Automated Machining and Fabrication Systems for Hardware and Fastener Manufacturing
Hardware and fastener manufacturers today need to achieve the utmost in production line speed, quality, consistency, and efficiency in order to remain competitive in this high-paced industry. Creative Automation has developed turnkey automated equipment solutions for many niches in the fastener industry – from consumer fasteners and replacement hardware to precision aerospace fasteners and industrial components.
Custom Automation Solutions for Hardware Manufacturers – Higher Speed, Accuracy, and Repeatability
Manufacturers of hardware and fasteners often deal with various sizes, shapes, and materials. Our special purpose machines can be customized or easily reconfigured to handle different types of products or production requirements. The flexibility we offer allows hardware manufacturers to adapt quickly to changing market demands and produce a wide range of products without major retooling.
Machine automation reduces both human errors and inefficiencies, ultimately providing more consistent hardware products produced quicker and more cost-effectively. No matter what the application, Creative can develop a special purpose machine to execute the tasks with the highest degree of accuracy and repeatability possible.
Automatic Machining Systems for Hardware Components
- Aerospace Fastener Cross Slotter – An aerospace manufacturer needed to automate their machining process for precision fasteners – beyond the capabilities of their standard CNC lathe. We developed a six-station dial-type machine which allowed for quick and easy changeover from one size of fastener to another. Each fastener’s four cross slots are machined at separate stations using carbide slitting blades driven by precision spindles and slides. As a result, the operator’s sole task is to load components: the total machining process and part unloading are both entirely automated.
Automated Assembly Systems for Telecommunications Hardware and Electronics
- Telephone Interconnect Pinch Block Assembler – Modern telecommunications systems likewise rely on specialized hardware for interconnected components. A manufacturer of outdoor telephone cable connectors required an automated system to punch, cutout, and place grease barriers onto blocks consisting of a molded body and screw. We developed a turnkey system which automatically feeds the barrier material from a roll stock through a die set and punches the required hole pattern into the material. Using a dial type indexer, body components and screws are automatically assembled before the barrier is cut and placed onto the block. The complete assembly is then automatically unloaded at an increased rate of 40 assemblies per minute.
Achieving Automated Precision and Repeatability in Hardware Manufacturing
Precision Aerospace Fasteners – Specialized aerospace fasteners present a number of unique challenges to hardware manufacturers. Critical to flight safety and reliability, modern aerospace hardware is generally machined to the highest precision tolerances – often in unique shapes, sizes, and configurations. Moreover, hardware production for aviation and spaceflight often requires special materials and exotic metals which are difficult to machine and fabricate. At Creative, we develop turnkey aerospace manufacturing systems that are designed for the advanced specifications of the industry today.
Specialized Industrial Fasteners and Hardware – Equipment throughout the industrial sector likewise relies on high-performance hardware and fasteners. Whether on the factory floor or out in the field, modern industrial equipment is expected to perform reliably even in the toughest operational conditions. Creative provides manufacturers of industrial fasteners with the automated tools they need to build their products efficiently, accurately, and with the utmost repeatability.
General Replacement Fasteners and Hardware – Even general replacement parts require a high degree of precision and repeatability. Whether for consumer products or commercial equipment, replacement hardware and fasteners have to be manufactured to the exact specifications of the original component to ensure compatibility. Creative can design and fabricate an automated machine solution to accurately reproduce virtually any replacement part.
Turnkey Automated Equipment for Today’s Valve and Fitting Manufacturers
In the hardware and fastener manufacturing sector, consistent quality and lean efficiency are the keys to long-term success. Creative Automation provides hardware manufacturers with the automated tools they need to remain ahead of their competitors. From automated machining and forming systems for metal fasteners to special purpose machines for complex hardware assemblies, Creative provides the industry with the automated equipment required to achieve maximum precision, productivity, and cost-efficiency.