Mollart Engineering has won a contract to produce and assemble 100 sets of high-precision X-ray head units.

Now being completed at the firm’s 22,000sq ft facility in Resolven, South Wales, the contract involves some 45 components in each assembly. It includes the machining of some significant high-tolerance components, plus the addition of some mechanical and electronic components, with final assembly in the plant’s recently established ISO 7 ‘clean-room’.

Director Wayne Thomas said: “This project is a milestone for Mollart due to its complexity. Significant in the customer decision to appoint us was its in-depth survey and assessment of our facilities and capabilities, along with our track record in meeting delivery schedules.”

Within the X-ray head assembly is a large aluminium housing that requires five-axis machining to achieve the geometry and size tolerances within 0.05mm. It also has a surface finish requirement of Ra 0.2.

There is no allowance for any surface marks, and Mollart has to fully certify every component. The processes carried out prior to final assembly include ultrasonic cleaning and purging with nitrogen.

The housing is machined on a recently installed Mazak VTC-800/30 SR travelling-column machining centre, which represented an investment of £400,000.