By Warren Brooks
Summary
Huron Automatic Screw Company produces two similar parts used in the drivetrain of Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. Pressure to offer cost savings to the customer meant the Huron Automatic team needed to reflect on the part’s function, design, and machining process and cycle time. The team identified the opportunity for redesign and produced prototypes for testing. The end result provided a shorter part cycle time and a cost savings for the customer.
The Challenge
Huron Automatic Screw Company has been producing two similar parts for many years. These parts are used in the drivetrain of Class 8 heavy-duty trucks and are classified as an adapter stud with both internal and external threads. The parts have holes drilled though their entire length (over 1.5”) with the entire length of the hole being threaded with a ½-20 UNF 2B internal thread.
Huron Automatic Screw Company’s customer needed costs to be reduced on this part and was looking to Huron for suggestions.
The Solution
The Huron Automatic Screw Company team had the knowledge to identify that the internal thread’s length was the determining factor in the long machining time and contributed to much of the cost. Hypothesizing about what could be done to reduce costs, the team looked in this direction for potential engineering modifications.
Huron Automatic Screw Company investigated the end use of the part to better understand its function, finding that only 60% of the internal thread was being used to engage the mating part. The team put together an alternative design that featured a larger unthreaded hole on one end of the part.
The prospective changes and sample parts were submitted to the customer for review. The adjustments reduced cycle time and subsequently lowered cost while still providing the number of threads needed for proper engagement with the mating part. The customer’s engineering department agreed to the modified design resulting in the requested cost savings while retaining the part’s full functionality.
Conclusion
While Huron Automatic Screw Company could continue producing the part as-is without issue the customer required reduced cost. The team investigated the part’s end use to identify opportunities for redesign, produced prototypes for testing, and solved the cost-savings issue.
In conclusion, Huron Automatic Screw Company was able to help redesign a part for shorter cycle time and customer cost savings. Their ability to troubleshoot and expertise in machining allowed for a positive end result.
About Huron Automatic Screw Company
With over 85 years of experience, Huron Automatic Screw Company is highly regarded in the fastener manufacturing industry for product excellence and quick turnaround, making us an ideal partner to handle your prototype through production quantity jobs. Our precision machined threaded fasteners, pins, spacers and other parts are purchased by fastener distributors, component manufacturers and OEMs across the United States and go into a wide variety of components such as axles, power trains, suspensions, engines and steering components.
Our tradition of quality and our use of innovative modern manufacturing practices have been our company’s competitive edge in manufacturing precision machined products. Add to that our reputation for on-time delivery and competitive prices, and you’ve got every answer you need to give us a try on your next project.
[schema type=”organization” orgtype=”Organization” url=”www.huronauto.com” name=”Huron Automatic Screw Company” street=”4918 Gratiot Ave” city=”St Clair” state=”MI” postalcode=”48079″ country=”US” phone=”810-364-6636″ ]
