Posted by New Process Fibre on | Comments Off on Specialty Washers: Form Follows Function
At New Process, as you may have gathered if you’re a regular reader here on our blog, one of our favorite things to talk about is our custom work. Custom discs, custom end laminations, custom gaskets, custom insulators, spacers, tags, other parts, etc. – you get the picture. It’s our niche, we do it well, and we’re proud of it. The idea we want to talk about today is a particular piece of our custom business that is particularly complex: washers.
If you don’t work in the industry, you may not realize how many different kinds of washers there are, and how many different particular functions they serve. Some of the more common specialty washers (if you can look past that oxymoron) are “C” shape, “D” shape , triangle ID, square ID, hex ID – truly, though, the options are infinite. Many times the shape of the washer has to do directly with the particular application it is for – often bolt shape determines the ID (or inside diameter). For instance, one of our clients has a proprietary square bolt for a particular application, and the corresponding washer’s shape was a direct result of the shape of the bolt’s shaft. Similarly, the space into which the fastener goes can determine the OD (outside diameter). Often a bolt will need to go directly against the edge of a surface – this means the washer’s OD needs to be a “D” shape in order for it to not interfere with the contact between the fastener and the material by being stuck at an angle.
There are a whole host of different washer shapes and forms that we haven’t mentioned here, because again, the shape of the washer can be as diverse as its application. Washers do many things, from increasing friction on contact surfaces, to preventing corrosion between coated metals, to evenly distributing the pressure of fastening contact across a broader surface area. Any conceivable design that serves these and other purposes more effectively can result in a different washer shape. The key advantage with New Process is that we have the capability and expertise to provide you with any size order of nearly anything your designer can dream up.
Contact us today to see how we can help fulfill your need for that particular washer you can’t quite find anywhere else.
Posted by New Process Fibre on | Comments Off on How Experience Affects the Manufacture of Non-metallics
As a true custom manufacturer, we at New Process Fibre have a wealth of experience with the various processes involved in non-metallic component manufacture. Part of this expertise includes the knowledge of how our manufacturing processes affect the different materials we work with, and how to correctly arrive at a given specification within the tolerances that our clients define.
This sort of nuanced approach to components manufacture might not be immediately obvious to many manufacturers, distributors, or OEMs that primarily work with metal. The properties of most metals are such that as a general rule (to turn a phrase) what you specify is what you get. With non-metallic manipulations, however, the rules aren’t so cut and dry; they’re a bit more plastic. For instance, if we allowed clients to specify the tooling they want used for the manufacture of some nylon washers, odds are that the tooling that reflects the dimensions of the final product desired won’t produce that part to within the tolerances desired, because of the way the materials perform within the stamping process. Our more than 85 years of experience allow us to make careful and informed selections for the tooling of each job that will yield the most accurate output possible. This is one reason we tend to form lasting relationships with clients; as our expertise becomes apparent throughout the process, our commitment to attending the end needs of the customer works in their favor, though our initial recommendation of an alternate tooling setup may be confusing.
Each job is unique, and may require different distinguishing features, depending on its end application. This is why we do our best to listen to our customers end needs in order to determine the best way to produce the parts they need – we trust our customers to know what they need, and they trust us to recommend the best course of action for how to get there. While the particulars of the application may change, the materials and process stay the same, and that’s where the expertise born of years of experience becomes invaluable.
