Global Fastener News

Huyett has expanded its manufacturing capabilities by installing a new Tsugami B0325-iii Swiss-Turn lathe.

The lathe will “facilitate a more streamlined machining process that will help us deliver runs of any size with shorter lead times, more accuracy, and better quoting mechanisms,” the company stated.

The Tsugami B0325-iii improves Huyett’s lathe production process through greater precision that shortens machining time and improves product consistency.

The Tsugami rotates and oscillates the part at the same time, allowing multiple processes to machine the part in one pass. Coupled with a 20-tool capacity, this feature will allow for more complex cuts in less time.

“We ran our initial test with a fastener we’ve been customizing for years on traditional lathes,” explained Huyett production manager Jeremiah Van Doren. “Each piece used to take 208 seconds to produce. On the Swiss lathe, this process now takes 87 seconds per piece. That’s a 58% decrease in machining time, and we’re confident we can cut an additional 10%.”

Traditional lathes fix the part at one or both ends but do not support the center. If a cut applies force to the center, it can push the part out of alignment (a behavior known as deflection) and reduce the cut’s accuracy. The Tsugami features a guide bushing that supports the part at the point of tooling, significantly decreasing any deflection – even on heavy cuts, slashing the time needed for refining initial runs and produces more consistent results.

The best way to understand how the Tsugami’s design reduces deflection is to picture holding a pool cue, Van Doren said.

“In a Swiss lathe, the guide bushing is like your forward hand. That hand holds the cue steady as your back hand feeds the cue forward and backward. Contrast that with a traditional lathe, which lacks a guide bushing. It would be like holding the cue with one (really strong) hand.”

Also, the Tsugami’s custom software creates quick, realistic part renditions that can be used to produce more accurate quotes for a job.

Van Doren predicts that the Tsugami will specifically elevate Huyett’s performance with large runs, where time savings with more precision cuts will become exponential.

Established in 1906, Minneapolis, KS-based Huyett is a master distributor of non-threaded fasteners. Web: Huyett.com