Spring 2013 Vol. 52 No.4 - Spring Manufacturers Institute

Transcription

2001 Midwest Rd., Suite 106
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YEARS
OF SMI
80
A Publication of the Spring Manufacturers Institute / Vol. 52, No. 4
FALL 2013
THE INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE OF SPRING
G MANUFACTURE
President's Message
From Steve Moreland
SMI Executive Committee
President: Steve Moreland, Automatic Spring Products
Vice President: Hap Porter, SEI MetalTek
Secretary/Treasurer: Mike Betts, Betts Company
Immediate Past President: Scott Rankin, Vulcan Spring &
Manufacturing
At Large: Steve Kempf, Lee Spring
SMI Board of Directors
Happy 80th Anniversary, SMI
On August 19, Sandy and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary; I distinctly
remember the night I sat next to the telephone, sweaty palms and all, trying to muster
up the courage to ask Sandy out on our first date…that was 37 years ago! Since that
time we have been blessed with a life together that most couples could only dream
about; yes, we’ve been through some very difficult, heart-wrenching times, but we
have also been through some amazingly wonderful times together. Through it all, our
relationship and love for each other has only grown stronger and deeper.
Back on August 11, the SMI celebrated its 80th anniversary! Although I
cannot remember back to the night the SMI started (I wasn’t born yet) I do
know we owe a tremendous amount of thanks and gratitude to Fuller F. Barnes
of Associated Spring. He had the amazing foresight, courage and vision to start
the Spring Manufacturers Association (as it was called back then) along with 40
charter members, 16 of whom remain SMI members today. Like our marriage,
the North American spring industry has grown stronger over the past 80 years,
thanks in large part to the SMI and the important role it plays in our industry.
The SMI provides such a wide range of products and services that I cannot
imagine trying to compete in a global marketplace without their assistance. Benchmarking reports help SMI members understand how they “stack up” against their
competitors in various categories of financial performance, quality performance
and safety performance. The benchmark reports help participating members
understand where they need to focus to improve the competitiveness of their businesses. The SMI convention and business meetings provide additional competitive
advantage to SMI members who attend. They provide educational offerings that
strengthen those companies and plenty of networking opportunities to allow sharing
of best practices, helping them to become more globally competitive.
For those of you who are not currently members of the SMI, I strongly
encourage you to contact Lynne Carr at the SMI headquarters, or visit the website at www.smihq.com and complete your application for membership. You will
find that joining the SMI and participating in all the products and services that it
offers can enhance the success of your company. I know first-hand, as we have
been members for 46 years!
The mark of any great organization is its ability to maintain its relevance in
a rapidly changing world. The SMI has done that for 80 years. As we begin our
81st year, the SMI is deeply engaged in a robust strategic planning process to
assure that the SMI maintains its leadership position in the industry and relevance
to spring manufacturers across the continent for the next 80 years. We plan to
introduce the new strategic plan during our annual convention in Hawaii in February;
hope to see you there!
On behalf of the North American spring industry and the SMI membership,
I want to express a special thanks to the previous 32 SMI presidents, who
served over the past 80 years, for their leadership, commitment and vision.
Those past presidents, along with the myriad volunteer board and committee
members, have built a great organization we can all be proud of. Thanks!
Happy 80th Anniversary Spring Manufacturer’s Institute … Here’s to the next 80!
Steve Moreland
President, Automatic Spring Products
[email protected]
2 / SPRINGS / Fall 2013
Tom Armstrong, Duer/Carolina Coil • Torsten Buchwald, KernLiebers USA • Ann Davey, John Evans’ Sons • Mark DiVenere,
Gemco Manufacturing • Chris Fazio, Diamond Wire Spring •
Kurt Gillespie, Century Spring • Richard Guimont, Liberty Spring
• Gene Huber Jr, Winamac Coil Spring • Miko Kabeshita, Ark
Technologies • Charly Klein, Fox Valley Spring • Bill Krauss,
Vulcan Spring • Don Lowe, Peterson Spring • Bill Marcum,
MW Industries • Richard Rubenstein, Plymouth Spring • Dan
Sceli, Peterson Spring • JR Strok, Mohawk Spring • Bill Torres,
Gibbs Wire and Steel • Jeff Wharin, Bohne Spring
Springs Magazine Staff
Lynne Carr, Advertising Sales, [email protected]
Gary McCoy, Managing Editor,
[email protected]
Dina Sanchez, Assistant Editor, [email protected]
Sue Zubek, Graphic Designer,
[email protected]
Springs Magazine Committee
Chair, Richard Rubenstein, Plymouth Spring • Reb Banas,
Stanley Spring & Stamping • Lynne Carr, SMI • Raquel
Chole, Dudek & Bock • Ritchy Froehlich, Ace Wire Spring
& Form • Bud Funk, Fourslide Products • Bill Marcum,
MW Industries • Brett Nudelman, International Spring •
Tim Weber, Forming Systems • Europe Liaison: Richard
Schuitema, Dutch Spring Association • Technical Advisors:
Loren Godfrey, Honorary Member • Dan Sebastian,
Honorary Member
Advertising sales - Japan
Ken Myohdai, Sakura International Inc.
22-11 Harimacho
1-Chome, Abeno-ku
Osaka 545-0022 Japan
Phone: +81-6-6624-3601 • Fax: +81-6-6624-3602
E-mail: [email protected]
Advertising sales - Europe
Jennie Franks, Franks & Co.
63 St. Andrew's Road
Cambridge
United Kingdom CB41DH
Phone/Fax: +44-1223-360472
Advertising sales - Taiwan
Robert Yu, Worldwide Services Co. Ltd.
11F-B, No 540, Sec. 1, Wen Hsin Rd.
Taichung, Taiwan
Phone: +886-4-2325-1784 • Fax: +886-4-2325-2967
Springs (ISSN 0584-9667) is published quarterly by SMI Business Corp., a
subsidiary of the Spring Manufacturers Institute: 2001 Midwest Road, Suite
106, Oak Brook, IL 60523; Phone: (630) 495-8588; Fax: (630) 495-8595; Web
site www.smihq.org. Address all correspondence and editorial materials to
this address.
The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all warranties, express or
implied, with respect to advertising and editorial content, and with respect
to all manufacturing errors, defects or omissions made in connection with
advertising or editorial material submitted for publication.
The editors and publishers of Springs disclaim all liability for special or
consequential damages resulting from errors, defects or omissions in the
manufacturing of this publication, any submission of advertising, editorial or
other material for publication in Springs shall constitute an agreement with
and acceptance of such limited liability.
The editors and publishers of Springs assume no responsibility for the opinions
or facts in signed articles, except to the extent of expressing the view, by the
fact of publication, that the subject treated is one which merits attention.
Do not reproduce without written permission.
Cover art created using an image from: ©iStockphoto.com/tovfla
SPRINGS / Fall 2013 / 3
Contents
29
39
FEATURES
29
SMI Celebrates Its 80th
Anniversary
By Gary McCoy
39
Past Presidents Speak
By Gary McCoy
47
Flashback
A Message From the President
of the United States
49
Inside a Steel Service Center
By Stephen Kraft
51
Kern-Liebers Texas Celebrates
25 Years
COLUMNS
19 Be Aware Safety Tips
Don't Let Your Job Grind to a Halt
By Jim Wood
21 IST Spring Technology
Cautionary Tale:
Heat Treatment Oxide
By Mark Hayes
25 Technical Times
Shot Peening Related
Spring Failures
By John "Jack" Sujak
49
DEPARTMENTS
2 President’s Message
Happy 80th Anniversary, SMI
7 Global Highlights
16 Regional Spring
Association Report
53 Springmaker Spotlight
Surviving the Tests of Time:
A Profile of Associated Spring
By Gary McCoy
61 Inside SMI
65 New Products
67 Advertisers’ Index
68 Snapshot
Don Lowe, Peterson American
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Global
Highlights
North America
Betts Company has hired Bob Herold as vice president
of sales. Herold is responsible for all sales activities at
Betts Company’s two manufacturing divisions, BettsHD
and Betts Spring Manufacturing.
Most recently Herold was vice president of product
development and sales at Trail-Gear Inc., a manufacturer
of off-road equipment. Prior to that assignment he was
senior director of field services for 3VR Security Inc.,
and spent 15 years at Pelco
Manufacturing in a variety
of roles.
"Bob cont ributes a n
e x ten sive b a c k g r ou nd i n
sales and engineering to our
team," said Bill Betts, vice
president, Betts Compa ny.
"His commitment to customercentric support and passion for
innovation will drive future
growth for Betts Company in
Bob Herold
targeted transportation and
industrial markets."
Herold earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical
engineering from LaSalle University and an MBA in
international business from California State University,
Fresno.
Herold volunteers his time as a board member for
the San Joaquin Valley International Trade Association
(SJVITA) and is a guest lecturer at the California State
University, Fresno, School of Business. He has also worked
with the university's business and engineering schools on
special projects.
For more information, visit www.Betts1868.com, phone
559-498-3304, or email [email protected].
Also at Betts, the Betts Spring Manufacturing division
has launched its new website at www.BettsSpring.com.
The site is part of a new branding initiative showcasing
Betts Spring Manufacturing, one of three operating
divisions of Betts Company, a six generation family owned
and managed business established in 1868.
"We are excited to launch our dedicated Betts Spring
Manufacturing website,” said Bob Herold. “Visitors will
find it easy to navigate and rich with content focused
on our capability to serve. While well known for our
automotive and off-road high performance springs, we
serve many other industrial markets with custom designed
solutions of superior quality. Our new website features
many of these industrial applications."
The site features a new introductory video, highlighting
manufacturing capabilities. In addition, a new overview
brochure is available for download.
“Newcomers to spring manufacturing seeking an
understanding of processes and materials will find our
website provides a wealth of information,” explained Joe
Devany, director of operations, Betts Company.
Devany, who leads Betts Spring Manufacturing, says
the commitment to quality in product design and business
process is evidenced by achieving ISO 9001-2008 certification.
He points out that visitors to the site can view the latest
news about the Betts Spring Manufacturing division and
conveniently sign up for a subscription to its newsletter.
For more information, visit www.BettsSpring.com,
phone 559-498-3304, or email [email protected].
MW Industries announced in July the acquisition of
Mohawk Spring, a custom precision spring manufacturer.
MW Industries is a portfolio company of Genstar Capital,
a leading private equity firm.
Headquartered near Chicago in Schiller Park, Ill.,
Mohawk manufactures precision springs, wire forms,
and rings for a broad and varied base of over 300 unique
customers. The main industries served by Mohawk include
heating, cryogenics, hydraulics, electrical distribution,
ir rigation, computer technology, home applia nce,
construction equipment, medical devices, and aerospace.
The company’s products are used as components for both
consumer end users and industrial applications. Typical
end products include valves, regulators, coupling devices,
pumps, door mechanisms, and electronic assemblies.
Mohawk is ISO-9001 certified.
Bill Marcum, CEO of MW Industries, said: “Mohawk
has shown strong performance with an ability to maintain
and build on long-standing customer relationships.
We share the same strategic vision as the Mohawk
management team and now, as part of the MW family, we
believe we can help build on the company’s established
brand to develop new accounts within high growth
industry sectors, as well as provide additional products
to existing customers.”
Global Highlights
Marcum added that the company has completed
five acquisitions in the last two years and is currently
evaluating a number of additional strategic acquisitions
from its robust pipeline.
Connecticut Spring & Stamping (CSS), a manufacturer
of precision parts for the medical, aerospace, firearms
and defense industries worldwide, announced that it
has developed its own in-house apprenticeship program
to train enough skilled workers to meet its capacity and
continue to grow the company. Tailored to the skill sets
required for tool and diemakers and various spring coiler
setup operations, CSS’s program replaces formerly statefunded training for skilled manufacturing workers. A
diverse group of 11 people are currently enrolled in the
program, including five minorities and two women.
CSS’s in-house apprenticeship program was created to
meet the need for workers for the company’s rapid growth
rate, which is running at 20 to 30 percent, year over year.
The program includes specific tracks for CNC production
set-up, press and fourslide diemakers, stamping press
set-up operator, fourslide set-up operator, and heat set
set-up operator. To fund the program,
CSS takes full advantage of available
grants, including the Connecticut
Department of Labor's 21st Century
Skills Training Program and the
Advance Training Grant Program.
Under the direction of a qualified
training instructor and using the
same guidelines established by the
state apprenticeship program for
becoming a certified skilled worker in
Connecticut, apprentices are trained
in tasks assigned to each competency
(basic, intermediate, and advanced)
for each position. After successfully
completing each competency, the
apprentice receives an increase in
compensation.
"Well-paid manufacturing jobs
requiring manual skills are out there,
and as the skilled workforce ages, it
is becoming more and more difficult
to fill critical positions with trained
employees," says Kathy Bellemare,
director of human resources at CSS.
"What training exists has a nearexclusive focus on non-manufacturing
skills. While we are extremely proud
of the program we have developed,
we still hold out hope that technical
institutions and local community
colleges will step up to fill the void
by establishing training programs
and internships to meet the needs of
manufacturers."
For further information, please visit
www.ctspring.com or call 860-677-1341.
Anchor Lamina America, Inc.
announced the hiring of Michael
Purchase as president of the company,
a nd Ted Ph illips a s d i rec tor of
business development.
Global Highlights
Previously, Hahn held a die process engineering
position with ThyssenKrupp Budd (Troy, Mich.) for eight
years. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Hahn
holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, in
addition to his license as a professional engineer in the
state of Michigan.
Based out of the company’s Farmington Hills, Mich.
headquarters, Purchase will oversee operations in the
U.S. and China and lead the company’s foray into new
global business opportunities. Bringing with him a diverse
background in the metal machinery and components
industries, he most recently served as president of Kaydon
Corporation’s Specialty Products Group, with operations
in North America and Japan. Purchase holds a bachelor
of science in mechanical engineering from the University
of Michigan and a master of science in engineering and
manufacturing administration from Western Michigan
University.
Phillips is responsible for sales in Michigan and all
U.S. regions east of Michigan. He will be instrumental
in strengthening customer coverage for this region and
growing sales for the component brands of Danly, IEM,
Lamina and Lempco. Phillips brings with him a long
history in the industrial distribution industry and most
recently served as vice president of sales for Paragon
Technologies (Warren, Mich.). Phillips holds both an
MBA from Madonna University and a bachelor’s degree in
business administration from Eastern Michigan University.
