Securing a Fourth Nadcap
Accreditation Confirms Fine Tubes
Aerospace Manufacturing Excellence
Fine Tubes, a UK-based leading manufacturer of high-quality
precision tubing for the most-critical applications, has been awarded
a Nadcap accreditation for Chemical Processing.
Nadcap is an internationally recognised
accreditation system that covers the key
manufacturing and production processes used
within the aerospace industry.
Representing the fourth Nadcap approval awarded
to Fine Tubes, this latest certification places the
company in a unique position as very few companies
hold four Nadcap accreditations simultaneously.
Moreover, Fine Tubes anticipates receiving yet
another accreditation, for Fluid Distribution
Systems, shortly.
Fine Tubes’ first accreditation was awarded for Heat
Treating in 2004, followed by Non-Destructive
Testing (Ultrasonic Testing) in 2005 and Fusion
Welding in 2013.Chemical Processing is a critical
part of the Fine Tubes production process. Tubes
must be chemically milled after the cold-working
and heat-treating manufacturing processes, by
being etched to ensure they meet the customer
specification requirements.
“The tubing we manufacture is designed to
withstand in-process fatigue loading, and failure
is not an option. When aircraft manufacturers
need tubing, they inevitably look for suppliers
who can demonstrate the most-stringent quality
standards. Nadcap accreditation is widely viewed
as confirmation of that, and, so with every Nadcap
accreditation that we earn, we further enhance
our ability to win new contracts,” comments David
Killoran, from the Fine Tubes’ Technical team.
To achieve its latest accreditation, Fine Tubes
undertook an intensive on-site inspection and
investigation by a Nadcap auditor. This audit
4 TUBE NEWS September 2017
covers all aspects of the process – the machinery,
consumables and methods employed, as well as the
qualifications and experience of the staff involved
in the process. As Dr Abdul Saeid, Process Engineer
at Fine Tubes, highlights, “The auditor found no
failures to comply with the Nadcap criteria, and that
is a major credit to the Fine Tubes production team
involved in the audit.”
Fine Tubes and its US-based sister company, Superior
Tube, are units of AMETEK Specialty Metal Products.
Both companies have supplied the aerospace
industry with high-performance tubes for more than
50 years. Their precision tubes are used in airframes,
aircraft engines and aerospace instrumentation,
where they are relied upon to withstand the most-
critical operating conditions.
“This latest Nadcap accreditation gives our
customers further confidence that all the stringent
requirements of Nadcap have been met and they are
dealing with a qualified manufacturer,” concludes
Valerie Hart, Technical Manager at Fine Tubes.
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www.finetubes.com