Case Study - Enterprise Q Ltd, Manchester, UK

Working a furnace tube in quartz glass for the semiconductor industry. Purity of material and precision manufacture are key requirementsWorking a furnace tube in quartz glass for the semiconductor industry. Purity of material and precision manufacture are key requirementsEnterprise Q manufacture complex fabrications in quartz glass for the semi-conductor industry and others – I have been involved with them for over 10 years, developing their quality management systems and other projects, including sourcing suppliers and subcontractors in China.

Many quartz components have to be precision-cut from plate or tube material prior to being welded into devices at Enterprise Q for use in their customers’ ultra-high technology industrial processes. The cutting of these components used to be subcontracted to a specialist laser-cutting company; this company gave up the laser-cutting of quartz glass in 2008.

Enterprise Q decided that it would be beneficial to have the laser cutting facility in-house, and negotiated with the subcontractor to purchase the CNC controlled equipment, which was duly installed in Enterprise Q’s factory in Manchester.

Enterprise Q staff had no experience whatsoever in laser cutting or CNC machine programming or operation, let alone the specific processes involved in the laser cutting of quartz, and the task of getting the machine operational was assigned to me on account of my engineering experience. I therefore managed the following:

  • Getting the laser cutting machine re-commissioned in its new location,
  • Learning how to program, operate, adjust and maintain the machine, including the writing of about 80 programs for the cutting of stock components,
  • Developing the peculiar techniques required for the cutting of quartz for Enterprise Q’s applications,
  • Writing the procedures and work instructions for the operation, programming and maintenance of the laser cutting machine and associated equipment,
  • Training Enterprise Q’s staff in the machine’s operation, programming and maintenance, ultimately handing over a fully operational and documented facility.

A precision quartz glass component being laser-cut at Enterprise QA precision quartz glass component being laser-cut at Enterprise QDuring the early days after its relocation to Enterprise Q, the laser cutting machine proved to be extremely troublesome due largely, we believe, to it being moved, as well as it being about 20 years old.

The original machine manufacturer was out of business but I managed to locate engineers who had previously worked on similar equipment, and source spare parts in Europe and the USA, to get it fully operational and running efficiently and reliably.

Today, the laser cutter is earning its keep and providing Enterprise Q with a facility for their production and customers that their competitors cannot match.