The other day my coworker and I were discussing what the most expensive part we have worked on and we both decieded it was this part that maybe comes through the shop twice a year or so........the thing sells for 25k new!....big ol chunk of 17-4 stainless steel, (30-35 hours cnc mill time, 10-15hours conventional time) lots of close tolerance bores, internal o-ring grooves etc......major final op. pucker factor!

I thought it might be fun to hear some war stories on how under paid/over worked ya'll are!

Brian

BIG chunk of 110 copper, 28'' long, 14'' wide, 8'' thick. Lots of pockets thru holes and slots on one side and sh$t load of cooling fins and pockets with 4-40 tapped blind holes on all other sides. I the end its a big @ss exspensive heat sink.

I have machined 3 of these in the last 6 months :mad:

$10,000 US lasers I would have to machine angled spots mounting shims. Every one was different and I would do 5 to 10 a week. Oh and if the laser vibrated the glue holding the lenses in would break loose. For some reason no one else wanted to touch them.

D2 X49" Y20.4" Z12.5". My best guess is that they weigh 6,000 to 7,500 Pounds each. No idea what they cost but they have to be at least $10,000 each. Not my shop, materials, machines or parts thank God. Idiot operator ripped one of these off the table last week. What was once a Beautiful Enshu VMC650 (1986) now has a CAT50 Tool jammed in the spindle and gouges on the table. Good thing I already got paid for the program and setup. Now waiting for the repair guy to fix it. Till then a short vacation. ;)

the project I'm most proud to have been part of is a project through the Office of Naval Reseach. For a Biomimetic Underwater Robot Based on the American Lobster. I was the Engeering Model Maker we did this job back in 2000 along with a few others project (Sonar) at Massa Products Higham,Ma.
http://www.massa.com/underwater_whatsnew_military.htm

That lobster vehicle is really cool Lakeside, and a really good idea. Mines in shallow water present a series of unique problems. Good job. :)

That lobster vehicle is really cool Lakeside, and a really good idea. Mines in shallow water present a series of unique problems. Good job. :)


This maybe part of the problem.

Here a story in the Lobster that was in our local paper. I am nolong with Massa right after 9-11 funding on a lot of jobs was held up so it was one more lay-off for me

ARCHIVES

LOBSTER LA NAVY: Hingham company gets $1.3M contract to perfect robotic crustacean capable of detecting mines



By FRANCEEN SHAUGHNESSY The Patriot Ledger

HINGHAM - An underwater battalion of lobster-like robots developed by a Hingham company could become the Navy's newest line of defense against mines.

Massa Products Corp. of Hingham and Northeastern University are beginning a three-year project to perfect a robot designed to detect mines in water 10 to 40 feet deep. They have been awarded a $1.3 million contract by the federal Office of Naval Research.

Joseph Ayers, a biology professor at Northeastern University, thought of and designed the lobster robot in the early 1990s. The idea grew from his 33 years of studying how lobsters walk and search the sea floor for food.

Shortly after working out his first design, Ayers and the Marine Science Center at Northeastern University teamed with Massa Products to build a prototype.

The lobsters are designed according to the principles of a relatively new science called biomimetics,'' in which machines are created to mimic the movements and behavior of living things.

The idea of building robots on this basis is really starting to catch on,'' Ayers said.

Traditionally, robots with artificial intelligence have been designed by computer scientists. Biomimetic robots are designed by biologists.

In the lobster robot's case, the idea is to have it search for mines the same way a lobster searches for food.

....In the lobster robot's case, the idea is to have it search for mines the same way a lobster searches for food.