Also at Anchor Lamina America, Inc., Donald L.
Hahn, P.E. has been promoted to the position of senior
engineering manager. Hahn, who most recently served
as components technology manager for the Lamina
Hydraulics line at Anchor Lamina, has more than eight
years’ experience with the company and the metal forming
industry. Hahn will lead the company in the development
of new products and will also oversee improvements to
its current product offering, contributing to the overall
success of both the company and its customers globally.
™
ISO 9001 REGISTERED
el
Donald Hahn, P.E.
HSM, the new name of Hickory Springs, has named
Gregg Greulich corporate vice president of innovation
and technology.
Responsible for developing a vision for the growing
engineering and resea rch and development tea m,
Greulich will use his leadership and management skills
to help ensure the execution of strategic goals, including
the development of a portfolio of integrated products
across the company’s Transportation Solutions, Bedding
Solutions, Furniture Solutions and Diversified Solutions
business units.
“Welcoming Gregg to our team is the next step in our
efforts to build out our engineering and research and
development capabilities,” said Dwayne Welch, executive
vice president, chief marketing and innovation officer.
“Last year, we opened the Corporate Innovation and
Research Center, which provides a setting for customers
and vendors to work collaboratively on new products,
programs and services while enabling HSM to leverage
ual
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Global Highlights
Gregg Greulich
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and market demands.
“Today, the outstanding qualities and experience Gregg
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supporting our transition from a components manufacturer
to an integrated solutions provider.”
Greulich comes to HSM with 12 years of management
exper ience i n t he engi neer i ng a nd resea rch a nd
development arena. Prior to joining HSM, he held
the position of senior director, engineering, tooling
and program management at Evenflo Company, Inc.,
Miamisburg, Ohio, and served on a global management
team with direct organizational leadership responsibility
for infant care durable product programs. His resume also
includes management positions with Sunbeam Products,
Inc., Maytag Corporation and Whirlpool Corporation.
Greulich ea r ned a bachelor of science deg ree
in mechanical engineering from the University of
Evansville, Evansville, Ind. He also holds a master of
business administration degree, earned through work
at the University of Evansville and the University of
Transylvania, Xavier, Lexington, Ky.
To learn more about HSM, visit the company’s website
at www.hsmsolutions.com.
Mount Joy Wire is excited to announce the addition of
25-year wire manufacturing veteran and Six Sigma Green
Belt John Schleicher as the new director of technical
services for the company.
In this crucial role, Schleicher
will manage and develop quality and
process improvements for Mount Joy
Wire's growing global business. It is
an excellent opportunity for him to
apply nearly three decades of shop floor
engineering experience and help grow
the Mount Joy brand.
Schleicher is known in the industry from his years
in operations and engineering at New York Wire and
Teledyne McKay, both located in York, Pa. Schleicher has
a B.S. in industrial and manufacturing engineering from
Penn State, an M.S. in technology management from the
University of Maryland and holds a quality management
and methods certificate from Penn State and is a certified
Six Sigma Green Belt.
Tom Duff, CEO and president of Mount Joy Wire, says
of Schleicher, “We are excited to have John joining the
Mount Joy Wire team. His experience in quality and process
improvements is a perfect fit with our strategic initiatives.”
Timothy W. Selhorst, president and chief executive
officer for American Spring Wire Corporation (ASW),
announced the promotion of Jim Rudolph to vice president
and general sales manager. In this capacity, Rudolph
oversees the sales of all of ASW products including valve
spring wire, commercial spring wire, shapes and flats, and
Global Highlights
PC Strand. Jim now directs ASW’s sales service, technical
service, and production planning responsibilities.
“Throughout Jim’s 15 years of service to ASW, he
has brought great energy and success to each of his
assignments. Early on, he led the commercial spring wire
team to achieve new record levels of shipments. He spent
five years building the sales team at J&L Wire, and initiated
the platform of sales that has led to that company’s
continued success. Most recently, and while overseeing
our PC Strand sales, Jim re-engaged in our spring wire
selling efforts to shore up our market share in these key
product segments. I look forward to
seeing Jim’s impact on Valve Spring
Wire and ASW’s other specialty wire
items,” commented Selhorst.
Vulcan Spring and Manufacturing
Co. has made their website mobile
device friendly for all smartphones
a nd tablet s. Visitors ca n obta i n
product information easily through
the website, contact Vulcan’s product
specialists, and even purchase stock
spring products on the go.
Vulcan Spring and Manufacturing
C o. i s a le ad i n g de s i g n e r a nd
manufacturer of flat steel springs and
related assemblies for diverse global
markets. The mobile and tablet friendly
version of the Vulcan Spring website
is available 24 hours a day, seven days
a week, and is compatible with any
platform, including iPhones, iPads
(iOS) and Android operating systems.
C at h e r i n e Ty g e r, m a rk e t i n g
coordinator for Vulcan, states, “Just
launch your browser on your smart
phone or tablet a nd enter w w w.
vulcanspring.com in the address bar.
You can also use your search engine
by typing in Vulcan Spring to get
access; it’s that easy!” Tyger continues,
“By using a responsive design, the
information you see on your mobile
device carries over from our website.
This ensures you will see up to date
information at all times.” The site
also offers helpful videos which can
be viewed on mobile devices.
I n add it ion to c u stom pa r t s,
Vulcan offers stock springs for express
order, which can now be purchased
through a phone or tablet. When further
information is desired, you can fill
out the contact form or simply touch
the “click to call” phone
number to dial Vulcan
Spring directly.
Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s it w w w.
v ulca nspring.com;
contact t he compa ny
at sales@vulcanspring.
com, or call 215-721-1721.
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Global Highlights
Jim Zawacki,
the chairman of GR
Spring & Stamping
I nc. (GR S & S) i n
Grand Rapids, Mich.,
has published a new
book with Don Klein.
“Mov i n g For w a r d”
takes readers through
t he ins a nd outs of
running a profitable
business in the new
economic times.
The book is
available on Amazon.
com for $18.99 a nd
the Kindle version is
$14.99. According to
the book’s description at Amazon.com, “Their words of
advice come from hands on experience and are essential
to anyone who is ready to roll up their sleeves and get on
track for success. The dialogue and humor will have you
laughing as these two, through their years of experience
in manufacturing, share their ideas and offer valuable
insights learned throughout the years.”
This is the third book that Zawacki and Klein have
published. The authors first book, “It’s Not Magic,” was
a novel written about GRS&S after the purchase in 1985.
Magic Inc. is the name of the company in the novel
published by MSU Press in 1998. A companion piece,
“It’s Not Magic Workbook,” was published at same time.
Zawacki says the workbook shows how to accomplish
some of the successes described in “It’s Not Magic.”
Zawacki says, “‘Moving Forward’ is a sequel to ‘It’s Not
Magic’ showing what happened to Magic Inc. in the last 15
years since the first book was published.” Inserted in the
chapters are the views, comments, and recommendations
of the authors about what's happening in our society today.
International
Specialist wire manufacturing company Alloy Wire
International has recently achieved certification to the
prestigious and demanding ‘Aviation, Space & Defense’
Quality Management Standard AS 9100.
The announcement comes following completion of
a project conducted in conjunction with Kidderminster
based consultancy Initiative Quality and Safety Limited,
resulting in Alloy Wire’s certification with UKAS
accredited certification body, SGS.
Founded in 1946, Alloy Wire International is a world
leader in the manufacture of precision drawn round wire,
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Global Highlights
Mark Thompson, and Alloy Wire International’s technical
director Pete Lambe.
Thompson stated, “Certification to AS 9100 offers
an excellent way of demonstrating a firm commitment
to a company’s pursuit for continual improvement and
excellence in the Aviation, Space & Defence sector.” Alloy
Wire’s managing director Mark Venables added: “We have
a lean and user-friendly business management system that
is simple and very easy to follow, enabling us to manage
the business in a more effective, consistent and pro-active
manner. We are proud to be one of just 15,000 worldwide
with this approval.”
Japan Society of Spring Engineers (JSSE) held its
semiannual lecture meeting, including a poster session,
and annual general meeting at Tokyo Denki University
in Tokyo on June 6. Eight lectures and one special
lecture were presented to 157 attendees in a hall on the
Tokyo Senju Campus of Tokyo Denki University. The
opening speech was presented by Dr. Toshio Hamano,
a vice-chairperson of JSSE in charge of general affairs
and a managing officer of NHK Spring Co., Ltd. The
special lecture, entitled “The Front Lines of Ultrasonic
Non-destructive Inspection and Materials Evaluation,”
was presented by Dr. Koichiro Kawashima of Materials
Diagnostics Laboratory.
Five technical posters were displayed in another hall
on the same campus. A brief explanation was given by
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Global Highlights
a representative for each of the posters on the speaker’s
platform followed by question and answer sessions at the
posters. The top two posters were selected based on the
participants’ vote. The first place poster, Making Surface
Defects of High Strength Steel Harmless by Shotpeening—
Influence of Crack Shape, was from Makiko Nakagawa of
Yokohama National University, et al. The second place
poster, Application of Coil Springs to Medical Equipment—
Embolization Coil, was created by Shuji Isozaki of Piolax
Medical Devices, Inc.
Five certificates of Spring Technological Heritage
were presented to four spring manufacturers to express
JSSE’s appreciation for their preservation of machines of
historical value.
The annual general meeting was held following the
lecture meeting in a conference room on the same campus.
The meeting was led by Mr. Sugawara, a trustee of JSSE in
charge of general affairs and a general manager of Horikiri
Inc. During the meeting five proposals, including the
biannual re-election of trustees, were approved.
At the post-meeting reception, Dr. Motoaki Osawa, a
vice-chairperson of JSSE in charge of publication and a
professor of Tokyo Denki University, made the opening
speech, followed by guest speaker Kanji Inoue, the executive
director of Japan Spring Manufacturers Association.
Nineteen participants gathered near JR Tokyo Station
early on June 7 and visited the National Astronomical
Observatory of Japan Mitaka Campus and the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency Chofu Aerospace Center. Q
Top: JSSE presented five certificates to four spring manufacturers in
appreciation for preservation of machines of historical value. Lower
left: Dr. Motoaki Osawa of Tokyo Denki University speaks at the reception. Lower right: Presentation of a technical poster at the meeting.
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Regional Spring
Association Report
Pittsburgh-Ohio Region Meets
By Russ Bryer, Spring Team, Inc.
I n a n ef for t to r ev ive SM I’s
Pittsburgh-Ohio region, a group of
springmakers met on June 26 at the
Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI)
in Youngstown, Ohio. Representatives
of the following companies attended:
Ace Wi re Spring, AM W Spring,
Diamond Wire Spring, Elyria Spring,
Marik Spring, Penn-Elkco Spring,
Spring Team, and Yost Superior.
Chris Fazio from Diamond Wire
and Greg Bedrick from Marik Spring
agreed to assume leadership of the
chapter and will plan our next meeting.
After the meeting, the group toured
the National Additive Manufacturing
Innovation Institute (NAMII), which
is a public-private partnership with
member organizations from industry,
academia, government, and workforce
development resources all collaborating
with a singular, shared vision.
NAMII’s goal is to t ra nsition
additive manufacturing technology to
the mainstream U.S. manufacturing
s e c t o r a nd c r e at e a n ad apt ive
work for c e c ap a ble of not on ly
meeting industry needs, but also
increasing domestic manufacturing
competitiveness.
NAMII is organized and managed
by the National Center for Defense
M a nu f ac t u r i ng a nd M ac h i n i ng
(NCDMM), which brings a background
s t e e p e d i n e x p e r ie n c e w it h i n
the defense, additive, and general
manufacturing industries and a proven
track record of developing and deploying
manufacturing innovation. NAMII is a
national asset significantly different
than traditional research institutes.
Based in Youngstown, NAMII is
built upon an extensive network of
additive manufacturing technical
expertise surrounding a regional
manufacturing cluster within the
eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania
and West Virginia “Tech Belt” region.
We had a comprehensive overview
a nd tou r of 3D m a nu f ac t u r i n g
m ac h i nes i n va r iou s m ater ia l s
including 302 stainless by Kevin
Collier, the NAMII factory manager.
Most of us were only familiar with 3D
modeling plastic and composites, but
not metals. The world of prototyping
will never be the same.
WCSMA Will Hold Bi-annual Tabletop Expo
By Debra Donley, FTR Metals and
WCSMA Past Chairman
Members of the West Coast Spring
Manufacturers Association (WCSMA)
had an excellent time August 3 at
our annual, sold out Angels game
outing. In addition to watching the
Angels win, members enjoyed a huge
tailgating party in the parking lot
before the game! The WCSMA would
like to thank Newcomb Spring and
Tru-Form for providing the fabulous
food and drink for this event.
Next on our agenda is the bi-annual
Tabletop Expo on Thursday, October
24 at the Holiday Inn in La Mirada,
Calif. With an eclectic mix of vendors
who supply products, materials,
equipment and services, this is a
must-attend trade show for everyone
in the spring manufacturing and
metal forming industries. There is no
need for attendees to pre-register and
admission is free. Come enjoy free
hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and great
door prizes.
We h ave a n e xc it i n g l i s t of
exhibitors already signed up and
are still accepting applications for
more. For additional information,
event flyers and exhibitor registration
forms, please visit www.wcsma.us.
O u r f i n a l event of t he ye a r
will be ou r fall golf outing a nd
dinner at Skylinks in Long Beach
on Thursday, November 14. We are
looking forward to a fun day of golf
at this new venue and will once
again feature a comedian at dinner
to entertain everyone. Non-golfers
are welcome and encouraged to join
us for cocktails and dinner. This is
one of the WCSMA’s most popular
outings, so mark your calendars, dust
off your golf shoes and get ready to
have a great time.
For more information, visit the
WCSMA Facebook page or www.
wcsma.us.
CASMI Awards Scholarships
The C h ic a go A s so c i at ion of
Spring Manufacturers (CASMI) has
a n nou nced its 2013 schola rship
class. Family members of CASMI
company employees competed for
16 schola rships in 2013. Fif teen
undergraduate scholarships of $1,500
each and one $2,500 graduate school
scholarship were awarded to the
following students.
Scholarship applications for 2014
will be available in February 2014.
CASMI’s next event will take place
on Thursday, October 17 at Manzo’s
Ba nquet s i n A rli ng ton Heig ht s,
Ill. The association will hold its
“SpringWorld 2014 Kick Off” dinner.
