Case Studies

Industry : Safety Products

Customer : Southeastern forging and machining company

Material:  Forged aluminum alloy

Part Description:  The part is the body for a breathing apparatus used by firemen and other safety workers operating in dangerous or contaminated environments.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part is processed in two operations with the part fixtured in three different configurations on twin pallets of an A55 Delta Makino horizontal machining center.

Notable:  The complex geometry of the part make it hard to fixture effectively and precisely. Jewett’s solution not only provides consistent and accurate holding of the part, but allows it to be completed in three operations on two pallets. The fixturing is duplicated on the second pallet of the A-55 which allows for quick pallet exchange and minimal load time as the second pallet is loaded while the first is in cycle and vice versa.

Industry:  Recreational Vehicles

Customer:  Midwest manufacturer of fuel systems for recreational vehicles

Material:  4140 alloy steel

Part Description:  The part is a shaft for a butterfly valve for a carburetor.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part is machined complete in Jewett’s Citizen L-20 eight axis Swiss screw machine including all drilling and tapping and milling.

Notable:  The tolerances on the bearing journals are extremely tight for turning operations. (+/- .0001”) Jewett developed processes and controls to allow these journals to be turned to specification without the need for grinding or secondary operations. When these parts are machined, careful attention to temperature control must be maintained, as fluctuations in temperature can cause parts to go out of tolerance. In addition, the heavy metal removal in the center of the part presented a challenge to maintain straightness.

Industry:  Industrial Valves and Fittings

Customer:  Southeastern manufactured of fittings for gas, water and other mediums

Material:  316 stainless steel hex bar

Part Description:  Fitting

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part is machined in relatively low volumes thus making it inappropriate for machining on Jewett’s Swiss screw machines or the Nakamura twin spindle twin turret CNC lathe. The part is machined in Jewett’s small part Okuma cell utilizing two Okuma LB-15 lathes operated by a single operator.

Notable : By running the parts in two machines with a single operator, Jewett is able to reduce cycle time and thus cost to our customer. The Okuma lathes are programmed graphically by the operator and are quick to set up, which further make them the ideal solution for lower volume applications.

Industry:  Industrial Components

Customer:  Southeast manufacturer of fittings for a wide array of applications

Material:  360 Brass

Part Description:  Body for a quick disconnect gas fitting

Workcenters/Operation(s):  Manufactured from round bar stock in two operations on a twin spindle twin turret CNC lathe with live tooling. Part is manufactured complete with no secondary operations or off line operations.

Notable:  The position and the angle of the seal surface located in the lower third of the part just above the internal grooves are critical both in geometry and location. Jewett was able to hold these critical tolerances on its Nakamura WT-150 seven axis CNC lathe with twin 12 station turrets and live tool capability in each position on both turrets. Also the ability to manufacture this part on a single machine made Jewett’s pricing very competitive for the customer.

Industry:  Military

Customer:  Southeast distributor of Military equipment

Material:  Aluminum Black Anodized

Part Description:  Mount for a night vision scope for a M-16 rifle (13 part assembly)

Workcenters/Operation(s):  Jewett utilizes three horizontal machining centers in a cell to machine the body of the scope mount. The balance of the parts are machined on two Swiss screw machines employing two spindles with live tooling and seven axis capability.

Notable : The three machine cell of horizontal machining centers operated by a single operator results in high thru-put and low cost machining of the body. This allows Jewett to be cost effective in the competitive military device market. All internal parts are machined complete on our Swiss screw machines with no secondary operations. Jewett found that even the clamp piece which normally would be produced on machining centers was most efficiently produced from round stock using the substantial milling capability of its Swiss screw machines. Following machining, the components are black anodized and assembled by Jewett assembly personnel.

Industry:  Military

Customer:  Southeast distributor of military hardware

Material:  6061 Aluminum black anodized

Part Description:  Clamp component of a 13 piece assembly that mounts a night vision scope to an M-16 rifle.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  This part has been machined on both our Tsugami BS-32 Swiss Screw Machine and our Nakamura WT-150 twin spindle, twin turret CNC lathe with live tooling. In each case the part was machined complete from round stock with no secondary operations. Each machine has a sub-spindle, live tooling, and a magazine bar feeder.

Notable : The capabilities of Swiss Screw Machines and CNC lathes with multiple turrets, multiple spindles, and live tooling have caused machine shops to rethink the processing of parts typically made in machining centers. In years past this part would probably have been processed in a machining center in several operations. Utilizing the live tooling capability of today’s lathes, Jewett found that the part could most efficiently be machined from round stock. The sub-spindle also allowed the part to be completed in a single machine with no secondary operations. The magazine bar feeder allows continuous and often unattended production, thus reducing cost and providing value to our customer.

Industry:  Government

Customer:  Mid-Atlantic manufacturer of military and government equipment

Material:  Nylon

Part Description:  Part of a high-tech multifaceted mail handling system for the US Post Office.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  Jewett employed its high speed machining capability using a Makino A-55 Delta horizontal machining center to achieve low cycle times and competitive pricing for our customer. One complete part is finished in each machining cycle and the dual pallet A-55 minimizes load / unload time.

