Advanced Armament Suppressor factory tour episode April 4th

[Tyler Durden]

Hi all,

I was just conveniently over at my mom's house last Wednesday night.  She has dish, so I got to watch a full hour of Shooting Gallery.

I am curious about some segments, like the part with the robot welding machines and/or the EDM machines.

Were they kinda curtained off on purpose, so the camera couldn't see them work?

Were they trying to keep trade secrets, secret?

Thanks!

[ellis4538]

I might be wrong, but I believe they are curtained off for safety.

FWIW


Richard

[nosimij]

I have been to several factories that have welding operations, in 4 countries.  Yes they are normally behind a curtain or wall.  This is, as stated, for safety reasons.  It is the same reason that a welder wears a helmet with a dark visor.  The arch of the welder can damage your eyes from a distance.  The EDMs operate in the same manor, with a spark. 

With that said they may want to hide some of their manufacturing processes that they consider IP or that might open the product up to tampering.  As a manufacturing engineer, in a completely different industry, myself I learn little from the few minutes that the show spends on a factory floor.  There are a few tidbits that stand out from time to time.

[Magoo541]

With that said they may want to hide some of their manufacturing processes that they consider IP or that might open the product up to tampering.  As a manufacturing engineer, in a completely different industry, myself I learn little from the few minutes that the show spends on a factory floor.  There are a few tidbits that stand out from time to time.

Ah... the life of a Manufacturing Engineer.  I was, may continue to, working towards my SME Certified Tech but alas I have been availed of that opportunity.  I would guess that you are in the automotive sector being that you are in OH, I have worked in the Automation sector for the last 6 years and I am in SC working on a line for Bosch as I type-going back to OR tomorrow  .  But I digress....

IP is always a huge concern and I am sure when new technology was exposed in all its naked glory MB and his team were asked to divert their eyes, and cameras, so that they would be permitted to leave with their very lives. 

[tombogan03884]

OSHA requires all manufacturing welding ops to be screened because of the flash .
I really doubt that any of the actually manufacturing processes used would be any big secret, punch or machine the baffles, cut and thread the tubing and weld the parts together, all those machines have been around 30 years or more.
The proprietary stuff would be materials maybe, and probably baffle shape and placement.

[Sponsor]

[Timothy]

Working as a manufacturing engineer seems to be a theme around here! 

Agree to all of the above.  My shop has welding ops all over the place because when a component weighs in at several tons, it's easier to bring the welder to the work.  We have 6' weld screens everywhere.  Sometimes, the work is above that and folks just don't look at the pretty blue light.  I'm amazed at the decades of shop time I've had and I've never suffered from weld flash!

On the silly "Sons of Guns" show, Discovery would not film work on full auto or suppressors.  I suspect, OC may have a similar policy or the company just kept things vague.  You can film a welding procedure with no risk of flash to the camera operator or the people viewing the film as there is no UV exposure.