A leading American company of water and gas distribution products reached out to us with a problem with one of their metal components. The current design of this tube included a seam that required a secondary weld operation. The essential function of the metal tube was to stiffen the connection between the water line of flexible PEX tubing and a brass lock nut for the inlet valve into the home. The tube alleviated the compression force at the junction with the locking nut and provided the rigidity to prevent creep of the PEX line.
The assembly process consisted of inserting the tube into a plastic sleeve. The fit between the tube and the sleeve was problematic. Because of the welded seam’s inconsistent surface finish, the fit between the two parts led to hang ups and misalignments because of burrs. The condition had become unacceptable to the customer because of both a scrap rate and concerns about the product performance in the field.
The customer did not have much familiarity with deep draw metal stamping applications. Their engineering and purchasing team conducted a thorough review of the Prospect Machine Products’ website and contacted us. What had caught their eye was a number of tube-shaped components featured in our photo gallery, all without seams, since deep draw stampings are all formed with a solid wall around the entire diameter. Through a series of remote meeting collaborations and deep draw metal forming design assistance, a revised print was issued, a quotation was prepared, and tooling orders for two versions of the part were placed. To ease the assembly for the re-design, we also proposed a formed taper to the tube at the start of the insertion, and they agreed wholeheartedly. We also included a radial product identification stamp on the exterior side wall. No easy feat since the material was 304 stainless steel.
This is not the first time we have eased a customer’s pain point with the solution of deep draw metal forming over other methods of metal fabrication, including castings, machinings, four slides, and swagings. Our experience with the conversions to deep draw have had outcomes of lower scrap rates, lower material usage, and more consistent productivity with high volume sub-assembly and assembly work. All in all, lower costs to our customers.
We now have a new and highly satisfied customer with parts volumes in the hundreds of thousands and the potential for more growth from new projects.
Have a deep draw metal stamping project that would be best handled by a provider that truly understands the customer experience and is committed to your success? Contact us for a quote or book a meeting today! Email info@pmpdeepdraw.com or call 203-758-4448, X25 for our Sales Manager, Nicole Spaeth.
