Tooling, used to produce customers' product, is made by GLE in many different configurations. we manufacture special wear parts, drill bushings, punches, dies and die inserts for forming, piercing, perforating, swaging, sealing, crimping and compacting. We produce die plates and die inserts for extruding, drawing and sizing. We provide special tools for burnishing, roll forming, grooving and broaching. We have manufactured locating pins, contact tips and pads, core pins, and many other
Services
We are a "make-to-print" shop for tooling, gages, and product components that require resistance-to-wear properties.
We specialize in products of carbide or some combination of carbide, steel and other materials, but we also do a substantial amount of work with ceramics, sapphire, steel, and other hard materials. Our capability includes both round and flat work. We do not manufacture standard cutting tools such as disposable inserts, fluted cutting tools, etc. Our range of work size and quality level is:
- Internal, external diameters and thickness: .004" to 6.000" (.127mm to 152.4mm)
- Internal and external tolerances: to .000010" (.00025mm)
- Wall thickness: to .0015" (.038mm)
- Roundness, concentricity, parallelism: to .000010" (.00025mm)
- Surface finish: to 1 microinch (.025 micron)
We are certified suppliers to major manufacturers and have received numerous awards for"... reliability in quality, delivery, and service excellence." Our QC Laboratory is temperature and humidity controlled; all measurements are traceable to NIST. Statistical process control (SPC) is fully implemented (since 1986) for our internal control and to meet customer requirements. We are strictly a build-to-print shop and, as such, our shop procedures are designed for confidentiality—for the protection of proprietary customer processes and designs.
Our products include carbide tooling, carbide components, carbide cylindrical gages and masters, and other special wear parts to customer print. We also offer tooling and components in steel, ceramics, and other materials.
The tooling includes Precision Carbide dies and inserts for extruding, drawing, sizing, cutting off, etc.; punches, dies and die inserts (buttons) for forming, piercing, perforating, swaging, sealing, crimping, compacting, etc.; die plates and holders; special tools for burnishing, roll forming, grooving, broaching; drill bushings; gage locating pins, contact tips and pads; and ground carbide rod and tubing (for EDM electrodes).
The carbide components for manufacturers' products include; valve seats, special rotary bushings, shafts, bearings, and washers for flow meters and other rotary applications. Precision ways for high-speed computer disk readers; print wires and guides for high-speed matrix printers; punch and die assemblies for tape perforators; precision buttons/needles; cut-to-length tool blanks; special component wear parts, etc.
Cylindrical plug and ring gages and OD, ID masters, standard and special, are produced to tolerances as close as 5 millionths inch (.000127mm). The Company also certifies precision cylindrical gages as a service.
Carbide Gages and Masters
We manufacture carbide gages and masters to A.G.D. standard dimensions in tolerance classes XXX, XX, X, Y, and Z. Standard configurations are Reversible, TaperLock, Tri-Lock, and Inserted Ring; we also manufacture special gages and masters to customers' prints. Some example of special gages are; true position (concentricity) plugs and rings, gage Elements, flat gages, paddle gages, ammunition gages, twin ring gages, master setting Discs and rings, gage pins and other precision elements for inspection applications.
Plug Gages
We manufacture plug gages in sizes from .005" (.127mm) to 2.511" (63.78mm), with special applications smaller and larger.
Ring Gages
Carbide inserted ring gages are manufactured in sizes from .010" (.254mm) to 4.011" (101.88mm), with special applications smaller and larger.
The protective outer jackets of larger ring gages, 2.00" (50.8mm) in diameter and up, previously of steel, are now composed of a special, rigid nylon material that better complements carbide. The gages are lighter in weight and more stable because the new outer jacket, acting as an insulator, resists the transfer of external heat to the carbide gauging element.
Master Setting Discs
Master setting plugs and discs are available in diameters from .005" (.127mm) to 6.010" (152.65mm) and larger.
The supporting steel hubs for discs 2.010" (51.05mm) and larger in diameter have been replaced by hubs composed of the special, rigid nylon material which better complements carbide. The resulting design is lighter in weight, more stable, and can withstand a wider range of temperature variations without damage.
Master Setting Rings
Master setting rings are available in diameters from .010" (.254mm) up to 4.011" (101.88mm) and larger. These are carbide inserted ring gages, as described above, with tolerances applied bilaterally.
Special Gage Assemblies
We manufacture special gauging assemblies to customers' prints that incorporate indicators and electronic sensors. These are production gages for specialized purposes for which standard instruments are not available—to check diameter, hole depth, ID taper dimension at a specified depth, etc. We also manufacture accessories for gages and for locating and fixturing parts precisely for gauging or machining—carbide centers, pins, staking anvils, etc.; carbide micrometer tips, probe points of special shapes—spherical/ball, square, or needles with point diameters as small as .0005" (.0127mm); and precision carbide flat wear parts.
The ability to work to close tolerances, SPC throughout the shop, and a gage laboratory for measurements to millionths are additional capabilities which are valuable in satisfying these special instrument needs.
Gage Inspection, Certification and Rework
We offer an inspection and calibration service for existing gages. Our recommendations can include calibration (the gage is good and still within tolerance); rework to a new size (the gage is out of tolerance but is in good physical condition); or discard (the gage is no longer useful). A Certificate of Class/Conformance or a Certificate of Calibration is supplied, as specified.
Tooling and Components
We manufacture tooling, components and other special wear parts to customer print. We are equipped with machinery, processing techniques and experience to produce miniature parts with OD's or ID's as small as .004" (.102mm). Conventional-size production is to 6.000" (152.4mm) in diameter, up to 18" (457mm) between centers. We can produce, economically, in any lot size—as small as 1 and as large as thousands and thousands of parts annually.
Carbide Bushings
We manufacture standard carbide drill bushings to ANSI (A.S.A.) Standards and also specials to customer print—gun drill, circuit board drill, die bushings, etc.
Micro-Precision Mini-Carbide Parts
Our experience with small carbide parts is extensive. Some of the parts are described in the previous paragraphs. For additional examples of our work with small parts, ask for the GLE bulletin "If you need parts or components". We lap holes as standard procedure as small as .004" (.102mm) to .005" (.127mm) to a tolerance of 50 millionths inch (.00127mm) in roundness and size, concentric to an OD to 50 millionths, with finishes to 4 microinches (.0001mm). These accuracy's are satisfactory for most applications, but we can handle closer tolerances where required. Precision becomes easier as the holes increase in diameter.
Quality Control Laboratory
Much of Great Lakes-Eglinton's work is highly precise. We manufacture gages to XXX tolerances and other precision parts requiring accuracies of 0.000010" (0.00025mm); some work is performed to 0.000005" (0.00013mm). To measure parts of this quality with an acceptable level of assurance, the Company maintains a Quality Control Laboratory (Gage Room), temperature and humidity controlled. The lab is equipped with an automated, state-of-the-art inspection system that can measure and evaluate all circular geometry elements necessary for completely qualifying a part. All Laboratory personnel are skilled metrologists and all inspection equipment and master blocks have precision traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), formerly National Bureau of Standards (NBS). A strict certification schedule for all masters is maintained.
