Betz Contracting & Machining designs and builds custom turnkey machines, automated assembly fixtures and quality control fixtures for a number of Tier 1 suppliers in the automotive industry.
Recently, the company took on a contract to build a small assembly machine measuring 12 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 16 inches high. The machine precisely holds the customer’s product in a nest as it travels into a safety-guarded area to be assembled, greased and checked for quality.
To streamline the design and build process, Betz used both standard and configurable components from automation components manufacturer Misumi USA. A longtime Misumi customer, Betz often employs Misumi to provide a wide range of precision components, including linear shafts, linear guide rails, bearings and locating pins.
In this case, Betz worked with Misumi to obtain the locating pins that position the parts in the nest; the precision linear shafts used for the machine housing; the bearings used for the traveling functions; and a set of pipes for holding the grease
According to Betz engineer Frank Bowman, one of the main reasons his company orders configured components from Misumi is its CAD Configurator and native CAD downloads, as well as its easy-to-use online catalog and web ordering system.
In all, Misumi offers it customers approximately 500,000 different components, many of which can be configured in 1-millimeter increments and ordered over the web without setup charges, detailed drawings or minimum order quantities.
“From a designer’s point of view, our goal is to complete the customer’s design and get prints to the shop floor in a timely manner, for maximum workflow efficiency and productivity. Misumi’s system allows us to do just that. We can configure the part and download it directly to our system, quickly and easily,” Bowman says.
Bowman adds that Misumi’s fast turnaround times are also a plus. “Misumi’s ability to configure a part to precise tolerances and with the proper material and finish, within a desirable time frame was very appealing to us,” he says. “Time is money. The more we can reduce the amount of time on a project in any area, the more cost savings we realize. Frequently, that savings can be passed on to our customers, so it’s a ‘win-win’ situation all around.”
For more information on configurable components call 800-681-7475 or visitwww.misumiusa.com.
