange has it in operation so we know that machine is capable of producing the finest watch parts. Of course, it will take us many months - if not years - to master it, but we are definitely heading in the right direction.

Another piece of good news is that we should be able to make even more complex parts than we originally anticipated: the 6-axis lathe can accept some special 'attachments' capable of cutting very fine pinions as well as gears. However, we will be limited by the diameter – for components larger than 3mm in diameter (main spring barrel for example) we would need one more CNC lathe...


Exciting days ahead - so stay tuned for more!

Happy collecting,
Nick

The Peak of Watchmaker Screw Manufacturing

***The Peak of Watchmaker Screw Manufacturing

The shiny tiny bit on the tip of my finger is a very special horological component. It is a screw. But what makes it special is the fact that it is one of the smallest screws in a watch mechanism. It comes from an Omega Flight Master manufactured in the 1970s and here is the curiosity: the screws you find in watches made today are not any better, shinier, more precise or even smaller. Watchmakers have been making such small screws for at least 200 years. And despite all the advances made in manufacturing technology, we reached the peak of screw making many decades ago.

Many visitors to our premises wonder why that big machine is sitting on the floor in the middle of the office. The answer: it’s awaiting its transfer to our newly built workshop. And what it does? Well the optical comparator allows us to see and measure the exact dimensions of even the smallest components like the above mentioned screw. And in laymen’s terms this screw is just over half a millimetre thick (or precisely, 600 microns), with the thread pitch of just 0.2mm. This 'piece of knowledge' is the very starting point in designing our own screws. Before we can draw and construct we must master the skill of taking precision measurements. And the beauty of our big machine is it can measure dimensions 10 times more precisely than we can even read.

The above screw as seen under the comparator. 

The CAD drawing of the same screw.

What an exciting journey!
 

Note from Laura, Nick's assistant: when I first saw the screw I didn’t even believe that it was a screw. It was explained to me that the purpose of it is to hold a tension spring attached to a barrel which also holds a small gear in a chrono-hour counter train. And here is the photo of the actual assembly showing two of those tiny screws doing their job.