Case Study:
Precision
in Defense
Delivering High-Performance Roller Bushings Under Tight Tolerances
A returning aerospace client turned to Lee Machine to produce high-precision roller bushings for a defense application. The client was struggling to find suppliers who could meet their quality standards, and they found what they were looking for with our expert craftsmanship, attention to detail, and hands-on service.
Project Overview
- Industry: Aerospace / Military
- Component: Roller Bushings
- Material: 17-4 PH Stainless Steel
- Surface Finish: 16 µin Ra on both ID and OD
- Tolerance: ±.0005”
- Quantity: 1,250 parts
- Machine: Citizen L320
The Challenge
The job required machining roller bushings from 17-4 PH stainless steel, a notoriously tough material. Both the inner and outer diameters demanded a 16 µin Ra surface finish and a tight tolerance of ±.0005”. Maintaining those specs at scale posed a significant challenge, especially given the toughness of the material and the quantity needed.
The Solution
Using an Citizen L320 T7 Swiss-style lathe, our team produced 1,250 parts over the course of four weeks. To achieve the precision and finish required, we hand-ground a custom boring bar for this job only when no off the shelf solutions seemed to give the quality of finish the part required—an extra step that speaks to the personalized, problem-solving approach we bring to every order.
Results
The result was a high-quality part that exceeded the client’s expectations. After struggling with previous suppliers, they were impressed with both the finish and the consistency across the full production run. The parts were delivered on time, to spec, and ready for integration into critical defense systems.