CASMI will close out the year with
its member dinner/holiday party on
Thursday, December 12 at The Great
Escape in Schiller Park, Ill.
For more information, visit www.
casmi-springworld.org.
$1,500 CASMI Undergraduate Scholarship Winners
Student Name
Lizbeth Arreola
Daniel Milewski
Daniel Kinderman
Carol Chang
Emily Lenczowski
Monika Morawa
Lukasz Los
Katherine Harper
Augustus Lukens
Zac Campbell
Erinn Komschlies
Brian Kahn
Anthony Iuliano
Evan Kuhl
Aashutos Patel
Employee Name
Rafael Arreola
Janusz Milewski
Thomas Kinderman
Der-Form Chang
Zak Lenczowski
Wally Morawa
Pawel Los
John Harper
Cathleen Lukens
Randy Campbell
Donn Komschlies
David Kahn
Anthony and Mary Iuliano
Kevin Kuhl
Bharti Patel
Company Name
All-Rite Industries
All-Rite Industries
Associated Spring
Automatic Spring Coiling
Dudek & Bock Spring Company
Dudek & Bock Spring Mfg.
Excel Spring
Gall Machine Company
Midwest Spring and Stamping
Oshkosh Coil Spring, Inc.
Oshkosh Coil Spring, Inc.
Perfection Spring & Stamping
Rapid Wire Forms
Rockford Spring Company
Termax Corporation
$2,500 Terry & Jerry Reese Post-Graduate Scholarship Winner
Student Name
Amanda Iuliano
Employee Name
Anthony and Mary Iuliano
Company Name
Rapid Wire Forms
Stainless Steels, Nickel Bases,
Copper Bases, Carbon Steels,
and Aluminum
50 McDermott Rd. North Haven, CT 06473
unitedwirecompany.com 800.840.9481
Regional Spring Association Report
NESMA Continues to Lead on Manufacturing Education
By Ted White, Hardware Products
Recent NESMA a r ticles have talked about t he
association's efforts to coordinate several disjointed
prog ra ms to promote tech n ica l educat ion i n t he
Connecticut school systems. We have enjoyed a modicum
of success in these efforts, and now it would appear as
though the original effort has blossomed into a more
formidable challenge.
Recently Michael Brault, NESMA board member and
vice president of Ultimate Wire Forms in Bristol, Conn.,
has been appointed by the mayor of Bristol to the “Task
Force on Jobs Creation.” Michael, a driving force in
technical educational coordination, has now added jobs
creation to his list of volunteer activities.
Michael will serve on the task force as the NESMA
representative with members from Main St. Community
Foundation, Capital Workforce partners, Army Strong,
and the superintendents of education. The goal will be
to form a technical advisory committee from this group,
along with guidance counselors, school administrators,
and local business leaders.
Once t he task force has been
formed, one of its goals is to convince
business to take ownership of the
aging work force. Government and
education simply cannot solve the
issue in today's environment. The two
biggest obstacles it must overcome is
the so called "conventional wisdom"
within the educational system: 1) high
Michael Brault
school education should be singularly
focused on college preparatory and 2) parental influence
on their children that manufacturing is a dead end.
As an item in “Global Highlights” (see page 8) on
Connecticut Spring & Stamping illustrates, the need for
a younger generation of springmakers is so great that
several companies are either instituting or re-instituting
an apprenticeship type program for spring manufacturing.
The techniques will be very different than before. My own
(very limited) understanding of setting up a mechanical
coiler was that it was as much an art form as it was science.
Now with the CNC operating systems, machine set up
has migrated from an art form to more of an objectively
calibrated approach. That is not to say that intellect and
creativity are not still important, but now those valuable
attributes can be saved electronically and then reproduced
the next time that particular spring is needed.
The task force and the technical advisory committee
will focus on updating technical school curricula so
that it meets the current needs of the local and regional
businesses.
All of this does not mean that NESMA is moving
on and leaving education coordination behind. On the
contrary, many of the other board members and the Central
Connecticut Chamber of Commerce are still very active
in these efforts.
As a matter of fact, it would appear as though NESMA
is becoming more of a force in this regard. NESMA is
grateful to the principal of Bristol Tech, Joyce Mowrey,
and manufacturing coordinator Ben Russell, for taking
us under their wing and counseling us on the challenges
and rewards of technical education.
Now more than ever, NESMA desires to work with
its education and employment partners to coordinate
and create an environment inside of Connecticut where
manufacturing and technical education can return to their
appropriate and vital positions. Q
Be Aware Safety Tips
,
Don t Let Your Job Grind to a Halt
By Jim Wood
©iStockphoto.com/GlenJ
G
r i nders i n t he spr i ng
indust r y ca n be a n
indispensable tool, but
they can also be dangerous.
Large production grinders
u sed to g r i nd spr i ngs a r e
u su a l ly wel l g ua rded a nd
op e r at e d by e x p e r ie n c e d,
trained personnel, but small
pedestal and bench grinders are
often overlooked as a potential
serious hazard. Careless use
of these machines can cause
serious injury to eyes, fingers,
hands and arms. Take the time
to prevent grinder injuries
by following a few safe work
practices.
The Ring Test
A defec t ive or c r ac ked
grinding wheel will break if it is used. Prevent this
hazard by testing a new wheel when it is unpacked and
each time it is mounted. The same goes for discs. Suspend
lightweight wheels from the hole with your finger or small
wooden dowel. Set heavier wheels vertically on a hard
floor. Then tap the "tap point," one or two inches from
the outer edge and 45 degrees from the vertical center
line. Tap a light grinding wheel with a light tool such as
a screwdriver handle and a heavy wheel with a mallet.
If the wheel or disc is in good condition, you will hear a
clear metallic ring.
Prevention Inspections
Inspect grinding machines daily to make sure the
spindle cover and tongue guards are in place and properly
aligned so that they are not in contact with the wheel.
Set the tongue guards 1/4-inch or less from the wheel. If
the grinder is equipped with a glass shield, make certain
it's clean, unscored and in place. Also make sure that the
grinder frame is mounted securely and doesn't vibrate
during operation and that the speed is correct for the wheel
being used. Bench and pedestal grinders should always
be mounted to a solid, secure surface.
The work rest should be securely clamped and
positioned within 1/8-inch of the wheel with its height on
the horizontal center line of the machine spindle. Never
adjust the work rest when the machine is running; you
could catch a finger between the rest and the wheel, or the
rest could bump the wheel causing it to break. The clamp
that holds the work rest should always be tight.
Jim Wood is an independent regulations
compliance consultant to the Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI). A certified instructor of
the OSHA Out-Reach Program, Wood conducts
seminars, plant Safety Audits and In-House
Safety Trainings. These programs help companies create safer work environments, limit
OSHA/Canadian Ministry of Labor violations
and insurance costs, and prepare for VPP or
SHARP certification. He is also available for
safety advice and information by phone at
630-495-8588 or via e-mail at [email protected].
When You Work
Follow these safe work practices and make them part
of the operator routine.
• Always wear a face shield, goggles or safety glasses
to protect eyes from flying particles. (This is
especially important when using wire brush wheels,
as wire tends to break off.)
• Never wear gloves when using polishing or buffing
wheels. A glove can catch in the machine and drag
your hand against the wheel. Use a jig or fixture to
hold small items, never use bare hands.
• Hold material with a relaxed grip to prevent vibration.
• Never remove guards or guard fasteners.
• Don't touch any moving parts.
• Operate within the manufacturers recommended
speeds. Never try to alter the machine or its
wheel speed.
• Have rutted, uneven or rough wheels dressed
immediately to smooth out the wheel surface.
• When using a wet grinder, make sure that the floor
is rough and shoes are slip resistant to prevent slips
and falls.
• All dry grinders must be equipped with a dust
collecting exhaust system.
Jim’s Regulatory Tip:
As previously reported in the Summer 2012 issue
of Springs, OSHA revised its Hazard Communication
Standard (HCS) to align with the United Nations' Globally
Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of
Chemicals (GHS). The first compliance date of the revised
HCS is December 1, 2013. By that time, employers need to
have trained their workers on the new label elements and
the new Safety Data Sheet (SDS) format. Q
IST Spring Technology
Cautionary Tale:
Heat Treatment Oxide
By Mark Hayes
D
uring a recent IST training course in China, a
delegate asked many questions about the changing
color of 302 stainless steel spring wire during spring
production at his factory. This prompted another delegate
to ask about the colors arising during the manufacture of
springs made from music wire. This is not the first time
that such questions have been asked, so it seems to be a
good subject for a cautionary tale. The first point to note
is that the color changes in both materials have the same
root cause, but the colors are not real - they are merely a
trick of light.
Whenever steel is exposed to temperatures above
ambient, the oxygen in air reacts with the steel surface
and an oxide will grow. Steel will always have oxide
on its surface because it will form naturally at ambient
temperatures, but that oxide is much too thin (measured
in nanometers) to be seen.
I ndeed, t he ex istence of t his ox ide is seldom
acknowledged for carbon steel in most texts, but rest assured
it is there. Stainless steel is assumed to have a chromium
oxide on its surface, and this explains why it does not go
rusty. The surface of both carbon steel and stainless steel
oxidizes in air to form an oxide that confers corrosion
resistance, and this brings the first cautionary aspect to
this tale. Oxidation and corrosion are separate phenomena,
but they are frequently confused. A quick Internet search
for “oxidation of steel” will bring up many articles on
corrosion, a few articles on high temperature oxidation, but
almost none on ambient temperature oxidation.
The main oxides of iron are Fe2O3 or FeO, which
are said to be respectively red or black in color and this
is true when the oxide is micrometers thick. However,
the oxide which forms on a bare steel surface in air is
nanometers thick and is, to all intents and purposes,
colorless and translucent. This very thin oxide confers
corrosion resistance and, as springmakers already know,
steel springs do not generally go rusty red in their factory
despite having no protection from oil at various stages
of manufacture. We will talk more about this later. The
formulas for rust (Fe2O3·nH2O and FeO(OH)·Fe(OH)3)
contain H because rust occurs due to the reaction of oxygen
and water with a spring surface.
The nanometer thick oxide formed on bare steel
surfaces is colorless and so cannot be seen on carbon or
stainless steel. However, most carbon steel springs are heat
treated in air at 390-660°F (200-350°C) after coiling, and
this will cause the oxide to grow thicker. At 435°F (225°C)
the oxide is thick enough to refract the yellow part of
incoming white light, so the springs appear to turn yellow.
However, carbon spring steel wire often has a phosphate
coating with some soap and, as the surface is quite black
prior to heat treatment, the yellow color is not usually
apparent unless the wire surface is particularly bright. At
525°F (275°C) the oxide is thick enough to refract another
part of incoming white light, so the springs appear to be
blue if the original black wire surface permits. So, the
heat treatment colors are a trick of light as the translucent
oxide refracts incoming light rather than actually coloring
the steel surface.
The oxide colors are more readily seen after spring
end grinding. A yellow color indicates that the grinding
did not heat up the ground end excessively, and the same
Mark Hayes is technical advisor to the Institute
of Spring Technology (IST) in Sheffield,
England. He is also the principal trainer for
the spring training courses that the Institute
offers globally. Readers are encouraged to
contact IST at [email protected] with comments
about this cautionary tale, and with subjects
that they would like to be addressed in
future tales.
join the best
7 – 11 April 2014
Düsseldorf, Germany
International Wire and Cable Trade Fair
Meeting point: wire 2014 in Düsseldorf!
Join the best – welcome to the world’s leading
trade fair for the wire and cable industry! To find
comprehensive information about the latest innovations
in wires and cables, manufacturing machinery and
equipment, look no further! It is all on display at the
world’s most important exhibition – the meeting point
for international experts, specialists and global market
leaders. A focal point at wire 2014: The growing
importance of copper wires in automotive engineering,
telecommunications and electronics.
An important date in your calendar – your visit to wire
2014 in Düsseldorf!
www.wire.de
Wire, Cable,
Fibre Optic,
Wire Products
and Machinery
Spring
Making
Fastener
Technology
Mesh Welding
Machinery
For show information: Messe Düsseldorf North America
150 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 2920 _ Chicago, IL 60601
Tel. (312) 781-5180 _ Fax (312) 781-5188
[email protected] _ www.mdna.com
For hotel and travel arrangements: TTI Travel, Inc.
Tel. (866) 674-3476 _ Fax (212) 674-3477
can be said if the end coil goes light blue. However, the
grinding may have been abusive if the color was dark blue
or black; these colors can be used as a simple but effective
quality control check for the grinding process.
If carbon or silicon chromium spring steel is shot
peened, it is common practice to apply a low temperature
heat treatment (or warm prestress) afterwards in order
to recover the relaxation resistance, which is adversely
affected by shot peening. The shot peening removes any
oxide from previous processes and leaves the spring
surface bright but vulnerable to corrosion. The oxide will
grow back at ambient temperature but, in conditions of
100 percent humidity, rust may form prior to the oxide.
In tropical or monsoon-affected countries, springs can be
seen to go rusty red soon after they emerge from the peener.
As a result, it is good practice to get freshly peened springs
into an oven as soon as possible, and make that corrosion
resistant oxide grow. Carbon or silicon chromium springs
will go an agreeable yellow color if the heat treatment is
carried out at 435°F (225°C) – a temperature commonly
used for this process.
Up to now it has been stated that the colors on carbon
and low alloy steel and on stainless steel have the same
root cause. This is correct, but the temperature required to
cause 302 stainless steel to go a light yellow color is much
higher than that required for carbon steel. The yellow
color is just visible if the heat treatment temperature after
coiling is 660°F (350°C), and spring manufacturers often
limit the stress relieving to this temperature so as to avoid
the darker yellows that would appear at 750-840°F (400450°C). However, many customers frequently say that they
don’t want to receive yellow springs – and this is despite
the fact that heat treating stainless steel compression
springs at higher temperatures than 660°F (350°C) will
improve their relaxation and fatigue performance. If good
performance is required and an absence of the yellow
color, then springmakers should employ a pickle and
passivate process after heat treatment. The first (pickle)
removes the oxide which is causing the yellow color, while
the second (passivate) puts in place a very thin, adherent
oxide that is too thin to give the yellow color but has
excellent corrosion resistance.
The moral of this cautionary tale is that the thin oxide
on spring steel is beneficial and the apparent colors formed
can be used as a simple quality control tool in production. Q
For over 25 years, Zapp has been providing
the spring industry with the highest quality,
best performing products which far exceed
the industry standards. Our state-of-the-art
mill facility located in Dartmouth,
Massachusetts, offers a convenient supply
chain that insures continuity and reliability.
