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U.S. Dynamics Corporation
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Turnkey Assemblies

U.S. Dynamics Corporation (USD) provides end-to-end engineering and manufacturing services for markets such as aerospace and defense; medical and scientific; semiconductor, industrial automation, and telecommunications. The Amityville, N.Y., company specializes in value-added engineering for complex, low-volume, production tools, as well as contract manufacturing services involving custom fabrication and precision machining of complex components. But the firm's depth of capabilities enables USD to also serve as a customer's sole vendor on projects requiring the design, fabrication, assembly, testing, and installation of an entire system or subsystem.

U.S. Dynamics offers small- to large-scale machining of tight-tolerance and exotic alloy materials. Diameters up to 54 inches and lengths up to 144 inches can be machined, but USD can employ additional tooling and fixtures to machine longer lengths, the company says. The firm also provides orbital welding of diameters from 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch and product assembly in Class 100-10,000 clean rooms. Additional capabilities include custom coil winding and tube bending, ultra high-purity welding, motion control integration, wiring and harness assembly, and encapsulation and potting.

In recent years, USD has implemented and successfully utilized various tools and programs to aid in streamlining production and lowering operating costs while preserving excellent quality and maintaining on-time deliveries. Its efforts were recognized when Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., presented USD with the 2005 Six Sigma Relationship Award at Raytheon's 2005 Partner Forum. The Six Sigma Relationship Award recognizes a partner that embraces, adopts, and excels in Six Sigma to foster a strong and long-term relationship with Raytheon. U.S. Dynamics continues to apply the Six Sigma programs and tools to products such as rate gyroscopes, which the firm manufactures for the Standard Missile 2 and Phalanx programs, and many other areas of its business and manufacturing operations.

When it takes on a customer's project, USD becomes an extension of their organization. Before beginning manufacturing, the firm's engineers provide mechanical and electrical design reviews to develop a manufacturing approach that ensures the project runs smoothly. The company offers customers a single source for the manufacture of custom tooling, including automated production tools; machine building, turnkey electromechanical assemblies, and total system integration. Its technicians and assemblers can integrate electronics, mechanical components, and motion control devices into any assembly and run, debug, and test the system prior to shipment.

Custom Products

A major semiconductor company recently relied on USD to design, manufacture, test, and install a custom production tool to exacting specifications. The automated tool required a 19-axis servo system and associated electronics and power supplies. High repeatability and positional accuracy were paramount, along with the necessity of maintaining tight tolerances across several operations to ensure production of high-quality product with high throughput.

Rigorous pre-design analysis enabled USD's engineering and manufacturing staff to move confidently from concept to design. After recommending important material, structural, and manufacturing modifications, the team applied the optimum manufacturing approach for completing the project within the desired time frame. U.S. Dynamics' single-source approach relieved its customer of a huge logistical burden as it trimmed the customer's vendor list from more than 20 previous suppliers to one. Services provided for the project included design and manufacturing engineering, procurement, machining, wiring, electronics assembly, mechanical assembly, motion control integration, control systems, assembly, testing, debugging, and installation.

In another case, a major aerospace company asked USD to manufacture a hinge beam for a cargo aircraft ramp. Problems with the length of the beam, and with a single pin that was required to align with multiple in-line bores and bushings, were causing a high rejection rate and frequent failures in the field. While analyzing the design problems, U.S. Dynamics saw that the previous manufacturer lacked the appropriate tooling or production methods. To resolve the problems, USD designed and developed the necessary fixtures and a manufacturing approach that reportedly resulted in a 100% acceptance rate at the customer's facility. As a result, the customer realized cost savings and eliminated production downtime.