Notable:  The part has bearings installed in the holes in the end of the part. The integrity of the part must be maintained with respect to the centerline of the bearings. Jewett utilized a custom in house designed and built fixture to completely machine the part in three different attitudes on a tombstone fixture. The fixturing employed features which maintained the part in a free state while machining resulting in minimal distortion in the nylon material and parts well within print specification.

Industry:  Motor Vehicle

Customer:  Southeastern manufacturer of fuel systems for marine and land based recreational vehicles

Material:  6061 Aluminum black anodized

Part Description:  Prototype body for the fuel injection system for an Italian made motor scooter.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  This part was machined from a solid block of aluminum on a Makino A-55 Delta horizontal machining center. The part was completed in two operations on the same fixture with no secondary operations required.

Notable:  Castings were considered for this job, but the outstanding speed and productivity of the A-55 made a hogout more cost effective. Although considered a prototype part, Jewett machined over 20,000 of the bodies for the customer’s new product testing. Following customer approval of the fuel system provided by Jewett’s customer, the part was converted to a plastic injection molded part for production.

Industry:  Industrial pumps

Customer:  Southeastern manufacturer of gear pumps

Material:  4140 alloy steel

Part Description:  Housing for a gear pump used in the chemical industry to pump polymer and other products.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The product path is machined on an Okuma CNC lathe. The part is then processed in two operations on a Mitsubishi horizontal machining center, which finishes all features except the sizing of the gear bores and the two faces where the end caps are attached. The gear bores are honed in our Sunnen vertical cylinder hone to extremely tight tolerances and the faces are surface ground for tolerance and required surface finish. Jewett has machined gear pumps ranging from the relatively small variety shown above which are typically made from bar stock to stainless steel cast bodies with flange diameters as large as 36” in diameter.

Industry:  Marine and land based recreational vehicles

Customer:  Southeast manufacturer of fuel systems

Material:  Alloy 356 cast aluminum

Part Description:  The part is the body for an oil pump used in two cycle engines to inject oil into the fuel.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  Jewett machines this part in high volumes in two operations on our Makino A-55 horizontal machining centers.

Notable:  Jewett designed complex and efficient fixturing which allows us to take full advantage of the A-55’s high speed machining capability. With spindle speeds up to 1400 RPM, high rapid traverse rates and extremely fast tool changes the A-55 provides low cycle times and competitive pricing for our customer. Jewett has a long relationship with this customer and supports the customer’s just in time inventory requirements (Kanban system) including procurement of the castings and maintenance of safety stock. The part is challenging with tight tolerances on the bores and the port holes which house the pistons for this diaphragm style pump.

Industry:  Construction

Customer:  Southeastern manufacturer of door systems for commercial applications

Material:  356 aluminum sand casting

Part Description:  Body for a rack and pinion system for automatically opening doors in commercial buildings.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  Two fixtures used on Jewett’s Makino A-55 Delta high speed machining center complete all operations on the part with the part being held in only two different planes. Also, the Makino’s fourth axis capability allows intersecting angle holes to be machined without need for re-fixturing the part.

Notable:  Part is used in many commercial buildings including opening all the doors in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The bores and bearing journals are critical. They must be held to tight tolerances to prevent oil leaking and providing for smooth operation. Also the true position of rack and pinion centerlines must be maintained to demanding tolerances. Following machining by Jewett, the parts are impregnated to provide additional density and prevent oil leakage.

Industry:  Aerospace

Customer:  Mid-Atlantic manufacturer of satellites and aerospace equipment

Material:  316 stainless steel

Part Description:  Part of a spiral actuation device used to open a tool box used in outer space.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part was rough turned in an Okuma CNC lathe. Following the turning operation the holes and spiral groove was machined on a Makino vertical machining center with fourth axis capability. The part was then cylindrical ground on an Okuma CNC cylindrical grinder.

Notable:  Jewett Machine worked very closely with customer engineers to develop the complex machining processes and to help engineer the key that slides in the spiral groove and provides the actuation motion to open the tool boxes. The tolerances on the spiral groove as well as the bearing journals are extremely demanding. The tool boxes being opened were not just any tool box, but boxes that were carried to the International Space Station by the space shuttle Discovery.

Industry:  Military

Customer:  Southeastern supplier of castings and forgings

Material:  Proprietary copper alloy formulated in Finland 99+% pure. Material is forged and coined prior to machining.

Part Description:  Liner for the explosive charge of a TOW anti-tank missile.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  Jewett employs two CNC lathes, one four axis and one two axis to machine the OD and ID of the part. The part is held in special holding fixtures and special gages inspect each part 100%. The tooling employed is also custom designed to achieve the tight geometries in the ID of the part. Following machining each part is inspected 100% and serialized for traceability.

Notable:  Tight process control and project management allows Jewett to maintain the demanding +/- .0002 concentricity tolerance between OD and ID. On August 23, 2003 the Hussein brothers, Uday and Qusay engaged in a battle with the American 101st Airborne Division in Mosul, Iraq. A TOW anti tank missile containing a liner machined at Jewett Machine in December of 1999 was launched at the hotel where the brothers were resisting apprehension by coalition forces resulting in the demise of the Hussein brothers.

