In the project highlighted here, we were contracted by a customer in the power tool industry with a high volume order that would require the use of a number of our high precision manufacturing capabilities.
The part they required was designed as a custom magazine channel, and would be an important component for one of their power tool lines. At American Industrial, our reputation is built on providing quality, on-time delivery, and a wide range of value added services for customers that put their trust in us.
In the project shown here, we provided this and more, which is an example of the precision work we do here on an everyday basis. Being that this was a new part, our production process began with a comprehensive design evaluation. This is a critical factor in ensuring that the die development went smoothly and resulted in a die that was optimized to the design, material to be stamped, and the run size.
Thorough testing is also a big part of the die development process, as anyone knows; design validation is a step that cannot be skipped. Another critical factor was material selection for the die itself. Our knowledge base is vast, and our engineering team has years of experience, utilizing cutting edge software that simplifies the design and die material selection process.
Once preflight testing and validation was complete, the process advanced to manufacturing and progressive die stamping. During the stamping process, we closely monitored all phases of production to ensure we met or exceeded our customer’s quality standards.
The finished component featured dimensions of 0.717” in width, .470” in height, .030 in thickness and 9.88” in length. It was constructed from type ¼ hard 201 stainless steel, which was a lower cost alternative to 301 while providing the required tensile strength for this application. Specifications also called for a wax-impregnated black oxide finish for maximum corrosion protection.
Tightly monitored production parameters, combined with in-process test and inspections, validated that we met the ±.005” tolerance requirement on this large 150,000 unit order. A point of pride with this project was the turnover time. We were able to provide a turnkey solution that started with a customer specification and ended with a high volume delivery in just 2 weeks.
If you are interested in learning more about this project, or how our production resources can benefit your next project in terms of quality, costs, and time, contact us today.
