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CNC_Machining_Ferrite.jpg

bespoke ferrite machining facility 

Tolerances

AL and Inductance Values Down To

+/-1%

Dimensional Values Down To

+/-0.005mm

General Machining To

+/-0.05mm
Wireless probing system

Wireless Probing System

3D printer

3D Printer

Ferrite lapping machine

Lapping Machine

Laser tool setting system

Laser Tool Setting System

Laser cutter

Laser Cutting System

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Equipment

Machine shop

CanDo Solutions

Gateway works with customer partners nationally and internationally to fulfill our customers demands both with supply and design support. If required we can offer our customers extended services with UK based professional experts to offer a complete design and manufacturing solution.

  • Bespoke coil former:
    - Moulded in pin
    - Machine
    - 3D printed

  • Winding service

  • Transformer redesign

  • Transformer manufacturer

  • Assembly

  • Moulded and machined parts

The Machine Shop Tools
Ferrite Cores

Take A Look At Our Work

One of the Largest Ferrite Stockists in Europe

Offering over 700 cores from our UK warehouse, Gateway is one of the largest ferrite stockists in Europe. Our stock profile is built to ensure we cover all customer applications including power, signal and EMI for both low and high frequency applications. Stocking material from Ferroxcube, TDK (EPCOS), Fair-Rite and Mag Inc ensures quality is never an issue for our customers.

Gateway also stocks an exclusive range of blocks from TDK (EPCOS), Ferroxcube, Fair-Rite and Mag Inc. The range of stock comprises of the latest materials from the leading ferrite manufacturers.

The Machine Shop has close links factories, allowing us to work with the technical departments to create new materials that are designed specifically for our customers application, these can then be pressed into blocks and machined.

Ferroxcube
TDK
Magnetics Logo
Fair-Rite logo
Ferrite core grinding
Tools used for machining ferrite

Tooling

Gateway works exclusively with UK tooling manufacturers to produce the specialist tooling required for machining ferrite. All machine tools are produced to Gateways exact specification, a specification built on years of knowledge, experience and most of all Research & Development. This allows The Machine Shop to offer a dynamic and flexible response to our customers requirements and provides a solid foundation to meet the most demanding of designs allowing us to machine the most challenging geometries whilst maintaining lead times as short as one week for custom geometry cores.

Workholding used for machining ferrite

Workholding

Gateway uses the latest technology to continuously refine its work holding techniques. In turn this allows us to push our machining capabilities and meet the most demanding of requirements. The nature of ferrite dictates that standard mechanical work holdings cannot be used. The Machine Shop uses magnetic workholdings as the foundation of all jobs. These magnetic work holdings are customized and supplemented through additive and subtractive machining techniques to ensure we keep costs and delivery times down to an absolute minimum for our customers.

Tools & Workholdings

Blue Abstract Shapes

Ferrite Block Materials

CNC Machining ferrite

Our Capabilities

CNC machine buttons

If You Can Dream It, We Can Machine It!

The Ferrite Gateway Machine Shop offers customers a complementary service to provide custom gapped and machined ferrite cores from our specialist UK facility.

 

Gateway already stocks a vast range of ‘standard’ gapped cores as well as a comprehensive portfolio of ungapped ferrite cores. The machine shop facility now gives customers across Europe the opportunity to have cores gapped to bespoke inductance, AL or dimensional specification without the hassle of high minimum order quantities or extended factory lead times. The Machine Shop specialises in machining custom geometry ferrites utilising our exclusive channel for ferrite blocks from some of the biggest names in ferrite.

The Machine Shop
Close up of a ferrite core

Services We Provide

CAD drawing of ferrite core

CAD

Every job that passes through The Machine Shop will have a dedicated CAD drawing, drafted by one of our team of trained engineers, to meet the specification requirements of the customer. After customer approval of the drawing, and any agreement on First Article Inspection samples, the job will be committed to The Machine Shop’s schedule.

Technical drawings of ferrite cores

Planning

The Machine Shop schedule planning is maintained with the Production Works Order system embedded in our operating system. After drawing approval is received, and the works order is raised, the customer will receive an indication of job completion dates based on machine loading. The Gateway operating system has live updates for Sales staff so that they can monitor the progress of Machine Shop jobs, and report any changes to schedules where appropriate. In some cases, capacity adjustments may be possible to expedite urgent customer requirements.

Measurement

Substantial investment has been made in a wireless probing system that allows measurements to be taken in three dimensions with up to 0.001mm repeatability. The probing system is driven by our CNC system and provides customers with absolute measurements that they can rely on.

We are able to machine to the following tolerances:

  • AL and inductance values down to +/-1%

  • Dimensional values down to +/-0.005mm

  • General Machining to +/- 0.05mm

LCR metre used for measuring ferrite inductance

Testing

The Machine Shop has developed exacting standards and test procedures to ensure everything that is shipped meets the specification outlined in the drawing.

 

We stock a large range of standard test coils which are all wound to ensure the full winding area is filled with 100 turns of wire; ensuring the winding is evenly distributed over the gap which increases test accuracy. As well as standard test coils, The Machine Shop can use customers test coils and test to their exact specification.

The Machine Shops standard test procedure is to sample batch test the finished cores to ensure the specification is met. The test results are electronically stored against the works order job and can be recalled at any stage. The Machine Shop can offer 100% testing and can also offer a First Article Inspections service, based on our own standard template or adjusted to match the customers test requirements.

Ultrasonic cleaning bath

Ultrasonic Cleaning and Packaging

During the machining process coolant is used to control temperature effects, reduce tool wear and control airborne particulates. After machining, the ferrite is often left with a deposit of ferrite sediment that needs to be removed. The ultrasonic cleaning bath is used to remove the ferrite sediment using environmentally friendly cleaning agents, and then the cores are air treated at room temperature prior to packaging. All ferrite cores are securely packaged in polystyrene shipping containers and/or secure vacuum packaging to avoid damage when in transit. Standard or customer bespoke labelling will then be affixed to the packaging and relevant test documentation will accompany each batch of material supplied.

Laser cut packaging

Custom Packaging

Although often forgotten about, packaging is an important element of the process as this is what keeps your newly machined parts safe in transit. Parts are typically packed back into their original packaging, but this sometimes isn't possible with bespoke geometries. This is where custom packaging comes in! Our team are able to design packaging around your parts which are then precision cut using our laser cutter, creating a snug fit to help prevent breakages. 

Open Magnetics

Open Magnetics is a set of online tools for designing and simulating magnetic components, based on public scientific research and knowledge, stemming from the idea that all scientific knowledge is a fundamental right and should be accessible to the whole human race,

Open Magnetics Logo
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