(API:  Rockville, MD) -- Northrop Grumman Corp. has successfully deployed the Volumetric Error Compensation (VEC) service from Automated Precision Inc. (API) to achieve higher accuracies on its large volume machine tools. Seeking greater machine-tool accuracy for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production, the military aircraft and defense systems integrator and manufacturer selected VEC to achieve the high-tolerance machined parts.

“API’s Volumetric Error Compensation is a true game-changing technology for anyone with large and complex machine tools,” says Dave Maxham, global marketing director at API. “Older technology considers each machine axis separately, stacking errors from three or more individual coordinate systems. This limits the mapping of errors to three linear axes and 21 error parameters, which has proven challenging for large, five- and six-axis machine tools. We recommend the innovative VEC process to the entire F-35 supply chain.”

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