Posted to News on 8th Apr 2009, 00:00
Small bent wire parts
When William Hughes was asked to manufacture a threaded linkhook with many bends, the company's design and engineering team quickly responded to the challenge. Designed for use in the diesel pumps used in lorries and cars, the small component starts off as a piece of wire just 117.4mm long which has to meet precise dimensional tolerances. The first stage is to form a hook at one end and a chamfer on the other using a rotary table, six-stage blanking machine.
The partly formed component then moves to a thread-cutting machine, where a 20mm long thread (4 x 40 UNC) is cut on the chamfered end. The component is then subject to a press bend and two hand bends to form the precise shape required, before being case-hardened in a special sealed quenched furnace. The completed linkhook is then checked for accuracy to the correct dimensions and specification.
