Engineering personnel, seen here planning the next design effort. BIRNS bases new designs on accumulated design expertise documented in the BIRNS Engineering Manual, and then Reviews, Verifies, and Validates new designs in accordance with procedures documented in the BIRNS Quality Manual.
Technicians in the photometric laboratory, seen here performing various light output tests on a new prototype light design.
In addition to our photometric lab, we also do underwater light output and beam-angle testing in our TV-A1 tank, and perform hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure testing in four other test vessels, with test pressures up to 20,000 PSI.
An engineer, shown here reviewing the design of a new connector series. Note the Finite Element Analysis on his computer screen of a cross-section of the connector shell wall.
Quality Control technicians are shown here performing various inspection tasks in the Quality Control lab. BIRNS normally does not perform 100% inspection. Rather, BIRNS typically uses the US Government's sampling plan for Quality Control, MIL-STD-105E, "Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes". Depending on the requirement, BIRNS' standard practice is to perform a Single Sample plan, using Inspection Level II, with an AQL of 1.5.
A CNC machinist programs a "Swiss"-style CNC machine to make beryllium-copper (BeCu) electrical contacts, for use in BIRNS connectors. Here the machinist measures and inspects first-article components to verify the CNC program.
After machining, the contacts are heat-treated for additional "springiness", then plated throughout with a thick, 50-micron layer of nickel, then a full 50 microns of hard gold per MIL-G-45204, Type II, Class 1.
A CNC machinist prepares a CNC lathe to make alloy 316 stainless steel connector shells, for use in BIRNS Metal-Shell connectors.
After machining, the stainless steel shells are typically passivated per QQ-P-35 Type VI. (Alloy 304 connector shells are electropolished to 63AA.)
Warehouse personnel work in BIRNS' secure, Level B warehouse. We maintain complete material traceability throughout our operations, such that each item is traceable back to its original material certificate.
We also maintain Revision Level control in the warehouse. Each item is controlled both by computer and manual back-up methods, and is bagged, tagged, or otherwise numbered with a unique numerical identifier to its Lot, Serial, or Revision.
Building additional working space to meet growing demand for BIRNS' products and services.
Here a molder completes a short production "run" of injection-molded thermoplastic parts in a vertical injection machine. BIRNS molds some thermoplastic materials, including high-performance materials such as DuPont's Tefzel 280 (a fluoropolymer similar to Teflon PTFE), but is particularly skilled in the molding of thermosetting materials, such as granulated glass-reinforced epoxy, polyetherurethane, polychloroprene (neoprene), silicone, and Hypalon (CSPE).
Here we see the BIRNS team responsible for the successful (and on-time) completion of a challenging termination of an electro-optical mechanical tow cable with dual contra-helical external steel armors (seen, in the backgound, on the cable reel). The prime contractor selected BIRNS partly because no other company could perform this demanding job within the Navy's schedule requirements. BIRNS designed, fabricated, terminated and overmolded separate connectors for the high-voltage, high-power electrical component (which included 26 conductors of 10 AWG carrying 40 amps at 2,500 volts) and the four-fiber optical component. The steel armor was mechanically terminated to support 5,000 pounds.
This difficult job required designing, tool-making, molding, machining, assembly, electrical and optical termination, overmolding and testing, all to be performed within a very short time frame. As is typical for BIRNS, product failure in the field was not an option. Despite the extremely demanding nature of the job, our Action Team came through with shining colors!
