Non-standard specs pose no problem for Aluminium Special Products (ASP). The UK company has made its name over 22 years by meeting its customers’ specific needs for rare products.
ASP was founded in the mid-1980s to offer a technically competent, independent supply option for non-standard aluminium materials. Over the last 10 years, this capability has extended beyond aluminium and has been further developed to processing beyond raw materials.
The company, which recently gained BS EN 9100:2003 accreditation, has played an active role in the creation of new products – from assistance on specifications to taking on complete project management and design for whole families of components and assemblies.
Special alloy
Managing director David Robinson says: “One defence client specified a special alloy containing 40% silicon to give a low thermal expansion rate.
Because of the pressure to improve performance, they have demanded a low density aluminium alloy that has thermal expansion characteristics to match those of mating parts in steel.
“In order to do this, we will be supplying an extruded material in an allow containing an estimated 53% silicon.”
It’s not all high-tech work, he adds. When a customer found difficulty in sourcing high allow steel tube, ASP found an alternative production route to keep the traditional specification alive, and completed the exercise with machining and heat treatment to the finished part.
Source: Flight Daily News