At Zapp, no matter how we slice it, our
precision quality and outstanding customer
service always shine through.
East Coast Service Center, 100 Benton St., Stratford, CT 06615
Tel 203.386.0038 Fax 203.502.6681 www.zapp.com
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksgGN8Gtt2g,
or simply scan QR code to view.
Technical Times
Shot Peening Related Spring Failures
By John "Jack" Sujak
T
he benefits of shot peening springs are well known.
The impact of the shot onto a spring’s metal surface
causes multiple dents in the material. The dents
affect the metal by creating a layer of compressive stresses
within the material. These compressive stresses impart
the main benefit of increasing the resistance to fatigue
failures since a tensile stress from an applied load would
have to exceed the compressive stress at the surface before
becoming strictly tensile.
A secondary benefit is the resistance to stress corrosion.
For stress corrosion to occur, three requirements need to be
met; a corrosive agent and a susceptible material under a
tensile stress. The formation of the compressive stresses at
the surface then negates the presence of the tensile stresses,
thereby leaving only two of the three requirements.
Coverage and intensity are the two factors by which
shot peening is measured. Coverage is the measure of how
completely a surface is impacted with the shot and can
be measured visually or indirectly. In order to achieve
the benefits mentioned above, a surface requires as close
to 100 percent coverage as possible. This can lead to
excessive, or over-shot peening, in order to achieve as close
to 100 percent coverage. Intensity encompasses numerous
variables such as velocity, size, weight and hardness of
the shot. If any of these are not closely monitored during
the processing step, not only will the effectiveness of the
shot peening be reduced, there is a possibility they can
detrimentally affect the surface of the spring as well.
In a review of failed springs sent to the Exova-Glendale
Heights lab over past few years, failures related to overpeening or using too high a shot velocity was found in three
instances. This indicates shot peening related spring failures
to be relatively uncommon. In the three instances no other
material defects were revealed during the investigations.
Two of the three cases will be discussed here.
The first instance was a torsion spring of square wire
that failed after 70k cycles instead of the expected 200k
cycles. Visual examination revealed the spring surface
to have an orange peel texture but no signs of wear at the
ID, indicating a lack of support at the ID. The hardness
was checked and averaged 47 HRC indicating the spring
was properly heat treated. A section of the spring with
Figure 1. SEM image of fracture origin on torsion spring of square wire.
Figure 2. SEM image of the side view of the fractured spring showing
apparent dents on the corner.
the fracture surface was placed in the scanning electron
microscope (SEM) for examination and the fracture origin
was determined to be at the corner of the wire (Figure 1).
John “Jack” Sujak is a metallurgical engineer
at Exova in Glendale Heights, Ill. He is
responsible for conducting failure and root
cause analyses as well as reviewing standard
metallurgical engineering work. His eight
years of experience in the metallurgical field
also includes prior work at a metal packaging
company and at a commercial heat-treater. He
can be reached at 630-221-0385, ext. 76223
or email [email protected].
Figure 3. Optical micrograph displaying a white layer of untempered
adiabatic martensite and crack resulting from the peening operation.
Rotating the fractured spring in the SEM to view the side
of the spring showed dents apparent on the corner (Figure 2).
A metallographic cross-section was taken in the
transverse direction parallel to the fracture surface and
examined using an optical microscope. There was no
partial or complete decarburization visible in the examined
cross-section. Upon etching, a white layer of untempered
adiabatic martensite was observed at the wire corner (Figure
3). Due to the brittle nature of this white layer compared
to surrounding tempered martensite, the presence of it
creates a stress riser for fatigue to initiate upon loading.
Figure 4. SEM image of the fracture origin at the ID of a compression
spring.
Here, a crack is visible between the white layer and the
surrounding tempered martensite. Also visible are multiple
small pieces of spring material that have separated from the
spring resulting from the peening operation.
The second instance involved a prematurely fractured
compression spring. Following removal of the black coating
from the spring surface, a section of the spring containing
the fracture surface was placed in the SEM for examination.
The fracture origin was determined to be at the inner
diameter (ID) of the spring (Figure 4). This is a typical
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Figure 5. Closer SEM image of the spring surface showing multiple
mechanical dents in line with the fracture origin.
location for fractures to initiate on a compression spring,
as this is where the operational stresses are at a maximum.
Closer examination of the ID surface of the spring
showed numerous mechanical impressions in line with
the fracture origin (Figure 5).
Hardness testing on a transverse section of the spring
indicated an average hardness of 53 HRC, indicating
proper heat treatment. As in the previous instance, a
cut was made on the fractured spring section adjacent
to the fracture surface and the cut section mounted and
polished. The cross-section was etched and then examined
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Figure 6. Optical micrograph showing the white layer of untempered
adiabatic martensite at a mechanical impression on the ID.
using an optical microscope. No partial or complete
decarburization was apparent on the cross-section. A
white layer of untempered adiabatic martensite was
observed at one of the mechanical impressions at the ID
(Figure 6). The combination of the untempered martensite
in the white layer resulting from the shot peening dents
at ID, where the operational stresses are at a maximum,
created the stress riser that eventually led to failure. Q
Reference: Metals Handbook, Vol. 5, Ninth Edition,
American Society for Metals, Metals Park, Ohio, 1982.
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By Gary McCoy
Many things began back in 1933, including the drive-in
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theater — a classic form of American entertainment that
was born in Pennsauken, N.J. Not far away in Buffalo, N.Y.,
another big attraction came to the main stage, the Spring
Manufacturers Association (SMA). SMA got underway
with a dedicated group of charter members (see complete
list on page 30) under the direction of Fuller F. Barnes,
president and James W. Campbell, vice president.
SMA, the fledgling organization, was the direct
result of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA),
which became law in June 1933. Under its provisions,
the National Recovery Administration (NRA) was
established. The NRA instituted industry-wide codes
aimed at eliminating unfair trade practices, reducing
unemployment, establishing minimum wages and
maximum hours, and guaranteeing the right of labor to
collectively bargain. Ultimately, 557 basic codes and
208 supplementary codes were adopted, affecting some
22,000,000 workers. Companies that subscribed to the
NRA codes were allowed to display the "Blue Eagle"
emblem, symbolic of cooperation with the codes.
As part of the NRA process, springmakers met in
groups in New York City and Detroit and in a general
meeting in Buffalo in August 1933. As a result of these
meetings, SMA was formed with Barnes as president
(see original letter from Barnes that was mailed to spring
manufacturers across the country). A committee was
appointed to work out a code for the industry.
With the number of spring plants being relatively
small, compared to industry as a whole, it was finally
necessary to accept a code under which a large number
of industries, similar to the spring group, could operate.
This was known as the Fabricated Metal Products
Manufacturing and Metal Finishing and Metal Coating
Industry. It included about every group unable to have
a code of its own. The code established a 40-hour week
and minimum hourly rates of 40 cents for males and 35
cents for females.
Although the NIRA was declared unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court on May 25, 1935, SMA survived and became
an indispensable part of the precision spring industry.
As part of the NRA process, springmakers
met in groups in New York City and
Detroit and in a general meeting in Buffalo
in August 1933. As a result of these
meetings, SMA was formed with Barnes
as president. A committee was appointed
to work out a code for the industry.
SMA Becomes SMI
Because of the increasing attention and new emphasis
given spring technology by members, at the June 1961
meeting at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs,
Colo., SMA went through a name change and became the
Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI).
According to a story at the time, “Meeting programs
were being devoted more and more to subjects relating to
materials, manufacturing, testing, etc. and more attention
was being given to spring standards and spring design.
The term ‘Institute’ it was felt, would more aptly describe
the association and the new course of the organization.”
Due to t he increasing tech nica l natu re of t he
organization, in May 1973 a Technical Membership
category was added for manufacturing suppliers to the
industry (see list of original associate members on page 33).
Spring Standards
According to SMA minutes, initial work on Spring
Standards started at a meeting of the Eastern division
of SMA, February 20, 1935, when a formula for figuring
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The following
list contains the
charter members
of SMA. Sixteen of
these companies
are still members
of SMI (highlighted
in bold), with some
now under different
names. Their
current location is
in parentheses.
• ABC Spring Company, New York
• American Coil Spring Company, Muskegon, Mich.
(Hines Corporation as part of Michigan Spring
& Stamping)
• American Spiral Spring and Manufacturing Company,
Pittsburgh
• American Spring and Manufacturing Company, Holly, Mich.
• American Steel & Wire Company, Chicago
• The Wallace Barnes Company, Bristol, Conn.
(Barnes Group Inc./Associated Spring)
• Barnes-Gibson-Raymond, Inc., Detroit
(Barnes Group Inc./Associated Spring)
• California Spring Company, Los Angeles
• Chicago Coil Spring Company, Chicago
• Cleveland Wire Spring Company, Cleveland
• Cuyahoga Spring Company, Cleveland
• Duer Spring & Manufacturing Company,
McKees Rocks, Pa. (Duer/Carolina Coil Inc., Greer S.C.)
• Dunbar Brothers Company, Bristol, Conn.
• Eaton Manufacturing Company, Detroit
• John Evans' Sons, Philadelphia (Lansdale, Pa.)
• Chas. Fischer Spring Company, Brooklyn
• General Spring Company, Cincinnati
• The Wm. D. Gibson Company, Chicago
• Humason Manufacturing Company, Forestville, Conn.
• Hunter Pressed Steel Company, Lansdale, Pa.
• W.B. Jones Spring Company, Cincinnati
• Kline Spring Company, Cleveland
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Fuller F. Barnes,
Associated Spring, leader
in the establishment of
SMA in 1933.
• Kokomo Spring Company, Kokomo, Ind.
(Peterson Spring purchased in 2010 and closed plant)
• Lee Spring Company, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• L H D Spring Corporation, Waltham, Mass.
• F. N. Manross & Sons, Forestville, Conn.
• Midwest Spring Manufacturing Company, Chicago
(Mid-West Spring & Stamping Inc., Romeoville, Ill.)
• Miller & Van Winkle, Inc., Brooklyn
• Muehlhausen Spring Company, Logansport, Ind.
(MW Industries, Rosemont, Ill.)
• New Britain Spring Company, New Britain, Conn.
• Newcomb Spring Company, Brooklyn (Decatur, Ga.)
• Peck Spring Company, Plainville, Conn.
(Part of Economy Spring owned by MW Industries)
• Precision Spring Corporation, Detroit (Peterson Spring)
• Raymond Manufacturing Company, Corry, Pa.
(Barnes Group Inc. /Associated Spring Raymond,
Maumee, Ohio)
• The Timms Spring Company, Elyria, Ohio
• United Spring Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• United States Steel Wire Spring Company, Cleveland
• Washburn Wire Company, New York
• Wickwire-Spencer Steel Company, New York
(W.B. Jones Spring Co. Inc., Wilder, Ky.)
• The Yost Superior Company, Springfield, Ohio
tolerances in springs was presented for consideration. At
the annual meeting of the association held in April 1936
in Cleveland, tolerance charts, specification sheets, a
design chart and data sheet were presented to members for
their comments and suggestions.
Work continued on the development of this material
and, at the annual meeting in 1940 when approval was
voted, it was referred to as the "Standards for Mechanical
Springs" booklet. At the annual meeting in 1947, it was
voted "to enlarge on the present pamphlet, ‘Standards
for Mechanical Springs,’ adding 1941-1943 information
deemed necessary and desirable." Work on the expanded
Standards was completed in 1949 and 26,000 copies were
distributed by the time of the annual meeting in December.
Revisions were made in 1959, 1962 and 1964, and
the entire format was reconstructed in 1968. The SMI
Standards Committee in 1970 prepared a companion
publication, a "Spring Design Handbook."
This brief text of basic material was tailored to be used with
the SMI "Standards for Compression, Extension, Torsion and
Flat Springs." In preparing this design text, the committee kept
in mind its possible use by engineering schools and colleges
and by engineers new in the spring industry.
In 1972, the “Standards Manual and Design Handbook”
were combined into a single publication. The SMI Standards
Committee, under the chairmanship of E. J. Hamilton,
produced a revised “Handbook of Spring Design” in 1977.
This edition offered a large amount of new information,
including vastly expanded tables of properties of spring
materials and design data on three types of springs not
included in the 1972 edition: spiral torsion springs, power
springs, and constant force springs. The handbook was
revised again in 1981 under the guidance of the technology
committee, chaired by Alex Rankin.
The latest edition of the “Handbook of Spring Design”
was updated in 2002.
SMI continues to maintain an extensive library of
references guides and manuals to educate the spring
industry. Available titles include:
• “Fundamentals of Spring Design”
• “Compression, Extension, Torsion and Garter
Springs”
• “Other Springs”
• “Testing and Tolerancing”
• “Encyclopedia of Spring Design” - Includes the
complete set of the above four volumes in one
convenient binder.
• “Handbook of Spring Design”
• “Slide Forming Concepts Manual”
• “Springmaking Concepts Book”
• “Mechanical Springs” by A.M. Wahl
With the advent of computers, SMI has led the way and
is now on version seven of its Advanced Spring Design
software.
Well-Known Speakers
The dress and atmosphere of SMI annual conventions
has changed over the years, but there has always been
an emphasis upon attracting top speakers to address the
membership.
The list of speakers that have appeared before SMI
members is a cornucopia of leaders in business, politics
and sports.
At the celebration of SMI’s 50th anniversary, the
annual meeting was held at the Boca Raton Hotel and Club
in Boca Raton, Florida. A record attendance of 491 was
reported. A session titled “Breakfast with Gale Sayers”
provided SMI members with the chance to hear from the
Hall of Fame Chicago Bears halfback who “presented a
brief film and then discussed motivation, meeting change
in one’s life, and improving productivity and quality.”
Sayers concluded his presentation by noting that, “We
have explored the outer edge of our solar system, but have
yet to master the potential of our people.”
Later in the meeting, former Notre Dame football coach
Ara Parseghian shared his guidelines for success.
Other notable speakers who’ve appeared at SMI
meetings include President Richard M. Nixon at the 31st
annual meeting at the New York Hilton, President Ronald
Reagan (before he was in politics in 1964), Senator Thomas
Dodd, NBC anchor Chet Huntley, New York Giant great
Kyle Rote and Harry Stuhldreher, one of the legendary
“Four Horsemen” of Notre Dame fame.
