Company News

Custom Metal Spinforming

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CUSTOM METAL SPINFORMING

Steelhead Composites can design and fabricate Aluminum liners using a spin forming method customized to meet your needs. Spinforming is a hot forming process that rotates a metal tube around its central axis (similar to a lathe), softens the material by adding adequate heat, and then forms the material to its final shape by taking a series of passes with a forming roller. One of the primary advantages of spinforming is that domes can be formed onto a tube to create an entirely seamless part. Unlike welded construction, closed ended seamless liners when used in a composite pressure vessels can withstand repeated exposure to high stresses. Another advantage is the low tooling cost relative to other metal forming processes, placing spinforming at the top of the list as a way to prototype and manufacture your next design.

Steelhead Composites’ CNC-controlled spinformer, combined with our in-house machining and inspection capabilities, allow fast turnaround times for prototypes and short production runs. Our custom spinformer, built by MJC Engineering, can spinform liners with outer diameters ranging from 4 in (10 cm) up to 16 in (41 cm), and lengths from 15 in (38 cm) up to 110 in (2.8 m). 

 

The machine has 3 independent, hydraulically-actuated, CNC-controlled axes of motion that provide precise, repeatable dome forming and necking, using either oscillator type motion or x-y spinning.

Our engineering department is ready to assist you at any point in the process by combining our knowledge in pressure vessel design with our advanced manufacturing capabilities. These capabilities include computer aided design (CAD), state-of-the-art finite element analysis (FEA), and custom computer aided manufacturing (CAM) software. Our design process includes 3-D solid modeling of the finished liner, which can then be analyzed to predict stresses on the material during forming, as well as stresses on the material for a given end application. Upon approval of the design, our custom CAM software generates the spinforming roller paths to create first articles. The final shape of the spinformed liner is confirmed with our in-house portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) before starting prototyping or production.

Contact Steelhead Composites today to discuss your metal spinforming needs!

By: Mike Stewart, Production Engineer

 

Steelhead Awarded Advanced Industries Grant

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ADVANCED INDUSTRIES GRANT

The first round of grantees of the Advanced Industries Accelerator Grant Program was announced on Friday and Steelhead is proud to be included among the companies chosen. The Advanced Industries Grant was awarded for both Proof-of-Concept and Early Stage Capital and Retention Grants to support key industries. “The growth in advanced industries in Colorado is adding jobs and having statewide impact on our economy,” Hickenlooper said. “Today’s grant announcement demonstrates the state’s continued support of innovation and growth in these sectors.” Steelhead was one of the many clean-tech companies to be awarded this honor and is excited to be a part of the growing clean-tech industry in Colorado. For more information please visit the Office of Economic Development’s Webpage.

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Steelhead Composites – ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

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ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED COMPANY

GOLDEN, Colorado – Steelhead Composites, a provider of lightweight, high pressure accumulators, CNG tanks, cylinder engineering, design and manufacturing for alternative fuel vehicles or weight restricted industrial applications, is now an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company.

Andrew Coors, CEO of Steelhead Composites states, “The recent ISO designation is another sign of Steelhead’s commitment to quality, safety, overall manufacturing and design excellence. This designation ensures customers will receive the highest level of quality lightweight, high-pressure hydraulic accumulators and fuel storage cylinders.”

Steelhead Composites, located in Golden, Colorado USA houses state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained engineering and manufacturing staff. Products made in the USA coupled with ISO 9001:2008 certification ensures high standards in quality and reliable products.

ISO 9001:2008 is an international quality standard that uses a process approach for developing, implementing and improving the effectiveness of a quality management program for manufacturing companies. Officials said that ISO standards ensure that products are safe and reliable and exhibit good quality.
Key components of ISO 9001:2008 include customer satisfaction and establishing processes for continuous improvement. The certification also mandates periodic audits by ISO registrars to ensure that the company is in compliance with ISO 9001:2008 requirements.

“Steelhead Composites is proud to receive this certification as it continues to reinforce our corporate culture, which highlights quality and reputation,” said Coors, CEO. “This ISO designation strengthens our commitment to building innovative and quality products that provide value to our customers.”