AAK hydraulic cartridge valve accuracy benchmarking European factories

Andy is our old hydraulic valve customer in the United States. The hydraulic
cartridge valves he purchased from AAK in previous years always has a standard
of machining surface roughness around 0.8μm. In February last year, Andy sent
an email to inform us that in the future, the machining surface accuracy of
their hydraulic cartridge valves will be improved to within 0.3μm. AAK
engineers believe that based on the current equipment system, it is very
difficult to improve the machining surface accuracy of hydraulic cartridge
valves to 0.3μm. It is also very difficult to find such a hydraulic cartridge
valve manufacturer in Ningbo.

I know that AAK has only two options, either give up the business of his
hydraulic cartridge valves or accept his accuracy standard. This is the first
time I have faced the choice of "standing in line" since I joined the hydraulic
valve industry. The cooperation with Andy has always been trustworthy, pleasant
and efficient. AAK doesn't want to give up such customers. After two rounds of
communication internally, AAK technical team has not reached a consensus. I
have to call my retired master and hope to hear his opinions.

My master told me that this is a rare opportunity to catch up with and surpass
the accuracy of international hydraulic cartridge valves. The roughness of the
working surface under 0.3μm is rare in China, but some European hydraulic
cartridge valve manufacturers have this strength. AAK must first start with the
equipment, and then select the most experienced operators from the factory for
special aircraft training, so as to have the opportunity to compete with those
top European hydraulic cartridge valve manufacturers. American HARDINGE
precision CNC lathe is worthy of a try. At present, none of the domestic
hydraulic cartridge valve manufacturers have this equipment.

After contacting the equipment manufacturer, AAK technical team took the
hydraulic cartridge valves produced for Andy before to the equipment factory,
and asked the engineer of the equipment manufacturer to go directly to the
machine for proofing. A week later, we sent the hydraulic cartridge valve
samples to Andy and asked them to test the accuracy parameters. Two weeks
later, Andy informed that the previous hydraulic cartridge valve accuracy test
was completed twice. This time, AAK hydraulic cartridge valve was tested 4
times, and the accuracy fully met the standard. At the same time, he told me
that after receiving the accuracy improvement notice, the other 3 domestic
hydraulic cartridge valve manufacturers directly gave up, and only AAK dared to
test the sample and succeeded in one test. He was very surprised.

The machine tool to be introduced by AAK has advantages in accuracy. The
parameters of the machine tool: spindle speed up to 6000r/ min, spindle radial
run out ≤ 0.0008mm, positioning accuracy (X/Z) ≤ 0.005mm/0.008mm, repeated
positioning accuracy (X/Z) ≤ 0.003mm/0.005mm, and machining surface roughness
Ra ≤ 0.3μm. Turning roundness ≤ 0.4μm. Turning cylindricity ≤ 0.1μm. The
spindle is a spring collet to clamp the workpiece, with large clamping area and
stable processing. It is equipped with FANUC21i-T numerical control system with
high precision.

Now this HARDINGE machine tool is almost the special equipment for the orders
from Andy. The order volume that Andy awarded to AAK has also increased by
nearly 60%. He said that AAK hydraulic cartridge valve has surpassed many
European factories in terms of precision.\

AAK hydraulic cartridge valves, with precision surpassing that of Europe, you
are welcome to have a small try!

https://www.aakindustry.com/info-detai , l/hydraulic-cartridge-valves-aak164

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