Right: Original SMI headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
Below: Former SMI past president A.A. Bonde,
Jr., Accurate Spring (center) with William H.
Thompson Jr. and then actor and speaker Ronald
Reagan, who addressed the 1964 SMI summer
meeting at the Del Monte Lodge at Pebble Beach,
California.
Lower Right: Notable speakers have addressed
SMI meetings over the years. Pictured after his
1964 address to the SMI convention (l-to-r) are
then former Vice President Richard M. Nixon and
Harry C. Barnes, Associated Spring.
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In May 1973 a “Technical Membership” for manufacturing suppliers
to the industry was established. SMI now simply calls them Associate
members. The original 26 technical members are listed below and the
companies that are still members of SMI are highlighted in bold. Some
are now under a different name and/or location. Current name and
location is in parentheses.
• American Spring Wire Corporation, Bedford Heights, Ohio
• Associated Spring Corporation, Wallace Barnes Steel Division,
Bristol, Conn.
• Bekaert Steel Wire Corporation, New York
(Bekaert Corporation, Orrville, Ohio)
• Bendix Corporation, Industrial Tools Division, South Beloit, Ill.
• The Carlson Co., Oceanside, New York
• Continental Steel Corporation, Kokomo, Ind.
• AB Garphytte Bruk, Garphyttan, Sweden
(Suzuki Garphyttan Corp., South Bend, Ind.)
• Gavlick Machinery Corporation, Torrington, Conn.
• Gibbs Wire & Steel Company, Southington, Conn.
• Johnson Steel & Wire Company, Worcester, Mass.
• Jones Metal, Inc. (J & S Metals, Inc.), Forestville, Conn.
• Laclede Steel Company, St. Louis Lion Precision Corporation,
Newton, Mass.
• National-Standard Company, Niles, Mich.
• New England High Carbon Wire Corporation, Millbury, Mass.
• Perfection Heat Treating Company, Chicago
• Precision Steel Warehouse, Inc., Franklin Park, Ill.
• Radcliff Wire, Inc., Bristol, Conn.
• Seneca Wire & Manufacturing Company, Fostoria, Ohio
• Sleeper & Hartley Corporation, Worcester, Mass.
• Spring Manufacturers Supply Company, Forestville, Conn.
• Swedish Wire Corporation, Muskegon, Mich.
• Techalloy Company, Inc., Rahns, Pa.
• Teledyne Rodney Metals, New Bedford, Mass.
• Torin Corporation, Torrington, Conn.
(SPX Precision Components, Fenn Division, Newington, Conn.)
• Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc.,
Wallingford, Conn. (North Haven, Conn.)
In the first issue of Springs, Jacobson hailed
the publication as "another step in the
forward march of the spring industry. Directed
primarily to springmakers, we will continue,
through this medium, to bring to members
of our industry the latest developments in
springmaking techniques, materials and good
management practices."
Magazine Starts
Early in 1961, G. Donald Jacobson, then president of
SMI, presented the idea of a magazine published by SMI
and devoted to spring technology and the industry in
general. Following extensive exploration and study over
several months, it was agreed at the annual meeting in
December, 1961 to proceed with the publication. Volume
1, Number 1 of Springs appeared in May 1962 and in that
issue Jacobson hailed the publication as "another step
in the forward march of the spring industry. Directed
primarily to springmakers, we will continue, through this
medium, to bring to members of our industry the latest
developments in springmaking techniques, materials and
good management practices."
In the succeeding years, hundreds of articles tailored
specifically to the needs of the spring industry have
appeared. Springs has become the voice of the industry
and a respected publication with a worldwide readership
of over 10,000.
Professional Staff
When SMA was established the first office was located
in Buffalo, N.Y. In 1934 the office was moved to Bristol and
was run by the leader of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce.
This arrangement continued for many years.
In fact, when George E. Underwood became the
executive of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce he was
also named secretary of SMA. He continued in this dual
role for nearly 20 years.
By 1969, SMI activities had increased to the point where
a full-time executive was required. Underwood assumed
this post and an independent office was established in
Bristol at 24-26 Stearns Street. The association recognized
the ever-increasing scope of Underwood's responsibilities
by electing him executive vice president in 1971.
When he retired in 1973, Springs headlined, "Mr. SMI
Retires," and, regarding his tenure with the association, it
was noted, "The responsibilities and the details that had
to be handled increased immensely but George carried on
so well that most of us just took it for granted that there
would be no difficulties and if there were, that George
would be on hand to straighten them out."
Af ter Underwood retired, SMI was led by F.R.
Downs from 1973 to 1979. Downs helped establish the
organization’s Annual Market Summary (formerly Market
Trend Survey).
Just prior to Downs’ retirement, a decision was made to
move the SMI office to a more centrally located area in the
Above: The first three full-time
executive vice presidents of
SMI (l-to-r): Charles G. Whitechurch, George E. Underwood,
and F.R. Downs Jr.
Right and below: Golf has
always been a part of SMI
conventions.
Opposite page: The first issue of
Springs appeared in May 1962.
winds through these articles is the role that
individual volunteers played in shaping the
organization and an overwhelming optimism
about the future of the spring industry.
In the October 1973 issue of Springs the
subhead at the end of the article proclaimed:
“The Best is Yet to Be!”
The article said, “It is no doubt gratifying
for members, through this summary (a recap
of the history of SMI), to look back over the past 40 years
to note the gradual development of the SMI into a mature
trade association with all its productive activities and
valuable services provided.
“However, eyes should now be turned to new horizons
— new goals. After all, doesn’t life begin at 40?”
While 40 years have passed since that magazine
was produced, SMI members continue to express their
gratitude for the association and its members.
With this issue of Springs we express a sincere, “Happy
80th Anniversary SMI!”
It will be interesting to see what new developments
and achievements that SMI makes as the voice of the
spring industry. The sentiment continues that the “best
is yet to come.” Q
"The responsibilities and the details that had to be
handled increased immensely but George carried on
so well that most of us just took it for granted that
there would be no difficulties and if there were, that
George would be on hand to straighten them out."
country. Since October 1979, SMI has been located in the
Chicago area, with its current location in Oak Brook, Ill.
Volunteer Leaders
The strength of SMI has always been in its executive
committee, board of directors and committee members.
These dedicated volunteers have given of their time and
energy to make SMI a better association.
Those who have held the office of president speak out
in the article “Past Presidents Speak” found on page 39 to
offer their perspectives on SMI’s past, present and future.
To The Future
It is interesting to read the various issues of Springs
that were published to celebrate the organization’s 40th,
50th, 60th, 70th and 75th anniversaries. The thread that
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Past Presidents Speak
D
uring the course of its history, 32 individuals have held the title of president of the
Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI). Up until 1961, when the name changed to
SMI, the organization was known as the Spring Manufacturers Association (SMA).
The organization’s first president and founder, Fuller F. Barnes, Associated Spring,
served twice as president, first as the founding president of SMA from 1933 to 1941,
and then for a second term from 1943 to 1946. As a tribute to his leadership, Barnes
was elected “Honorary President” for life in 1941.
We recently caught up with some of the past presidents who are still alive. Some
are currently active in the spring industry, while others have retired. Whatever category
they fall into, SMI’s past presidents continue to love and appreciate the industry that
shaped their careers.
FRIENDSHIPS FORMED
“I have always thought the greatest thing about SMI and the spring industry was
its people,” recalled Park Blatchford, who served as SMI president from 1991 to 1993.
Blatchford retired from the Chestnut Group, Inc. when it was sold to MW Industries in 2005.
“Almost everyone I encountered during my 40 years in the industry was honorable,
hardworking and enjoyable to be with,” explained Blatchford, “whether socially or
while working on shared concerns for the spring industry in SMI. These folks were,
and remain, friends!”
Some of the many SMI past presidents pose at the 75th anniversary annual meeting in Palm Springs (from l-to-r):
Pete Peterson, Dick Witham, Alex Rankin, Dave Weber, Dan Sebastian, Park Blatchford, Don Jacobson, and Roy Vinderine.
Left: SMI annual meeting at La
Costa Resort in California from the
'70s. Pictured are past presidents
Stanley R. Banas, Stanley Spring
& Stamping (left), and John R.
Beckwith, Associated Spring (right)
with F.R. Downs, SMI executive
vice president.
Below: SMI past president Alex
Rankin (left) greets A.M. Wahl,
author of "Mechanical Springs" at
SMI's annual meeting celebrating
the organization's 50th anniversary.
Opposite Page: Roy Vinderine and
Reb Banas
The sentiment of friendship was echoed by many
past presidents. Hugh A. Purnell, who was SMI
president from 1968 to 1970, said his best memory
from his time as the association’s leader was “the
good friends I met at the spring meetings.”
Retired for many years f rom the Frank
Hollister Co. and the Barnes Group, Purnell
enjoys his time fishing at his log cabin on a lake.
Roy Vinderine served as SMI president from
2001 to 2003. Retired from Springco Industries, he
still does some accounting work and volunteers
his time at a cancer hospital in Toronto.
His term as SMI president was memorable because it
occurred during the tragedy of 9/11, just before his first
convention as the group’s leader. “Nevertheless, I think we
were able to make strides in education and other areas that
went some way toward ensuring the ongoing success of SMI.”
Vinderine enjoyed working with the executive
committee, board of directors and the various subcommittees. “On a personal level, Naomi and I have made
some really good friends with whom we spent many
enjoyable hours, in many beautiful and exciting venues.”
Still actively running GR Spring & Stamping Inc. in
Grand Rapids, Mich. which now has over 600 associates
in five locations, Jim Zawacki says he has not recently had
time to be active in SMI. The president of SMI from 1999
to 2001, Zawacki said he and his wife, Joan, plan to attend
future annual meetings.
In addition to running GR Spring & Stamping, Zawacki
is busy with six kids and 20 grandchildren. Despite a
recent back surgery, he still spends time playing tennis
and even golf, spending time at the family’s summer log
home and some time in Florida.
“
I have always thought the
greatest thing about SMI
and the spring industry
was its people,” recalled Park
Blatchford. “Almost everyone I
encountered during my 40 years
in the industry was honorable,
hardworking and enjoyable to be
with, whether socially or while
working on shared concerns for
the spring industry in SMI. These
folks were, and remain, friends!
”
Sebastian was president of SMI from 2005 to 2008
and cited networking as one of the greatest things about
SMI. “SMI provides a forum for spring companies to
network with each other, which is important because
most spring companies do business with other spring
companies,” he explained. “SMI also provides assistance
in maintain a safe work place that meet all federal and
state requirements. Our technical assistance program
helps members with difficult issues.”
Sebastian says he’s enjoying his retirement, “while
assisting my daughter and son-in-law find a business.”
When asked, “What is the greatest thing about SMI and
the spring industry?” Zawacki immediately mentioned all
the nice people he had met over the years. “The networking
and sharing to help one another; a great place for technical
information; annual conventions in fantastic locations with
good speakers on timely topics, which supported all the
networking,” said Zawacki. “A staff that is always willing
to help you out and very cooperative, and leadership that
keeps bringing new ideas forward for SMI to prosper.”
Reb Banas, president of Stanley Spring and Stamping,
was SMI president from 2008 to 2010. He believes the greatest
thing about SMI and the spring industry are SMI members
and staff. “Both need each other and when we all get together
twice a year, it makes all the efforts worthwhile.”
SMI’s most recent past president, Scott Rankin of
Vulcan Spring near Philadelphia, says the greatest thing
about SMI is the association’s “amazing” people.
“I think it is great that we have such a variety of
companies and specialties in the industry,” Rankin
explained. “I love the idea that we each do something
unique and different under the category of springs.
“We get to help our customers solve their challenges
with the help of other springmakers that have made it
their specialty. I enjoy passing on a customer to another
springmaker that I know will be much more suited to help
them,” said Rankin, who was SMI president from 2010
to 2012. “Don’t get me wrong, I am not giving away all of
our customers but actually solving their challenge in the
best way for them. Customers remember that, some days.”
Though retired from his position as head of MW
Industries, Dan Sebastian continues to be an active part of
SMI as a member of the technical committee and providing
assistance to SMI as a technical advisor.
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Several fathers and sons have served as SMI presidents.
Rankin’s father, Alex Rankin, was president from 1989 to
1991. He’s semi-retired now, but still active in the spring
industry. “Scott now owns most of Vulcan and he is doing a
fine job so there is no reason for me to get very involved in
the operation of the company. I have become a consultant
with a lot of history about the industry.”
Alex Rankin related that, during his time as president,
the first computer spring design program was created by a
member’s (Ed Hamilton) son. “It has come a long way since
then, but everything has to start somewhere.”
Alex Rankin was also known for leading many
overseas tours for SMI members. The tours consisted of
40 to 50 other SMI members and “was really the way to
get to know the other springmakers.”
He continues, “Some of the best memories from my term
as president was a tour we took after the Bermuda convention
to Czechoslovakia right after the Berlin wall came down on
July 21, 1990, and then to Austria, Germany, Switzerland,
and Italy. Other tours we took after conventions were to
France, Japan, Hong Kong, England, Canada, Hawaii, Puerto
Rico, Sweden, Denmark and China.”
Alex Rankin said the trips allowed SMI members
to visit suppliers of materials, machines, other spring
associations and other springmakers. “We learned a lot
about our global industry and it is a shame that our newer
members are not doing this.”
He said he recalls not being able to afford the cost to
attend his first convention and the tour. “So I chose the
tour and met the group from the convention at the TWA
terminal in New York. That was the correct choice.”
Another father and son duo to lead SMI were A.H.
“Bud” Peterson Jr. of Peterson Spring, who passed away
on June 12, 2011 and was president of SMI from 1970 to
1972, and his son, A.H. “Pete” Peterson III, who was SMI
president from 1993 to 1995. He is retired and living in the
Dominican Republic with the family of his wife, who’s a
native of the country.
Peterson says the spring industry provides people with
spunk and initiative. He views it as an avenue to become
involved in an intriguing business with its own “peculiar
black art and secrets.” He went on to say, “Becoming a part
of this group gives one a feeling akin to joining a club after
a trying apprenticeship. It also offers financial rewards
and the opportunity for self-fulfillment.”
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“
It is amazing how many
professional and personal
friendships have ‘sprung’ from
the meetings,” Jacobson recalled.
“I don’t know of any other
industry where managers and
owners are so willing to work
together to solve problems
and share their solutions.
”
He has a fond affection for SMI, having established the
“Bud Peterson Memorial Scholarship” to honor his late
father by providing a $2,000 scholarship to a deserving
student of an SMI member company.