But now the big problem is getting the mine manufacturers to make their mines taste like food for robotic lobsters :rolleyes:

But now the big problem is getting the mine manufacturers to make their mines taste like food for robotic lobsters :rolleyes:


Someone is in a humorous mood this weekend. I wonder who that could be Geof? :rolleyes:

But now the big problem is getting the mine manufacturers to make their mines taste like food for robotic lobsters :rolleyes:
The lobster is the biggest scavenger in the ocean. It not picky about what it has in it's jaws (Especially when they are made of plastic explosives)

Why not just breed a few thousand real lobsters and release them when needed to trample/hit off/bang against the mines for about 1/20th the cost, or would this be politically incorrect. :rolleyes:

Why not just breed a few thousand real lobsters and release them when needed to trample/hit off/bang against the mines for about 1/20th the cost, or would this be politically incorrect. :rolleyes:


Personally that seems more like Animal Cruelty. How about we send the Politicians in stead of the Lobsters :D "Two Birds, One Stone" ;)

Is it not the Politicians that order the Military to place mines anyway? :D

Why not just breed a few thousand real lobsters and release them when needed to trample/hit off/bang against the mines for about 1/20th the cost, or would this be politically incorrect. :rolleyes:If they would be cooked and presented on a plate then i'm with you :yummy:

Personally the most expensive "part" i've worked on was a fuel tanker...If I cocked it up the tank would cost £35.000 to replace!

Personally that seems more like Animal Cruelty. How about we send the Politicians in stead of the Lobsters :D "Two Birds, One Stone" ;)

Is it not the Politicians that order the Military to place mines anyway? :D

i think that unfortunately the military often convinces the politicians that things like placing mines is the 'only choice' to 'win'... just like it does with so much of the way we spend money.. the military is very political.. at least in states.. other places the military IS politics (think cuba, etc.)

ive gotten off topic...

at the last place i worked i was designing a knob that was going to made in batches of several million...the knob itself will cost <$1.00, but the molds and engineering time... quite alot...

A head box for a paper making machine. Made of 416 ss it weighed 200,000 lbs.and is used to make a 600 inch wide sheet of paper. I machined it on a mitsubishi MAF-240. part cost $500,000.

Lakeside-nice project on the lobster....can't really put a price on something like that! a project you can be proud of! btw-are you going for the post record on your "part or art" thread???? I have like 207 e-mails!!!! sheesh!
The thread that won't die!

not the most expensive part ive done but blew up a tool in a $12,000 part today in the last half hour of the shift , turns out bad things happen when i forget to take the locating pin out of the part , (nuts)
time to do a lil tweaking !

i think that unfortunately the military often convinces the politicians that things like placing mines is the 'only choice' to 'win'... just like it does with so much of the way we spend money.. the military is very political.. at least in states.. other places the military IS politics (think cuba, etc.)

ive gotten off topic...

at the last place i worked i was designing a knob that was going to made in batches of several million...the knob itself will cost <$1.00, but the molds and engineering time... quite alot...


I guess I shouldn't complain about the Military or Politicians because without them most people wouldn't have any work ;)

25,000 dollar mold, used to make some rubber or plastic part on an aircraft. The mold was already made, it was just sent to our shop to be repaired in several places.

Also, some small pieces of Tungsten for the Military.

An injection rubber mold $56,000 with an extra $10,000 for different size core pins and cavity blocks.

I have machined too many to count 100" Impellers for slurry pumps and they average around $110,000 each. And are made of white iron.

It goes in these pump casing(shell)

I have machined too many to count 100" Impellers for slurry pumps and they average around $110,000 each. And are made of white iron.

It goes in these pump casing(shell)

Dude, you need a swiss bank account for those profits. Sweet Impeller. What do you use for inspection a Gantry Type CMM?

We did 5 parts worth $5000-$8000 each last month.

We also did a very small mold worth $4500. Now these aren't the most expensive work in our shop but they are the most common for 3D machining in BobCad.

I just quoted a $32,000 mold last week and crossing fingers inhope we get it.

Most expensive part was a piece of pure beryllium(not to be confused with beryllium copper) roughly 22 x 13 x 1 1/2 thick. The raw material was
$42,000 before we even took a file to it. Final selling price of the finished part was in the neighborhood of $150,000.

Most expensive part was a piece of pure beryllium(not to be confused with beryllium copper) roughly 22 x 13 x 1 1/2 thick. The raw material was
$42,000 before we even took a file to it. Final selling price of the finished part was in the neighborhood of $150,000.

Big piece of beryllium! Largest one I did was around 1/4 that size. That stuff is tuff on tooling too.

Big piece of beryllium! Largest one I did was around 1/4 that size. That stuff is tuff on tooling too.

