Why Santa Relies On Precision Engineering

T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house, machines were a-turning and using their nouse. The numbers were entered on the CAM machines with care, and Santa was glad CNC engineers were there.

Precision engineering plays a vital part in the aeronautics industry by ensuring that different components can be made uniformly, in an appropriate timeframe and in efficient manner. The importance for everything to be manufactured in the same way every time is obvious and so companies rely on the use of Computer Numerical Controlled machines during the construction process. This includes the rapid and continual production of intricate parts used in both planes and different types of spacecraft.

But what role could precision engineering play during Christmas?

The Sleigh –

Everyone knows that Santa’s sleigh is powered by magic but it wasn’t just conjured up out of thin air. Something so purposefully designed and that carries out such an important task would have needed to be precision engineered in a variety of different areas. Firstly, the sheer size and mass of a vehicle like this would require large parts, weighing many KGs, to be machined; something which quality precision engineering companies are comfortable with.

The conditions that the sleigh is subject to as it flies through the air will mean that it is likely to be made from high tensile steel; another material used frequently in this industry. There’s also a big chance that precision engineering was heavily involved in the complex refuelling mechanism that is used to ensure Santa makes it all the way around the world without having to top up the tank with magic.

Toy Production –

We have all seen footage of the elves working hard in the factories trying to get the toys finished in time for December the 25th, but it’s clear that this couldn’t happen without the use of precision engineering. There is a need for each different range of toys to be exact replicas of each other so that no child feels hard done by because their toy car isn’t precisely the same as their friend’s toy car. There is no room for anything other than uniformity in Santa’s workshop and so most of the components used in toy production are likely to have been produced with the use of CNC turning machines.

Santa’s Secret Weapon –

Whilst you will no doubt be aware of the sleigh Santa travels in and the fact that the elves work hard to make the toys in the workshop, this next device is not so well-known. The ‘Slim-o-matic 2013’ is what Santa relies on in order to get into every home as he makes his way around the world. It allows him to instantly reduce his body mass so that he can fit down chimneys and through the gaps in doors and place the gifts under the tree.

The only problem is that each device can only be used once and so he has to manufacture around 108 million different ‘Slim-o-matics’ to use on each home he visits. Precision engineering holds the key to ensuring this can be done as quickly as possible (he’s a busy man) and to his exact specifications. There is also a need for each gadget to be exactly the same otherwise Santa’s health and safety could be at risk. Without the use of CNC machines the tiny parts used in the manufacture of the ‘slim-o-matics’ would be impossible to produce.

So when you wake up on Christmas morning this year and thank Santa for the gifts you find beneath your tree; don’t forget the role that precision engineering also played in getting them there.

By Chris Mayhew

Chris Mayhew is interested in the engineering industry and enjoyed contemplating how Santa might find use for CNC turning machines. He would recommend Griffiths Engineering to anyone looking for a reliable company to sub-contract their precision engineering needs to.

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