The Fabrication Technology Office (FTO) provides a wide range of engineering, fabrication, and technical services to support the creation of unique measurement instruments and scientific apparatus needed by NIST scientists and research staff. The group provides the mission critical engineering and manufacturing expertise, and equipment needed to produce specialized parts and subassemblies for a variety of one-of-a-kind instruments conceived by NIST scientists and engineers. A cadre of highly skilled engineers, instrument makers, and engineering technicians provide this core capability. Beyond fabricating parts and equipment, group staff members work collaboratively with NIST research staff providing research support, technical consulting, and testing services. The group specializes in single job/prototype work and short production runs of unique mechanical components. The group also provides mechanical engineering design, optics and glass fabrication, and overall technical solutions for the fabrication and assembly of electromechanical devices.
The FTO needs to procure a wet metal finishing machine engineered to deliver high-precision surface treatments and consistent metal finishing and deburring. The machine utilizes water-cooled abrasive systems to prevent thermal deformation, ensuring critical tolerances are maintained while delivering a uniform finish.
The system enhances workflow efficiency by automating edge rounding, slag removal, and surface preparation, significantly reducing manual labor, and increasing throughput. With advanced multi-head configurations, it provides repeatable results across various material types and geometries, including precision-cut metals from equipment like waterjets.