Yeah it is!! And the worst part about it is that none of the cutter reps have any experience with it so no one could give me recommendations on feeds and speeds. Had to go by the "legends and folklore" of some of the guys at the shop that have cut it before...

I have machined too many to count 100" Impellers for slurry pumps.....

Excellent machining. As an inexperienced noob I am very impressed and awed. Keep up the good work. :)

Thats a load of s#\@ !! ;)

a 100" prop is small, I've done 23 foot dia 5 blade monoblock props for aircarf carriers.
So why do you think he's full of sh1t diarmaid?

a 100" prop is small, I've done 23 foot dia 5 blade monoblock props for aircarf carriers.
So why do you think he's full of sh1t diarmaid?

You misunderstood. :rolleyes: I do not think he's full of anything and in fact I think that its very impressive and a fantastic bit of machinery.

The 's#1t' was a joke in referance to the 'slurry' and the '100" impeller' which would be pumping a rather large amount of slurry (Or to say it another way a 'load of sh1t' 'lot of poo' 'plenty of poop' 'lots of crap' etc etc ';)' ). I apologise for any misunderstanding or hurt feelings. And while Im being entirely politically correct I suppose I should say that I have the utmost respect for anyone who is involved working in the slurry industry if there is such a thing, and that I admire anyone who works with these well machined and admirable slurry pumps. I would like to say that my comments should be taken as a-sexual since men women and children are all equal in every possibly sense of the word.

I would also like to say for future reference that when I use this face: " ;) " it means I am joking.

:(

I was somewhat surprise when I saw the post and my apologies. Your post are usually funny as hell so you can see where I was confused

Thats a load of s#\@ !! ;)

I think it is probably slurry from ball mills that grind mineral ore not sewage systems.

I was somewhat surprise when I saw the post and my apologies. Your post are usually funny as hell so you can see where I was confused
No problem m8. I just hope I didn't offend anyone.

I think it is probably slurry from ball mills that grind mineral ore not sewage systems.
Oops! :o I still have a LOT to learn and only about 90 years left.....as someones signature says 'Too many projects not enough time!' :rolleyes:

On a completely unrelated topic. Have the Smilies on this site changed recently for anyone else? Since I got my new computer they're no longer cool and multicoloured, most are just pale yellow.......I'm thinking it might be the better graphics but I prefer the old ones :( !

On a completely unrelated topic. Have the Smilies on this site changed recently for anyone else? Since I got my new computer they're no longer cool and multicoloured, most are just pale yellow.......I'm thinking it might be the better graphics but I prefer the old ones :( !

Then maybe you would prefer these:

http://cadcamtrainer.com/forums/index.php

There are a lot of 50.00 parts holding up a 50,000.00 per hour line. I have to give credit to those sweating over that job !!

Then maybe you would prefer these:

http://cadcamtrainer.com/forums/index.php

Already a member m8 but thanks! ;) Now back to topic.........

I often repair tooling and machinery componites for large companies with the lines down waiting.....Nothing like the pressure of a whole company of 300+ employees waiting for you to get done at 1:00AM. The entire line stopped waiting with tens of thousands of dollars per hour on hold.

Good evening, just found this site a couple of hours ago.
Nice site!

Most expensive? $500,000 pump shaft, last maching operation on it, grind Curvic coupling teeth.
I did not run the part, figured out how to hold it, tooled it, & supervised the loading, grinding & unloading.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e97/CURVIC9/GEARS06/PUMPSHAFT002.jpg

Most expensive that I ran, did not have total cost but I was told the Titanium billets were $30,000, before any machining.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e97/CURVIC9/GEARS06/TWHEEL0011.jpg

Les H.

Gulp!

Gulp!

I'll second that ""GULP!!!!!!!!!"" and raise you a "WOW!!!!!!!!" Those are the parts that make one go bald in one hour.

I don't think that I would like to be the guy that ruins that park on the last op.

Thats a load of s#\@ !! ;)

we build pumps for s#\@!!, coal, diamond minds, ocean dredge, mineral minds, rock quarrys, etc. etc

If it can be pumped we bulid a pump for it.

