Production Machining - Your access to the precision machining industrial buyer.
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CNC SINGLE-SPINDLE :: The KIT-450 is a compact CNC lathe featuring gangtype block tooling. Here, an operator measures part of a bearing trunnion produced on the machine. EU, a growth market for Woodward's precision steering products. Materials since relocating to Casper, Wyo., in 1993, and each expansion has been fnanced directly from earnings. Te original 5,000-square-foot building already had 480-volt, three-phase and overhead busways. Woodward has a staf of ten—for the most part single moms who have retrained for careers in industry. Products are race car steering components, including gears, racks, needle bearing universal joints, collapsible safety steering columns and steering wheel quick releases. In-car camera shots during any NASCAR event reveal the Woodward logo. Te company manufactures its own hydraulic power steering system in-house, including the hypersensitive directional control valve. Virtually all other systems marketed for racing utilize OEM valve components; Woodward is one of relatively few companies in the world that actually makes those parts. Te company has a distributor for its racing products in the 34 PRODUCTION MACHINING :: NOVEMBER 2013 Gears and valve components are machined from 41L42 and 41L50. Typical part size is from ¾ inch up through 1-5/8 inches diameter by as much as 6 inches long. "Although we eventually grind these parts to size after hardening, some of them require intermediate operations such as hobbing and milling that absolutely must start with an accurately turned and centered workpiece," says Mr. Woodward. Almost all of the parts need to be held within 0.001 inch on the diameter right from the frst operation. "We do all our turning with cermet inserts, and we fnd that with the Hyundai WIAs, we can run near the upper limit of SFM, which is where those inserts really shine. Te harder grades of cermet are vulnerable to thermal shock, so we turn steel dry." Woodward also makes a lot of commodity parts that many other companies would farm out, such as crimpstyle hydraulic hose ends and various non-heat-treated