For over 50 years, Buell Automatics has been solving small part challenges for a wide range of industries and applications, helping to reduce costs and shorten turnaround times. To better illustrate our capabilities, we’ve outlined an automotive case study below.
The Problem
A few years ago, a company came to us looking for a more competitive cycle time for the manufacture of an automotive brake bleeder screw, at a tolerance of +/-.0020 inch. The process they were using was simply too slow and was resulting in overall production delays. While shortened turnaround time was their main goal here, they also needed to ensure that there was no burr at the intersection of the cross hole and bleeder hole.
The Solution
Our team decided to use a combination of deep hole drilling and precision screw machining to produce the desired brake bleeder screws. Our Davenport five-spindle screw machine — and its two unique features, coolant, and Sensi-Buell — allowed us to achieve the results we were after.
Our proprietary high-pressure coolant through deep hole drilling helped to reduce extra steps in the manufacturing process, cutting down on required tools, time, and costs. By enabling a higher drill PM count; repeatable holes, concentricity, and finishes; and improved chip evacuation, our custom coolant allowed for faster cycle times, with no impact on cycle time for unleaded materials.
Our proprietary Sensi-Buell software, meanwhile, helped ensure optimal machining performance and quality; this custom-developed detection system quickly spots any short parts or broken tools within our machinery. The software also provides effective manufacturing resource planning capabilities, with quality and production history, tool wear, and machine efficiency management tools.
Ultimately, use of the high-pressure coolant with deep hole drilling allowed us to drill the bleeder hole in one position while opening two positions for us to ream the hole. In this way, we were able to avoid having the burr lie at the intersection of the bleeder and cross holes. We were also able to make use of another position to support the brake bleeder screw as it turned. Together, these production steps allowed for a faster cycle time.
The Result
Despite the tight tolerances we were working with, our precision screw machining technique allowed for shorter production times for this client’s automotive brake bleeder screw, as well as significant cost savings and improved part quality. Our customer was very impressed with the results, and they have continued to work with us since 2013. In fact, we’re still manufacturing these brake bleeder screws today!
Learn More
At Buell Automatics, no job is too small for our expert team. Interested in starting your next small parts manufacturing project or looking to learn more about our machining services? Contact us today to discuss your options.