“SMI brings together the people involved in the
business and makes them aware of what is peculiar to
their business and gives them a feeling of being special,”
said Peterson. “SMI also helps the members identify and
execute projects of interest to members.”
Don Jacobson is also part of a father/son presidential
duo. His father, the late G. Donald Jacobson, was SMI
president from 1960 to 1962 and instrumental in the
establishment of Springs magazine in 1962. Jacobson
followed in his father footsteps and served as SMI
president from 1995 to 1997.
Jacobson serves as chairman of the board of Newcomb
Spring, splitting time working out of the company’s
Tennessee office in the winter and the Connecticut office
in the summer.
Like others, he cites people as the greatest thing about SMI.
“It is amazing how many professional and personal
friendships have ‘sprung’ from the meetings,” Jacobson
recalled. “I don’t know of any other industry where
managers and owners are so willing to work together to
solve problems and share their solutions.”
Jacobson said during his time as president he really
enjoyed meeting the “green dotters” (referring to the green
dot sticker placed on the name tag of first time attendees).
“Being able to host their first reception, and to officially
welcome them and talk about our organization was a great
privilege,” said Jacobson.
MEMORIES
SMI past presidents have fond memories of their term
at the helm of the association, even when faced with
challenging circumstances. Banas said he learned a
tremendous amount from the president he followed, Dan
Sebastian, and teaming up with Scott Rankin, the SMI
staff and the board of directors. He said his challenge was
to guide the association through the “Great Recession,”
along with a change in leadership at SMI.
Of his term, Sebastian says, “We were able to expand
our technical services, providing members with access
to failure analysis and process and technical advice with
people that were in the spring industry. It was also a time
with the assistance of the executive committee that we
were able to plan and execute those plans for a transition
of leadership.”
“My best memory as SMI president was in Hawaii,
when my suite was so large I think we had over 100 SMI
attendees over for an after dinner get together,” Zawacki
recalled. He says he always enjoyed having many past
presidents continue to come to the annual meetings, since
“it means a lot for the whole SMI membership.”
Zawacki said he always enjoyed bringing at least one
of his children’s family to an annual meeting. “Probably
the best time for all our grandkids was when we were
at Disney World for the big dinner,” he recalls. “All the
grandkids were bored, until the wall opened after dinner
and there were all of the Disney characters plus games for
the kids to play; wow!”
FUTURE THOUGHTS
Zawacki believes the spring industry in the U.S.
will do well because most of the companies’ technical
superiority and employment of best practices. “Also, all
the outsourcing that was done over the last 25 years, of
products that needed our springs, are beginning to come
back to the U.S.”
He admonishes SMI to keep pushing for “more
American jobs!”
Of the future, Blatchford first looks back at the past:
From a manufacturing technology perspective, the most
dramatic memory was seeing machine control changes
from machines of cams and gears to electronics, which
was an exciting although often unnerving (and expensive)
transition.”
Blatchford believes this development saw the skills
of the industry transition from “art” toward “science.”
As to the future of the industry, Blatchford sees a
continuation and probable acceleration of the changes that
occurred during the past several decades. He categorizes
change into broad categories:
• Technological changes in equipment, reducing labor
hours but improving quality and requiring greater
financial investment and skills development to stay
competitive.
• Process changes in the way business is conducted
and the further integration of customers’ and
suppliers’ engineering, product development,
procurement, quality and logistics activities.
• Industry consolidation aimed at more efficient use
of investments and economies of scale.
SMI’S PAST PRESIDENTS
> Fuller
F. Barnes*, Associated Spring,
1933-1941 and 1943-1946
> James W. Campbell*, 1941-1943
> Edward J. Byrnes, Jr.*,
Wickwire-Spencer Steel Co., 1946-1951
> J.D. Culbertson III*,
Duer Spring & Mfg., 1951-1955
> Harry C. Faust*, Paragon Spring, 1955-1960
> G. Donald Jacobson*,
Newcomb Spring Corp., 1960-1962
> A.A. Bonde Sr.*,
Accurate Spring Mfg. Co., 1962-1964
> L. Vaughan Barnes*,
The Yost Superior Co., 1964-1966
> F.R. Downs Jr.*,
Industrial Components, 1966-1968
> Hugh A. Purnell Jr.,
Hollister, Associated, SEI, 1968-1970
> A.H. “Bud” Peterson Jr.*,
Peterson Spring, 1970-1972
> Stanley R. Banas*,
Stanley Spring & Stamping, 1972-1974
> John B. Beckwith*,
Associated Spring, 1974-1976
> William M. Marsh,
Rockwell International Corp., 1976-1977
> Jack Bazz*, Bazz-Houston Co., 1977-1979
> George C. Underwood II*,
Hardware Products Co., 1979-1981
> Steve Csonka,
The Timms Spring Co., 1981-1983
> Richard N. Witham,
Motion Dynamics, 1983-1985
> John R. Grace*, SEI MetalTek, 1985-1987
> Edward H. Lanke*,
Wisconsin Coil Spring, 1987-1989
> Alex Rankin, Vulcan Spring, 1989-1991
> M. Parker Blatchford,
Chestnut Group, 1991-1993
> A.H. “Pete” Peterson III,
Peterson Spring, 1993-1995
> G. Donald Jacobson Jr.,
Newcomb Spring, 1995-1997
> Charles Pepka, Renton Coil Spring, 1997-1999
> Jim Zawacki,
GR Spring & Stamping, 1999-2001
> Roy Vinderine, HS Spring Corp., 2001-2003
> Dave Weber, A.V. Weber Co. Inc., 2003-2005
> Dan Sebastian, MW Industries, 2005-2008
> Reb Banas, Stanley Spring & Stamping,
2008-2010
> Scott Rankin, Vulcan Spring, 2010-2012
* Deceased
• Continued “off-shoring” by some customers.
Springs and components destined for high volume,
“assembly- labor” intensive products will continue
to be challenged by “off-shoring” to low cost regions.
• Continued opportunities for export of products where
skill or expertise, not labor cost is the dominant factor.
“So, in a n economy as robust a nd creat ive as
North America’s, there will always be an abundance
of opportunities for component manufacturers like
springma kers, a nd pa r t icula rly ones who pu rsue
specialties,” said Blatchford. “As a friend once commented,
‘There are riches in niches!’”
Alex Rankin said, “The spring industry is a necessary
part of manufacturing and has a bright future.”
Scott Rankin agrees with his father that the future is
bright for the spring industry.
“At one time I thought technology would take over
where springs fit, but it seems as technology grows so does
the need for springs. There is nothing else that does what
a spring does in the same space and price,” declared Scott
Rankin. “The springs keep evolving and the methods of
manufacture keeps updating. We are going to be around
for quite a while. The next generation will have fun with
these products since the solutions will be more and more
unique. We will need some very smart people following
us into the industry to keep inventing and innovating the
next generation of springs and materials.”
“
The springs keep evolving and
the methods of manufacture keeps
updating. We
are going to be
around for quite a while. The
next generation will have fun with
these products since the solutions
will be more and more unique. We
will need some very smart people
following us into the industry to keep
inventing and innovating the next
”
generation of springs and materials.
Peterson told us his perspective is shaped through
capitalism, which he described as a form of creative
destruction.
“Creative new technologies and business practices
come along and replace (destroy) the old ones,” explained
Peterson. “It’s a tough environment, and it’s our environment.
As long as the U.S. is a capitalist country, the U.S. spring
business will reward those who see and adopt the best new
technologies and practices, bring in and train good people,
and dedicate themselves to their businesses.”
Regarding the future of the spring industry, Banas
says, “Besides the competitive international pressure for
supplying global OEMs, consolidation of springmakers
will continue. It is imperative that we keep our group
together and thriving through SMI’s efforts.”
With regard to the road ahead, Sebastian believes the
future is strong but will at the same time be challenging.
“Our products are still critical in almost every mechanical
and electro-mechanical device,” he explained.
“The challenge from foreign manufacturers will
remain significant, but as wages, standards, and currencies
rise it will decrease their operating advantage. As these
costs rise for foreign manufacturers they will also be
pressured by the innovation and creativity of North
American entrepreneurs and manufacturers which will
provide us with the ability to restore our markets.”
Jacobson is also optimistic about the future, but with
a note of caution. “Investments in new machinery and
training will enable us to become more productive, and
stay competitive in a global marketplace. This is offset by
government regulations which continue to hamper our
industry’s growth, as well as manufacturing in general.”
Like most past SMI presidents, Jacobson sees “people”
as an important part of the spring industry’s future.
“Having the next generation go into springmaking will
probably be our biggest challenge,” Jacobson concludes. Q
ULBRICH STAINLESS STEELS ˂ SPECIAL METALS, INC.
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without limits.
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high-performance metal products that provide
infinite solutions to precision industries.
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Flashback
Get ty Images
$0HVVDJHIURPWKH
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©iStockphoto.com/Hepp
By Stephen Kraft
Inside
a Steel Service Center
>>
W
hen you order materials from a steel service center,
scheduling is probably the most important part in slitting
an order.
Scheduling instructs the operator as to what cuts are
to be put on the slitter and what coils are to be used. In
scheduling, we must consider the most economical setup pattern and
also try to have the least amount of scrap possible.
Our customers’ specifications play an important part in scheduling,
and coil size is a vital factor they must consider. Customers who have a
maximum and minimum coil weight or outside diameter restriction must
be watched closely.
After selecting the proper gauge and type of metal that the customer
requires, the scheduler must select the coil that will give us:
1. The most economical setup.
2. The least amount of scrap.
3. A satisfactory product that can be used in the customer’s application.
Some customers, such as spring manufacturers, do not like small coils
because one person may be operating more than one machine; when
the coils are mounted in the presses, etc., they do not want to change
coils any more frequently than necessary.
In scheduling, the best method is to try to go either full length through
a coil or cut across the full width of the coil. At this point, the scheduler
decides which is more economical and will produce less scrap. Let me
give you an example:
If a customer wanted 3,000 lbs. of 1” wide stock and the only coil
available weighed 6,000 lbs. (24-1/2 wide), it would be more economical
to put on 12 cuts and go full length through the coil than to put on 24
cuts or full width and only go half way through coil.
As you can see, the setup time would approximately twice as long with
the 24 cuts, and would also create a small coil for restock; however, with
12 cuts we would leave a larger or longer restock coil as far as pounds
per inch of width (PIW) are concerned.
As you order materials to help complete your spring manufacturing jobs,
please keep these factors in mind so we can all work better together. Q
©iStockphoto.com/pixelprof
Stephen Kraft is the marketing manager for Precision Steel Warehouse. He may be
reached at 847-455-7000 or email [email protected].
Kern-Liebers Texas
Celebrates 25 Years
I
t was a Texas size celebration for
Kern-Liebers on June 28, 2013!
On that day, more than 125 people
came together to celebrate the 25th
anniversary of Kern-Liebers Texas. It
was also the opportunity to celebrate
the 125th anniversary of its parent
company, Hugo Kern and Liebers
GMBH.
SMI president Steve Moreland (left) congratulates Kern-Liebers Texas
on its 25th anniversary with Kerns-Liebers USA president and CEO
Torsten Buchwald looking on.
Participants in the event had the
chance to visit the Kern-Liebers
Mexico plant in Rio Bravo and the
Kerns-Liebers Texas plant in Pharr,
Texas.
After plant tours in the morning
and afternoon, the company held a
cocktail reception and celebratory
dinner party at The Club at Cimarron
in Mission, Texas. Representing SMI
were Steve Moreland, president and
Lynne Carr, executive director.
Many representatives were present
from Kern-Liebers, including Torsten
Buchwald, president and CEO of
Kern-Liebers USA, Inc.
Rebecca Holloway of Kern-Liebers served as the event coordinator for
the Kern-Liebers Texas 25th anniversary celebration.
Congratulations to Kern-Liebers on
this milestone achievement. Q
Torsten Buchwald, Kern-Liebers president and CEO, greets visitors to
the Kern-Liebers Texas 25th anniversary celebration.
www.asbg.com
AS9100/TS16949
Engineering Precision
Spring & Stamping
Solutions
SINCE 1857
1.800.528.3795
FROM PROTOTYPES TO PRODUCTION
NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHING SOON!
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Springmaker Spotlight
Surviving the Tests of Time
A PROFILE OF ASSOCIATED SPRING
By Gary McCoy
A
ssociated Spring, a business of Barnes
Group Inc., is an organization that
drips with the history of the spring
industry. It is one of only a few companies
in the U.S. that have been in the business of
making springs for more than 150 years.
Tim Haller, who currently leads Associated Spring
as president, appreciates the history of the company that
stretches back to 1857 when the company was founded
by Wallace Barnes. He says that he is proud to lead the
company with such a rich and long history that has
“survived the tests of time.”
Haller said this had a big impact on customers when
the Great Recession occurred a few years back. He says the
history of the company “went a long way in assuring our
customers that we were going to be here for the long haul.”
The history of Associated Spring and Barnes Group is
closely intertwined with the development of the spring
industry and what is now the Spring Manufacturers
Institute (SMI).
The company was founded as the Wallace Barnes
Company in Bristol, Conn., and when Wallace left the
company in 1893, his son Carlyle Barnes took over. The
company was initially known for making hoop-skirt springs.
But as Tom Barnes, chairman of the board, Barnes
Group Inc., explained, the clock industry was very big in
the Bristol area at the time, along with gun and bicycle
manufacturing. He said the company quickly moved into
bending wire to make springs for these industries “because
the women’s hoop skirt fashion trend didn’t last very long,
and we knew we needed to move past that.”
Barnes said pictures from that era showed men
sitting down, but women were standing, because sitting
Fuller Barnes
down with a hoop skirt was
virtually impossible. “If
the market (for hoop skirts)
comes back,” said Barnes
with a laugh, “we’re ready.
We could possibly do it with
plastics now too.”
In 1913, Carlyle’s son,
Fuller, took over as general
manager of the company,
which continued to grow
through acquisitions.
After establishing a presence
presenc in Canada in 1921, BarnesGibson-Raymond, Inc. was founded in Detroit in 1922. A
year later, it was renamed Associated Spring Corporation.
During this time, Fuller Barnes was instrumental
in starting the Spring Manufacturers Association (later
changed to SMI) in 1933 and became the organization’s first
president. You can read more about the history of SMI on
page 29 and more about Fuller Barnes in the sidebar below.
