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Conard
was founded in 1965 in Glastonbury, CT and has
continuously specialized in photo etching -- also known as Photo Chemical Machining
(PCM)
or Photo etching. The founder, Richard
P. Huttinger, was a metallurgist and engineer who had previously
worked for both
Boeing and Pratt & Whitney. Huttinger, working from
his garage with his wife, developed a process
to chemically mill the surface of forged aluminum
aircraft vanes for Pratt & Whitney.
This process was more efficient and cost effective
than conventional milling in the days before
CNC machining was widely available.
Conard’s early expertise in etching
aluminum came to the attention of a major
aerospace avionics company. Military and
commercial avionics systems needed flat
aluminum heatsinks to cool printed circuit
boards. The heatsinks required detailed
cutouts around each component. Again, this
was a very costly problem for conventional
machining. Photo etching was an ideal
solution, and flat heatsinks remain a significant
part of our business today.
Conard has made a commitment to environmental
responsibility.
We have consciously chosen to invest only in aqueous
etching technologies. Our process waste water
is actually better quality in terms of
pH and dissolved metals than our local water supply
which, incidentally, is touted as one of the purest
in the country. Conard is a Green
Circle Award recipient from the Connecticut Department
of Environmental Protection for consistently meeting
and exceeding our environmental
requirements.
Conard has achieved registration
under the AS9100/ISO9001 standards. We elected
to take on the additional
requirements of the AS9100 (aerospace) standards
in order to assure both existing
and new customers that we are qualified to meet
your requirements.
Conard has assisted hundreds
of companies in utilizing PCM. We provide engineering
and design support;
rapid turn around of prototypes; and engage
in special development
projects to help
customers solve complex problems.
Here are
a few examples. |