Industry:  Consumer Products

Customer:  Mid-Atlantic manufacturer of a wide variety of consumer products

Material:  Cast Aluminum tool and jig plate

Part Description:  The part is the base for a high speed continuous motion machine built by Jewett Machine which processes the product using rotary continuous motion at rates up to 800 parts per minute.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part was machined in two operations (front and back) on our Takumi vertical machining center. This machine with travels of 80” X 36” X 34” allows Jewett Machine to machine large work pieces in one setting.

Notable:  This part is representative of Jewett’s ability to produce customer machines built to customer specifications, turnkey. This base plate will be populated with a complex series of vacuum drums which rotate and produce the product. Following mechanical assembly, the machine will be wired in-house and the pneumatic system plumbed and tested. The machine will be debugged on Jewett’s floor and installed at the customer’s location. Jewett personnel often accompany the machine and install and train operators if required by the customer. If required our sister company Jewett Automation can provide turnkey factory automation systems from design to installation on the customer’s floor.

Industry:  Heating and Air Conditioning

Customer:  Southeast broker of castings and forgings

Material:  Aluminum sand casting

Part Description:  Compressor housing for an experimental new compressor designed to reduce friction in the compressor and achieve energy savings as a result.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part was machined in two operations on a Mitsubishi MH-60 horizontal machining center and one operation on an Omega 60 vertical lathe.

Notable:  This housing presented several challenges holding demanding tolerances and concentricity requirements. In addition, the VTL work required special tooling to machine the deep cavities and undercuts.

Industry:  Automotive

Customer:  Global manufacturer of vehicle tires

Material:  Forged 1045 alloy steel

Part Description:  Crown ring used in the manufacture of vehicle tires.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part is first turned in Jewett’s Omega 60 vertical CNC lathe with automatic tool changer and 60” turning capacity. The parts are then drilled, tapped, and counter-bored on a Takumi vertical machining center.

Notable:  Jewett developed fixtures that allow for machining of both sides of the part on a single fixture. This amortizes tool change time over the processing of the entire part and reduces load / unload time. Jewett has achieved preferred supplier status with this customer and ships products that are considered dock to stock by the customer.

Industry:  Tobacco

Customer:  Cigarette machinery manufacturer

Material:  Aluminum sand casting

Part Description:  Folding turret used in a cigarette packaging machine.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  Jewett utilizes a Makino FNC-106 vertical machining center with fourth axis capability to machine the part complete in three operations.

Notable:  The configuration of the part makes it difficult to hold and turn in a lathe so Jewett developed a process to machine the part complete in the vertical machining center. Cigarette manufacturing employs some of the fastest and most sophisticated machinery used in manufacturing. The need for high precision is absolutely necessary to run at the accelerated speeds. The fixtures employed do not distort the casting and allow Jewett to hold the demanding tolerances for location as well as size.

Industry:  Industrial pumps and mixing systems

Customer:  Northeast manufacturer of mixing systems

Material:  Class 30 cast iron

Part Description:  The part is a gear housing used in a drive system for the customer’s products.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part was machined complete in two operations on a Mitsubishi MH-60 630mm twin pallet horizontal machining center.

Notable:  The bearing bores and the location of the centerlines of the bearing bores must be held to demanding tolerances. In addition, the perpendicularity of the face of the part needed to be perpendicular to the centerline of the bearing bores within .001”. Jewett developed fixturing which held the part in a relaxed state during all machining operations and prevented any distortion due to clamping pressure, thus allowing tolerances to be held to specification. Also note the machined surfaces deep within the part. Special extended length tools needed to be designed and built to reach these surfaces.

Industry:  Industrial pumps and mixing equipment

Customer:  Northeastern manufacturer of industrial mixing equipment

Material:  Class 30 cast iron sand casting

Part Description:  Input cartridge housing for a variable ratio double reduction gear reducer.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part is machined in one operation on a 500mm pallet four axis Mitsubishi horizontal machining center.

Notable: Jewett designed and built fixturing that holds the part in a free state and allows for machining complete in a single setting. This allows the demanding tolerances for bearing fits and intersecting centerlines to be maintained and minimizes the problems encountered when the casting needs to be held in numerous attitudes to complete machining. Customer QA personnel commented that the parts provided by Jewett were the best they have ever received from an outside supplier.

Industry:  Medical

Customer:  Southeastern manufacturer of slip rings for various applications

Material:  Customer proprietary (cast composite material)

Part Description:  Base for the slip ring assembly used in CAT scan machines.

Workcenters/Operation(s):  The part is machined complete in two operations on Jewett’s Omega 60 vertical lathe and in a single operation for the drilling and machining of the interior cavities.

Notable:  Jewett worked with several tooling vendors to specify and employ special tooling to machine this difficult-to-machine material. The geometry of the interior work is extremely complex and requires simultaneous four axis contouring to achieve the specifications. Jewett has worked closely with our customer to augment the customer’s in-house production and to help them meet the demanding schedules of the end users.