Some specs.
Discharge diameters: 12" to 44"
Flows: 5,000 to 140,000 GPM
TDH to 300'+/stage
Capabilities beyond 12,000 HP

You might want to read a couple posts after the one you referenced.

Thanks William.
CBNDude I am facinated by the quality and complexity of your machining. Its really amazing that you can make those.
Please read posts 31 and 34 above. No offence at all in any way was meant.
As you say. Peace. Keep up the excellent work. I really hope you are not upset by the joke. :)

Edit: I have changed the text in Post. No 29 to a pleasant compliment instead to avoid further complications.

I do apologize for jumping the gun. And for misunderstanding your comments. Again I am sorry...Peace

Tank transmission for allisons.$60,000 a piece!

Tank transmission for allisons.$60,000 a piece!


WOW that sounds nice. Do you have any Pictures?? PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I made a Triple Clutch Disk for a Commins once in a shop called ProTorque. These were a lot of fun to make on a Dainichi Slant BX45 Fanuc 10T. I will try to find my Pictures, but they were not anywhere near $60,000. Maybe only $700-$800.

That Tranny Sounds BIG

:cheers:

Ever hear of a "Yankee dryer"? This is a 15 ft. dia. x 15 ft. long high pressure steam heated cylinder mounted on a Crepe wadding paper (tissue) machine. In normal operation it rotates about 112 rpm. (60 miles per hour peripheral or surface speed). During the annual maintainance, the OD is ground to a particular compound curve barrel shape. It takes about ten days to grind the dryer to shape, surface finish and .001" tir or better. Any flaws in the grinding such as deep scratches or chatter etc. must be removed. I supervised a grinding crew in the early 1980's and at that time the replacement of the shell cost $750,000 and another $250,000 to install. When the machine was in operation it produced @ $40,000/hr. The most often heard sentence heard from management was "When are you guys going to be done?"

A $500 cold rolled fixture...

C'mon, don't laugh of me! I am newbie shop owner ;) and you can hurt my feelings :p

5 hundo is plenty for a new shop. Don't worry, if you're good at what you do the "big ones" will come. And if you're really good at what you do you'll survive them.....

Just kidding...

:cheers:

2 jobs tied.
1" dia 7" overall 6" under head 12pt screws incolel 718 for "naval air warfare center air craft division developed for steam catapults" (quoted from print not giving away who we are or who ordered them from us) $1000 each 100pcs = $100,000

~6" od ~5.25" id ~.5" wide ring gaskets inconel 625 for really big oil parts company $1000 each

Huh...I don't think I've ever machined anything "expensive".

I did have to plug & silver-solder then redrill several $5 fittings for an oil-rig gearbox. Had to reduce the orifice from .135" to 2.8mm (.110"). 5 of them.

The gearbox supplier was the only place in the states that carried the fittings we needed. Wouldn't sell them to us. We ordered some from UK, but they were stuck in Jersey, waiting on inspection & tariffs.

Got the job done in about 2.5 hours. They were hot-shotted down to the rig in 1.5 hours.

The job was given to me on a Monday morning. The rig had been down since the preceding Thursday. At an approximate loss of $15,000 an HOUR.

Let's see here...5 fittings x $5=$25. 2.5 hours x $75/hr(shop rate)=$187.50 for a grand total of $212.50. $15,000/hr x 24 hours x 4 days=$1,440,000 lost revenue.

Makes you wonder why no one in the accounting department at Halliburton or Schlumberger thought ahead to order some simple little $5 fittings. :rolleyes:

i don t know what the parts final cost was but the the material alone was a $14,000 chunck if titanium

My most expensive single part was probably a front fan frame for an aircraft enjine. At that time it was the very first investment casted, one piece, Titanium fan frame ever created and it took a year to get. Before that it was all made with weldments. Cost in 1984 dollars was $550,000. Don't know what that's worth in todays dollars though. Next most costly was a 4-12 stage compressor spool complete with all the blades - about $350,000. We had to grind the blade tips at 5000 rpm to simulate operating speed.