Another significant milestone for the company
occurred in 1946 when Associated Spring Corporation
stock was offered over the counter to the public for the
first time. In 1976, the company changed its name from
Associated Spring Corporation to Barnes Group Inc.
The entire history of Barnes Group was captured in
the book, “Barnes: An American Enterprise,” which was
To his contemporaries, Fuller Forbes Barnes
was a man of wide-ranging visions — and
the drive necessary to attain them. After
joining the company on his graduation from
Yale in 1910, he quickly rose to treasurer,
and in 1913, added the title general manager,
continuing in those roles until the death of his
father Carlyle in 1926, when he was elected
president. Three years earlier, he had been
the main force in putting Barnes together with
two other family-owned companies to form
Associated Spring.
Over the next three decades, he steered
Associated Spring through major expansions,
the Great Depression and World War II, handing
over the reins in 1953 to his son Carlyle F.
("Hap") Barnes.
Fuller Barnes, who had become a recognized
leader in industry, was the primary founder and
first president of the Spring Manufacturers
Association. He also served as an officer or
director of many other organizations, including
the Bristol Bank and Trust, Bristol Brass,
Connecticut Light and Power and Southern
New England Telephone.
For a while, he tried his hand at politics
and was twice elected state senator from his
district, in 1929 and 1931. Perhaps closest to
his heart, however, was the Bristol Hospital,
for which he served as president and principal
fund raiser for 30 years, helping it to erect a
modern, well-equipped building in 1925.
An avid fisherman and golfer in his later
years, Fuller became absorbed in a new
challenge, the making of needlepoint tapestries,
creating large pieces on classical and Biblical
themes and crafting the frames in his home
woodworking shop.
He also helped to develop Bristol's American
Clock and Watch Museum, a unique collection
of period timepieces started by his friend
Edward Ingraham to celebrate the region's
clock-making history. One of its main galleries,
displaying a series of priceless grandfather
clocks, is housed in a wing donated by Fuller
Barnes. Named after his ancestor Ebenezer
Barnes, it incorporates the original paneling
and ceiling from Ebenezer's house, which was
built in 1728 as Bristol's first permanent home.
(Originally written in the book, “Barnes: An
American Enterprise,” and is reprinted with
permission.)
THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED AS
THE WALLACE BARNES COMPANY IN
BRISTOL, CONN., AND WHEN WALLACE
LEFT THE COMPANY IN 1893, HIS SON
CARLYLE BARNES TOOK OVER. THE
COMPANY WAS INITIALLY KNOWN FOR
MAKING HOOP-SKIRT SPRINGS.
Above: The original building for Associated Spring in Bristol, Conn.
Opposite page: Wallace Barnes, around 1863.
published in 2007 to commemorate the company’s 150
year anniversary.
Associated Spring Today
Barnes Group Inc. is now divided into two segments,
Industrial and Aerospace, with Associated Spring grouped
within the Industrial side of the business. Barnes Group
still calls Bristol home and Associated Spring, though
its headquarters are in the Detroit area, still maintains a
spring plant in Bristol.
Patrick Dempsey is the CEO of Barnes Group and the
11th person to serve in that role for the company. Tom
Barnes’ father, Wally, who came out of law practice and
politics to run the company, was the last family member
to lead the day-to-day operations of the company. In 1991,
he transitioned from CEO to chairman of the board.
As Associated Spring now describes itself, “Today, more
than 90 percent of our business is precision-engineered,
custom solutions. Utilizing our mechanical springs, wire
forms, washers, reed and flapper valves, precision forming
and assemblies, we design and produce products and
services to meet your (customers’) specific requirements.
Applications range from automotive, telecommunications
and consumer home products to medical devices, aerospace/
defense-related products and compressor components.”
Haller joined Barnes Group in October 2001 as division
manager for Barnes Aerospace and was later named vice
president of operations for Aerospace OEM (original
equipment manufacturer). He switched to the industrial
side of the company in October 2007 when he was named
vice president and general manager for Associated Spring.
He has been president of Associated Spring since June 2008.
Prior to joining Barnes Group, Haller spent 15 years at
a global jet engine manufacturer.
Haller says going from OEM to supplier gave him a dif ferent perspective. “I decided to make the switch from
customer to supplier with the view that, by belonging to
a smaller company, I might be able to do more in terms of
my total contribution affecting the company.”
Being on the supplier side has taught Haller much.
Haller said he’s learned to compete for a customer’s business,
maintain the business and grow it and that relationships
and pricing become a factor when everything else is equal.
“As you move from the customer side to the supplier
side, at least in my personal experience,” related Haller,
“I gained a stronger appreciation for what it took to
maintain that relationship where I didn’t have that same
appreciation from the customer’s point of view.”
Reorganized Timing
When Haller was tapped to take over Associated Spring
in June of 2008, he was tasked with reorganizing the
operations into focused factories or what Barnes Group
calls “Centers of Excellence.”
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The Mainspring was
a popular publication
that Associated
Spring published over
many decades.
Haller said it was very clear on the aerospace side of the
business which of the company’s six facilities made specific
parts, but after joining Associated Spring, he quickly
realized it was not so clear on the industrial side. “Many
of our locations were able to produce identical types of
springs. The tasking was to consolidate similar operations
for differentiation from plant to plant, especially in the U.S.
where Associated Spring has five divisions.”
He related that, in Associated Spring’s international
operations, it is more of a “job shop” concept where they try
to service the needs of many. They have three international
locations in Mexico City, Brazil and Singapore.
“So what you find in our U.S. operations is that in each
of five divisions, although they all know how to make
springs, we try to specialize in unique product lines or
market segments in each division.”
Haller says that allows Associated Spring to become
more of an expert in the engineering, design and support
of the customer.
The challenge for Haller was that his entrance as
president of Associated Spring occurred at the same
time as the Great Recession when he and his team were
in the middle of developing and beginning to implement
a reorganization plan.
Haller cited this as one of the greatest challenges for him
and his team since he took over the helm at Associated Spring.
“To reorganize and do it in the middle of a recession
was the most challenging aspect of what our team has been
through in the past five years,” he said. “We came out of it
very strong and ready for the next level of growth which
we believe to be in automatic transmissions.”
Balanced Approach
Associated Spring is one of t he la rgest spring
manufacturers that service both automotive and industrial
customers. Haller said having its business divided between
the two sectors is like having a balanced stock portfolio.
He said when Associated Spring’s automotive business
was slow, the industrial side was excelling. “Now that
the industrial end markets are sluggish, our automotive
segment is excelling,” he explained. “The balance between
the two is comforting, in terms of our diversification.”
Haller says a lot of products produced by Associated
Spring revolve around products that service transmissions.
He said they provide transmission products to the
automotive, heavy and medium duty truck, construction
and agricultural markets - which represents about two
thirds of the company’s volume.
“The majority of our products are for automatic and
manual transmissions,” said Haller. “We do Bellville washers,
wave washers, retaining and snap rings, valve body springs,
accordion springs, and torque converter clutch springs.”
He said Associated Spring also does compression seat
and spring assemblies (sometimes known as spring packs)
for medium to heavy duty trucks.
Associated Spring has had a long history in the
automotive business and racing. For many years the
company produced a widely read newsletter called “The
Mainspring.” In the spring 1965 issue, the publication
reviewed the completion of the 1965 Indianapolis 500 race.
“Now that this year's famous Indianapolis auto race
is history, the post mortems will turn up the brickbats
and bouquets for those organizations that helped to make
possible the results. The valve springs in the engines are one
of those unobtrusive but vital parts that are being praised.
“Associated Spring Corporation is sharing in this
praise because, to the best of our knowledge, all of the
valve springs used by all 33 cars that started in the race
were made by our B-G-R Division at its Ann Arbor, Mich.,
plant. More significant, though, is the fact that there were
no valve spring failures in any of the engines.”
The company continues to produce racing valve
springs, a technology that Associated Spring says has
evolved tremendously over the last 10 years.
“Associated has a strong partnership with leading
suppliers of racing engine components,” said Haller,
“Comp Cams and Manley Performance, among others.”
This has led to a better understanding of various segments
of the market and key customer requirements: lighter
“TO REORGANIZE AND DO IT IN THE MIDDLE OF
A RECESSION WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING
ASPECT OF WHAT OUR TEAM HAS BEEN
THROUGH IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.”
springs and higher engine RPMs, without compromising
fatigue life. The lighter spring requirement means a
higher static stress spring which lead to improvements
in materials and processes.”
Associated Spring says the key elements in the
improvement of processes were a patented heat treating
process to reduce material grain st r uctu re a nd a
proprietary surface finish.
“This proprietary surface finish is key, as higher stressed
race springs, unlike OEM springs, tend to be adversely
affected at the surface,” explained Haller. “A basic law of
physics is that a crack, no matter how tiny, has to be present
to start the ‘failure’ process. Associated Spring processes
help eliminate the possibility of any cracks.”
The company says it is already working on the next
set of improvements in materials, designs and processes,
with the goal of bringing these improvements to market
in the next few years.
Tom Barnes: Continuing a Family Legacy
Tom Barnes is the chairman of the board
of Barnes Group Inc. and carries on the legacy
of the Barnes family in the spring industry.
Though a family member no longer runs the
day-to-day operations of Barnes Group, Tom
Barnes represents the fifth generation of the
family to be involved in the business.
Barnes says his family is quite proud
of its heritage in the spring industry and its
part in the founding of SMI.
“We played a role in bringing the
organization together in those early years
when we were still a private company. It was
a great relationship that friendly competitors
had to start the organization,” said Barnes.
“Great uncle Fuller and those who
helped him, all gathered and realized
there would be a lot of benefit from
having an association that could share
problems and work together to train new
springmakers,” explained Barnes. “That
challenge continues today—to maintain
the workforce and the skills of the people
you need to bend
metal and make
springs.
“I think SMI
has done a great
job in providing
the vision and
the impetus to
work across the
country with tech
schools to get people to go into the spring
industry and become springmakers.”
Even though it is now a public company,
Barnes said the Barnes family is proud that
it continues to have family ownership of
around 17 percent.
“The family feels good that we played
a part in helping spawn this industry,”
explained Barnes of its legacy. “So many
of our colleagues out there have made a
good living and I think we can be proud of
this industry and what it contributed to the
Industrial Revolution in the United States.”
The number of family members in
Barnes’ generation is around 22, with his
children’s generation closer to 80.
The Barnes Group Foundation started in
1945 and is supported by Barnes Group Inc. and
is committed to the support of education, the
arts, civic and youth activities and health-related
charities in the communities in which the
company operates.
“We have prided ourselves all through
our history regarding the importance
of taking care of our employees and
encouraging our employees to give back to
the communities where they are located,”
Barnes said.
Barnes explained that the company has
a number of programs in place, including
a matching gifts program, to encourage
employees to contribute to charities in their
communities.
“Giving back to our communities is a
very important part of our culture.”
HALLER IS ESPECIALLY PROUD OF THEIR
WORK IN OUTER SPACE. ASSOCIATED
SPRNGS' POWER SPRINGS WERE USED
BY NASA TO HELP LOWER THE MARS
ROVER, CURIOSITY, LATE LAST YEAR.
Engineer by Day, Dancer by Night
When asked about any funny or weird experiences
during his career, Haller immediately mentioned the time
when he dressed up as a sumo wrestler to raise money for
the United Way.
“It was hot, sweaty and I got knocked on my back several
times,” explained Haller. “But it was well worth it to raise a
couple of thousand dollars for the local United Way chapter.”
For most people in middle age, it is not customary to
already have two replacement hips, but when you know
Haller’s background it is not so unusual. As Haller confesses,
his hips got worn out competing in ballroom dancing.
Haller and his wife, Barbara, are four-time United
States Professional Theatrical Arts Ballroom Champions.
By winning this competition for the fourth time in
1999, the Hallers made ballroom competition history by
becoming only the second theatrical arts dance team to
Associated Spring president Tim Haller (center) with Joaquin Davis, NPD
engineer and Kim Richards, materials and process engineer.
win the title four times since the inception of the United
States Ballroom Championships in 1971.
If you do a quick Google sea rch for “Tim a nd
Barbara Haller,” you’ll find videos of the pair in various
competitions and shows. Though now retired from
competition, the couple still remain connected to ballroom
dancing. They own Arthur Murray Dance Studios in
Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio.
Tim says Barbara once asked him, now that he’s on the
other side of two titanium hips: “Do you wish we had not
been competitive dancers?” With little hesitation, Haller
told her, “Not at all. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It
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was a great run. We competed for 11 years and won the
national title four times.”
With a laugh he says, “I was engineer by day and dancer
by night. So it was an unusual combination.”
Future Plans
While continuing to see growth for Associated Spring
in the automatic transmission market, where they are
making significant investments into the 8- to 10-speed
technologies, Haller also sees growth in the industrial side
of the business in alternative energy technology.
“We currently make nuclear fuel rod springs and
flexors for solar engines,” he said.
He’s especially proud of their work in outer space.
Associated Springs’ power springs were used by NASA to
help lower the Mars rover, Curiosity, late last year.
Because of the company’s aerospace certification,
they also do work for Lockheed Martin and other defense
contractors.
In addition to t he continued focus on product
diversification, Haller says that their future will focus on
new technology with emphasis on “design, manufacturing,
and applications engineering” to provide customer
solutions for “engineered products and systems, using
state of the art processes and technologies.”
As Haller looks forward to the future of Associated
Spring and all the new technology that will come forth,
I asked what lessons he had learned during his career.
Haller said during his 25-plus years in manufacturing he’s
learned that “change is unpredictable” and “when change
happens, you’ve got to be ready for it, whether it’s good or bad.”
One memory sticks out for Haller regarding change.
“It was not that long ago in aerospace, we were planning
for record volume sales of jet engines. And then,
unfortunately, 9/11 came along, the twin towers were hit
and the company I worked for at the time lost 40 percent
of our volume overnight.”
He looks hopefully to the future and is optimistic that
further change will be more positive than negative.
To be successful in the spring industry or in aerospace,
Haller believes it revolves around being intimate with
your customers and “predicting what the customer needs
before he or she knows they need it.”
It fits well with a statement on the company’s website:
“At Associated Spring, we’re committed to finding new
and better solutions to the problems our customers face;
to responding quickly to customer demands with products
that meet their needs and exceed their expectations; and
to providing the worldwide capabilities of a global leader,
assuring reliable delivery of quality components when
and where our customers need them.”
