lnnovation, Determination, and Collaboration Overcomes Precision Machining Challenge.

When the original supplier couldn’t deliver an intricate part for Aerol, Albion Machine and Tool could.

The Challenge: Outsourcing Issues for a Critical Part.

The Jacking Caster from Aerol is a critical component in many military and aerospace applications, from leveling on uneven surfaces to aligning large assemblies. 

One key part—the screw thread—proved challenging to manufacture and required the dependence on the original supplier in California. Unfortunately, dealing with this supplier brought unresponsive service, long lead times, and recurring quality issues. This led  Andrew Dobbins, Vice President of Manufacturing, to ponder alternative ways to get the needed part.

Outsourcing? (Jacking) Screw That!

Because every potential supplier declined to quote the job once they had a look at the prints and realized the level of precision required,  Andrew Dobbins challenged the experts at AMT — John Sultini, Operations Manager, and Dave Dix, Journeyman Tool and Die Maker — to take on the challenge of producing the screw thread in-house.

Challenge accepted. With 80 years of combined tool and die experience,  John and Dave successfully manufactured the problematic part after a few trials and testing. This is a testament to the value of having vertically integrated capabilities and a team that is adaptable and skilled enough to create a part using existing resources.  It’s an accomplishment that many other caster or ground support equipment manufacturers can’t match.

Getting Jiggy with It.

“From where we began testing to where we are currently at, we’ve seen a 75% reduction in cycling time.”

            — John Sultini, Operations Manager, AMT

The first requirement was to work some magic to modify tooling and devise a jig. A jig is a tool that holds a cutting tool in place or guides it as it performs a repetitive task. In this case, cutting the grooves into the thread. Because of the precise nature needed for the threading, a gear drive was used to power the process to ensure consistency and accuracy. To help with this, a gauge was created for standardization.

In this process, the 4130 alloy steel shaft goes through a Haas CNC lathe for a qualifying process, turned length, and ID boring. Then, the shaft goes through a Mazak lathe for threading, which requires 55 passes due to the machine thread’s size – 27.9” long and 4.000” in diameter – compared to the typical 10-12 passes for a standard 12” thread.

This collaboration to machine this specific part in-house solved the supply issues related to the old supplier, such as poor response, long lead time, unpredictable deliveries, and escalating costs. 

Results: Precision, Efficiency, and Reduced Costs

The collaboration led to several significant improvements, on top of the reduction in lead time, unpredictable deliveries, and escalating costs:

  • Reduced Production Time: Manufacturing time for the nut was slashed from 3 hours to just 45 minutes—a 75% reduction.
  • Enhanced Quality: AMT also implemented minor design changes that improved both the quality of the part and the ease of assembly.

“A lot of time went into ensuring that the thread fit exactly. So, the question becomes, how do you decrease the time it takes to make the part while increasing tooling life?”
–Dave Dix, Journeyman Tool and Die Maker, AMT


Once the process was optimized, tool life was increased, and cycle times were shortened. Now,  threading only took 21 minutes and boring 10 minutes. Total production time was significantly reduced, as the whole part could now be completed in 45 minutes compared to the previous process time of 3 hours.

This kind of problem-solving and process improvement doesn’t happen at companies that don’t have the machining expertise and skill set that Aerol and its supporting companies have. When faced with a material handling machining challenge, Albion Machine and Tool (AMT) to the occasion and set new standards for what’s possible. 

Machining Services | Albion Machine & Tool Albion Machine and Tool offers complete design capabilities (SolidWorks Platform) and manufacturing for fixtures, gages, tools, and special machines, along with extensive testing capacity. For more information about our full capabilities serving the automotive, food processing, plastics, and aerospace industries, contact John Sultini at 517-680-7963, or email him at jsultini@casterconcepts.com.

 

 


By Bill deMink Posted on: October 16, 2024 Categories: Custom Casters and Running Gear, Featured

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