CAPABILITIES
Engineering and Manufacturing
Union City Filament is continually developing new processes and techniques for forming refractory metal and precious metal wire, rod, and ribbon into virtually any design, while keeping dimensional conformance and uniformity paramount. Since many of our products are driven by customer specific needs, our engineers are accustomed to examining every design and making recommendations that lead to longer product life and trouble free operation. In some cases we can suggest a completely new design that will achieve the same functionality through a superior means. Whether it is product design or technical assistance that you require, Union City Filament’s staff of experts can assist you with whatever challenges you may face.
Facility Notes
- Specialized cataphoretic and flame-spray coating operations
- An 11,000 sq ft. advanced manufacturing area
- Microscope driven work stations
- A precision machine shop for custom tooling fabrication
- Ultrasonic and chemical cleaning equipment
- Automatic filament winding equipment for high volume items
- 6 high temperature hydrogen atmosphere furnaces for stress relieving, sintering, and annealing
Quality Assurance & Wire Testing
Before the manufacturing process begins, we place all incoming raw material through a rigorous inspection process that includes dimensional, density, electrical, ductility and crack testing.
This includes testing our through our Eddy Current Module and Laser Micrometer. Eddy Current Testing is a form of nondestructive testing, which when applied to fine wire will identify splits or fractures which would cause premature product failure. Every meter of wire that we advance to production is tested by our eddy current module to certify that it is free of any such imperfections. A laser micrometer is used in conjunction with our eddy current module to verify that all wire is within dimensional tolerances. The laser micrometer takes measurements on three axes while also calculating uniformity of roundness. The system is accurate to .000005”.
Once raw materials are advanced to production, our staff performs first article and in-process evaluations to ensure that all units are being fabricated exactly to specification. After production, our quality assurance team certifies that our products are dimensionally accurate, free of cracks and voids, and are achieving the proper electrical resistance.
Union City Filament is the only filament and heater manufacturing source worldwide to provide and certify this level of testing on all products.
One of the first stages of Union City Filament’s manufacturing process is the certification of raw materials through our eddy current module and laser micrometer.
Eddy Current Testing is a form of nondestructive testing, which when applied to fine wire will identify splits or fractures which would cause premature product failure. Every meter of wire that we advance to production is tested by our eddy current module to certify that it is free of any such imperfections.
A laser micrometer is used in conjunction with our eddy current module to verify that all wire is within dimensional tolerances. The laser micrometer takes measurements on three axes while also calculating uniformity of roundness. The system is accurate to .000005”.
Union City Filament also provides these tests as a service for customer purchased material. The certification includes weight, cold resistance, laser micrometer, and eddy current testing. Our engineers will interpret the results and provide you with all findings and conclusions.
Supply Chain Management and Sourcing
Union City Filament keeps a large inventory of raw materials for the fabrication of our products. This allows us to quote shorter lead times and control production costs. We only source raw materials from a handful of highly curated producers, of which we have worked with for decades, ensuring only the finest ingredients are used to make our products.