Military Supplier Delivers On Spec, On Time

When your only product is socket set screws and your primary customers are the demanding aerospace and military markets, quality and uptime are paramount. Your multi-spindle machines need to be reliable and easily reconfigured to produce a new part at a moment’s notice.

That’s why Cam-Tech Industries, Inc. (Fairport, New York) recently started using C.J. Winter’s Model 190 end rolling attachment for thread rolling applications. Cam-Tech produces an average of 500,000 set screws a week with diameters ranging from 0.060 to 5/8 inch. The Model 190 allows the company the reliability and flexibility it needs to meet and exceed its customers’ rigorous expectations.

“C.J. Winter is able to produce rolls that are consistently on spec and always work well,” says Rick Vice, Cam-Tech’s vice president of manufacturing and quality control. “We were very excited when the company developed the 190 head, which we’ve been using for more than 4 months without a problem.”

The new head was designed to circumvent two major problems that adversely impact productivity for users of other heads, according to Mr. Vice.

“With some heads, chips can fly into the thread rolls, causing time-consuming maintenance problems,” he says. “Winter developed a one-piece front plate that protects the thread rolls by keeping chips out, allowing our uptime to continue to improve.

“The other major innovation is the carbide bushings as a standard feature; other suppliers charged extra for them,” he continues. “The bushings eliminate the problem of needle bearings wearing unevenly and causing inconsistency in the thread. And, with the single bushing, it is much easier to access when you need to replace them.” Mr. Vice also likes the fact that the Model 190 head can easily accommodate other manufacturers’ thread rolls. However, Cam-Tech has switched to using C.J. Winter rolls.

“Whenever we have a challenge, Winter is really willing to work with us,” Mr. Vice says. “The new 190 head has performed flawlessly for us, and the company’s responsiveness to our needs is excellent. I look forward to working with them to achieve our goal—the ‘as perfect-as-possible’ thread.”