Asgard Engineering - a three Star subcontractor

Asgard has 16, 20 and 32 mm capacity sliding-head lathes, one of each of the main sizes. Asgard bought the first machine outright in 2004, a Star SB-16C that the company regards as an excellent value-for-money, entry-level slider. The subcontractor subsequently acquired a SR-20R III sliding-headstock lathe, which has the capability to enhance production and accuracy for medium-complex components. Versatility is increased by a vast array of tooling options including angular drilling, gear hobbing, deep hole drilling and thread whirling. In 2006, the Star SR-32J arrived for the production of components up to 32 mm diameter. The Stars are programmed off-line, but not on a high-end CAM system, so Asgard still requires some on-going help from Star. For example, polar interpolation was needed recently to simplify milling around the contour of a part. Asgard emailed a drawing to Melbourne and the code was sent back straight away to allow the job to be set up quickly. Company owner Ian Hampton (pictured) holds a BSc in metallurgy and has a background in the manufacture of miniature precision components, especially from tube under 16 mm diameter. The subcontractor serves the medical and electronics sectors in particular, as well as the aerospace, nuclear, food and pharmaceutical industries. Asgard is also active in the production of pumps, valves and fasteners. Mill-turned parts are produced to tolerances as tight as 10 µm in most types of stainless steel, including aerospace and medical grades, as well as nickel and titanium alloys, FeNiCo and other specialist alloys.