Absolute most costly was the time I had to stand a complete jet-engine core assembly up on a tilting rotary table an put one forgotten insturmentation hole into the stator case. This one came in on a Sat with its own entourage of Engineers telling me just how much that thing was worth and "DON'T get any chips inside it". $4 million.

Hmmm... i think one must post the pictures of their work... I can also talk too much...we need some prooooooooooooof... Am i right my dear fellows...

Bluddy helll, we've just got over a confrontation with Vietnam, and now that the Russian bogey has petered out, who are THEY thinking of next to get stuck into?

Seems the thinking is to keep the pot on the boil so that the military will be assured of plenty of practice for the super weapons they're thinking up.

I don't for one momnent think that the "lobster bots" would be used for deep sea mining etc, instead of anticipating a war with whoever is stupid enough to want one.
Ian.
PS. this is in reference to post #5 about the lobster mine sweepers.

Dunno about the most expensive job etc, but when I worked in Uk in the early 80's we made the fuel rod loading chambers for Hinkley and Hunterston atomic power plants for the UK atomic energy commission, and the blunt warning was if you stuffed up on any aspect of it you would be taken outside and shot at dawn.
The chambers weighed about 6 to 8 tons apiece, so it must have cost a fair bob or two.
Ian.

Hmmm... Handlewanker,,, where do u live right now..-:) I wana meet with u...

Dont afraid....hehehe

Hi khalid, I promise to be gentle, but meeting is not an option, so you'll have to patient, and if you're really good I'll tell you a bedtime story about my further exploits in making parts for the Concorde.

Every Concorde that has flown has a part that I have personally made for the fuel system.
Ian.

....Every Concorde that has flown has a part that I have personally made for the fuel system.
Ian.

Is that why they do not fly any more?:D:D:D

Hmmm... i think one must post the pictures of their work... I can also talk too much...we need some prooooooooooooof... Am i right my dear fellows...

Lol dude! Taking pictures in a Defense plant? Talk about career suicide and setting ones self up for potential prosecution for espionage.(nuts)

Concorde had a very prestigious career, and even the Yanks with all their b/sh1t and bluster couldn't match it.

It took a combination of sworn enemies for hundreds of years to come together in harmony to achieve what others considered a white elephant.

Just to say "I was there" would be enough to satisfy most folks, but nothing lasts forever, so take a page from my book, if you've ever been involved with an enterprise that stands out from the crowd, be assured you will be bathed in some of the glory too if you had a hand in it's career.
Ian.

Okay man...:-) No bed story...

Defence personals making concorde but having no camera... ( hmm just joking man.. ) I know the tight security their... just scanning through the clothes.... so u all are omitted to submit pics pertaining to defence....

Khalid, with today's digital cameras and the ability to manipulate photos in Photoshop, a picture may be worth a thousand words, but there are a thousand ways to manipulate a picture, so pictures would be of little value.

I don't think many private firms even, would be too pleased to have someone taking photos in their workplaces in case there was some industrial espionage or litigation procedures that were not apparent at the time.
Ian.

ya handlewanker....i agreed and second u:-)

Let's put this way, about 20 years ago I was a CNC Machinist and my boss put me on a job doing the last operation on a large engine mount weldment assembly that sold for $250,000+ each, had to make 6 each with zero mistakes or it was made clear that it would cost me my job! If that was not bad enough, a few months later I had to run a prototype with Boing furnished material; a piece of Titanium that would have cost the company that I worked for $300,000 to replace and I have no idea what the part sold for but I can remember my hands shaking when I hit the cycle start button on a unproven program!!!

rick.
love the high tension story! i could imagine that.. and 20 years ago the varification tools couldn't have been what they are now!

And for cameras in the workplace... Holy crap, some companies will actually prosecute you.. the government\energy\defense.. i wouldn't post any photos from such places.. i might keep some personal memorabilia though... however, it really is a trust issue. even if the part isn't implicitly secret, i always treat projects like they are secret and ask for permission from the clients for any use of the materials..

for instance, the nuclear insulation place.. their product.. a smart teenager can design it.. they would get very angry if i divulged any design details. they would prosecute me and claim that the leaks are worth million of dollars.. which wouldn't be too far off mark if that info was enough to encourage a competitor!