With a strong history of customer loyalty and 157 years
behind them, it does not appear that Associated Spring
will be going anywhere soon. Q
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Inside SMI
©iStockphoto.com/seraficus
Speakers Announced for Hawaii Meeting
An impressive lineup of speakers
is ready to address the 2014 SMI
Annual Meeting at the JW Marriott
Ihilani Resort and Spa in Oahu,
Hawaii, February 8-11.
On Monday, February 10, David
Wheat ley of Hu ma nener g y w ill
present “Leadership is About Choice.”
Wheatley works wit h ma nagers,
executives and community leaders
who refuse to settle for the status quo,
both professionally and personally.
An expert facilitator, trainer and
coach, his primary focus has been
facilitating and coaching leadership
tea ms w it h i n ma nu fac t u r i ng
companies and credit unions.
Originally from Leeds, England,
Wheatley is a former Scotland Yard
police officer. He is a graduate of
Hendon Police Academy in London
and an honors graduate of Lancaster
University’s education progra m.
He ea r ned a ma ster’s deg ree i n
organizational management from
Spring Arbor University and is a
Senior Fellow at the University of
Maryland’s School of Public Policy. He
is co-author of “50 DOs for Everyday
Leadership: Lessons Learned the Hard
Way (So You Don’t Have To).”
Two speakers are scheduled for
Tuesday, February 11.
First up is Dr. Nariman Behravesh,
an Iranian-American economist, and
the chief economist and executive
vice president of Global Insight.
Behravesh holds Ph.D. and M.A.
deg rees i n econom ics f rom t he
University of Pennsylvania, and a
bachelor of science degree from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He has appeared frequently on
television on NBC, CNN, Bloomberg
TV, and appears as an economic
analyst in updated episodes of the
educational series Economics U$A
and Inside the Global Economy. He is
a frequent guest contributor to Tech
Ticker at the Yahoo Finance website.
Behravesh is the author of “SpinFree Economics: A No-Nonsense,
Nonpartisan Guide to Today's Global
Economic Debates” (McGraw-Hill).
Colonel David Hunt, a Fox News
wa r a nd ter ror ism ex per t, w i l l
conclude the presentations on Tuesday
February 11. Colonel Hunt has over 29
years of military experience including
extensive operational experience in
special operations, counter terrorism
and intelligence operations.
Most recently, Colonel Hunt served
as tactical adviser in Bosnia where he
facilitated all national intelligence
matters for the commander in chief.
Prior to this, he served as counter
terrorism coordinator to the Summer
Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. In
this capacity, Colonel Hunt planned,
choreographed and implemented the
first United States national response
for an Olympic event in Korea in
conjunction with Korean National
Intelligence and the Korean Crisis
Response Agency.
He has served as a security adviser
for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
as well as state and local police officials.
A graduate of Harvard University's
J o h n F. K e n n e d y S c h o o l o f
Government, Colonel Hunt holds
a master's degree in English from
Norwich University.
For more infor mat ion a nd to
register for the 2014 SMI Annual
Meeting, phone SMI at 630-495-8588.
David Wheatley
Dr. Nariman
Behravesh
Inside SMI
Don’t Miss Upcoming Machine Guarding Webinar
Jim Wood, SMI's independent
regulations compliance consultant,
will conduct a webinar on “Machine
Guarding” on October 10 from 1 p.m.
to 2 p.m. (CST).
“For a continuing program to
improve safety at your facility, OSHA
maintains that guarding must be made
a part of each setup routine,” explained
Wood. His informative seminar will
concentrate on:
· The most typical types
of equipment found in
springmaking facilities.
·
·
Various methods of guarding
that have been acceptable to
some OSHA inspectors without
establishing a precedent.
Understanding OSHA guarding
requirements and various
guarding options available.
Wood has more than 30 years of
practical manufacturing experience and
is a certified instructor for the OSHA
outreach program. Wood began working
with SMI members in 1993 and, since
then, has conducted numerous safety
inspections and seminars.
With practical experience in plant
safety, Wood was a manufacturing
engineering and safety director for
13 years, and a vice president of
operations for a major manufacturing
corporation for 17 years. He mixes
personal experience with touches of
humor to create an educational and
enjoyable program.
The registration fee for members is
$129 per computer terminal and $179
per computer terminal for nonmembers.
To register visit the SMI website at
http://smihq.org/public/education.html
or phone SMI at 630-495-8588.
2014 SMI Scholarship
Program Under Way
©iStockphoto.com/Lukasz Gumowski
Through its regional and at-large scholarship
program, SMI will give out $33,500 in scholarship
aid in 2014 to the employees of SMI members and
their family members.
Applications are now being accepted for the
2014 scholarship program, which is administered
by Scholarship America.
SMI will award nine regional scholarships in the
amount of $2,000 each. Six at-large scholarships
will also be presented.
New at-large scholarships for 2014 include:
WAFIOS Innovation in the amount of $2,500, the
Hugo Kern-Liebers Gmbh & Co. scholarship in
honor of the company’s 125th anniversary for
$2,500 and the Kern-Liebers Texas scholarship
for $2,500 to recognize the company’s 25th
anniversary.
The International Spring Scholarship increases
to $4,000 for 2014 and will be awarded to two
students in the amount of $2,000 each. In addition,
the Callaghan-Hart Scholarship and the Bud
Peterson Memorial Scholarship continue for 2014
in the amount of $2,000 each.
Check the SMI website for scholarship
information or contact Lynne Carr at 630-495-8588.
Inside SMI
Past President Plays in Encompass Championship
Reb Banas, president of Stanley
Spring & Stamping and past president
of SMI, had the thrill of a lifetime in
June. Banas played in the Encompass
Championship at his home course,
North Shore Country Club, in
Glenview, Ill.
The event, now a regular stop on the
PGA Champions Tour, was held for
the first time in the Chicago area in
2013 and featured a unique Pro-Am
format. During the first two rounds
of competition on Friday, June 21
and Saturday, June 22, Banas, along
with other amateurs and celebrities,
was paired with Champions Tour
professionals.
A greater thrill for Banas was the
fact that his son, Rebbie, served as
his caddy.
Is your
retirement
plan
headed in
the right
direction?
For information about getting your plan on track,
contact Lynne Carr, General Manager, Spring
Manufacturers Institute, at (630) 495-8588.
Your future. Made easier.®
SMI is a separate legal entity and is not affiliated with the ING family of companies.
http://ing.us www.ingretirementplans.com
Insurance products, annuities and funding agreements issued by ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company (“ILIAC”) One Orange Way, Windsor, CT 06095, which is solely responsible
for meeting its obligations. Plan administrative services provided by ILIAC or ING Institutional Plan Services, LLC. All companies are members of the ING family of companies.
Securities
distributed
by or offered through ING Financial Advisers, LLC (member SIPC) or other broker/dealers with which is has a selling agreement.
64 / SPRINGS
/ Fall 2013
3019114.C.S-3 (8/11) © 2011 ING North America Insurance Corporation C#
New Products
©iStockphoto.com/hüseyin harmandaglı, morkeman, PeskyMonkey
New StepTracker Project Status Magnetic Whiteboards
Help Organize Projects
The new Do-Done StepTracker
whiteboard is designed for project management and coordination, especially
for teams who focus on productivity,
process, quality, 5S and other lean manufacturing improvements.
“Our customers keep coming up with
new ways to use the Do-Done StepTracker;
product development, process improvement and employee training are just a few,”
says Christian Krapf, spokesperson for
Magnatag. “The boards provide a focal
point for project participants. The easy to
use Red-Green Flip-Over magnets show
the status of each project as it moves
toward completion so you can clearly see
what’s done and where things are held
up” continued Krapf. “They are flexible
and easy to use, project step headings and
names can be customized or changed on
the fly using magnetic cardholders with
printable inserts.”
HTC and Forming
Systems announce
New Spiral Spring
Machine
The Do-Done StepTracker arrives
ready-to-use with magnets and everything needed to operate it. Lines and
lettering are heat-fused printed and can
be customized as you order online. For
more information go to www.magnatag.
com/ddxt or call 800-624-4154.
HTC Spring Machinery and Forming
Systems, Inc. announce the latest release of
the SS-3410 Spiral Spring Machine. Developed for efficient production of spiral springs
with formed ends, the SS-3410 is a three axes
machine equipped with touch screen interface for ease of operation, servo controlled
feed, servo controlled shell cams for accuracy
and performance, servo controlled winding
for accuracy and dimensional control, in-line
induction heating for bending pre-tempered
materials, noncontact infrared sensor for machine stoppage in case of induction error, and
cooling systems for tooling (air and water). The HTC SS3410 machine has a
maximum wire range of 3.4mm x 10mm section (or equivalent).
For additional information, contact Forming Systems, Inc. at
269-679-3557 or [email protected].
New Products
RoboVent Introduces Major Breatkthrough in Clean Air Technology
RoboVent, a leading U.S. manufacturer of ventilation and air filtration
equipment for more than 24 years, has
introduced its all-new Fusion 3 Series
of fume and dust collectors. The Fusion
3 is completely assembled and doesn’t
require any additional parts or equipment
to be operational. With just two simple
connections — electrical and compressed air — the Fusion 3 can be used
in the most demanding welding, cutting
and metalworking operations.
It is an all-in-one collector with a seamless integration of all the components
necessary for an effective air filtration
system: the cabinet, motor, blower, control
panel, safety features and filters. Because
the Fusion 3 is completely assembled prior
to shipping, buyers skip the cost of on-site
assembly and testing that is common with
other collectors. A fully tested and functional collector with an integrated cabinet,
base and particulate containment unit
eliminates installation delays and expense.
“When we set out to restructure our
product platform, we didn’t just want to
create a new dust collector, we wanted
to make a much better collector,” said
John Reid, president and CEO of RoboVent Product Group. “Our existing
design was the benchmark in the industry, so we wanted to keep all the things
that made it successful. But we knew
there were things we could do to take it
to the next level, to make it more capable,
more powerful, yet so much simpler.”
One example of RoboVent’s success in
building a fully integrated collector is the
built-in control panel with its intuitive ePad
touch screen panel. The ePad provides
the ultimate control of the blower, filter
differential pressure and the proprietary
Dynamic Pulse cleaning system. The
ePad also continuously monitors performance including diagnostic features
and tracks maintenance. The Fusion 3’s
advanced Dynamic Pulse cleaning is a
system of integrated valves with a computer-synchronized double pulse action to
virtually eliminate the redeposit of dust on
filters that is common in other collectors.
“The filter cleaning system is one
of the most critical components, and
filter life can be dramatically improved
if you can prevent the dust from being
redeposited on the filters. So we designed a synchronized pulse sequence.
Milliseconds after a filter is purged, the
surrounding filters are given a secondary purge, so it neutralizes the airflow
and propels the dust particulate into the
collection area,” reports Jerry Douglas,
RoboVent’s engineering manager.
Another important feature that the Fusion 3 offers is the SafeSensor particulate
monitoring system. To help ensure the
health and safety of the user, RoboVent
has developed an advanced system
that can detect a leak beyond the filters
should one ever occur, and instantly
shut the equipment down while triggering an alarm. The Fusion 3 also features
the SnapLock Filter Clamp, a double rail
clamping mechanism to ensure an airtight
seal on every filter. The SnapLock also
makes filter change-outs fast and easy
without the need for any tools.
To learn more about the new Fusion 3
Series collector visit www.RoboVent.com.
Larson Electronics Releases Two New Products
Larson Electronics has released a
powerful explosion proof fluorescent
emergency light designed to provide
emergency backup operation, and the
ability to withstand wet and corrosive
environmental conditions. The HALPEMG-48-2L-T5HO Class 1 Division 2
Emergency Fluorescent Light is built
from corrosion resistant materials and
features T5 HO fluorescent tubes for
high output and a built in battery backup
system for continued operation in the
event of power failures.
This light is designed to provide operators with a failsafe lighting solution
that can withstand the rigors of operation
in locations where corrosion and wetness is an issue. This explosion proof
emergency light looks and operates like
a standard fluorescent fixture, but incorporates a corrosion resistant housing
and emergency backup battery system
that provides a failsafe lighting option
and the ability to withstand the effects of
a corrosive operating environment. The
housing on this unit is constructed with a
glass fiber reinforced polyester housing
with poured in gasket for reliable sealing
and an impact resistant acrylic diffuser
cover for even light distribution and high
durability. Stainless steel latches provided
added protection against corrosion and
secure the acrylic diffuser to the housing to prevent drips and water intrusion.
Light output is provided by a pair of T5HO
fluorescent lamps, which produce a
combined total of 10,000 lumens of light
output, making this unit ideal for illuminating larger areas such as work stations,
walkways, storage areas, and anywhere
large scale coverage is needed.
“We are getting more demand for
emergency ballast equipped explosion
proof lights and hazardous location
lights,” said Rob Bresnahan with Larson
Electronics. “For a small incremental cost,
operators can meet the requirements for
Class 1 Division 2 emergency lighting,
while still having a fully functional light
fixture for daily operational use. It makes
a lot more sense than purchasing and installing separate hazardous location lights,
particular over doorways and exits. In
addition, we can configure these lights for
surface, pendant or wall mount.”
Also at Larson, an LED hazardous location pedestal light has been designed
to provide high power illumination in an
easily deployed package. The HAL-PM2X150-LED-100 dual LED Pedestal
Mounted Hazardous Location Light
provides protection in atmospheres
where flammable gases and vapors may
occasionally be present while offering
the durability and longevity of LED solid
state technology.
New Products
Larson Electronics, continued
This light is designed to provide operators with a quickly deployed source
of illumination that has all the safety
and performance of dedicated permanent mount units. With lamp housings
constructed of powder coated non
sparking aluminum, 100 feet of SOOW
abrasive and oil resistant cord, and a wet
area approval rating, this unit is built to
stand up to the demanding conditions
of the industrial workplace. The LED
lamps mounted to this unit are rated at
150 watts each and produce a total of
29,580 lumens. The lamp housings are
constructed of aluminum with a durable
powder coat finish, have hinged tempered glass doors, and allow operation
with voltages ranging from 120VAC to
277VAC. The rugged pedestal base on
this unit provides a secure platform for
easy light placement and includes an in-
tegral carrying handle with
ergonomic grip for easy
carrying from one location
in the workplace to another. This pedestal mounted
work light is UL rated
Class 1 Division 2 Groups
C and D is approved for
use in wet areas and marine environments, making it an
ideal lighting solution for hazardous
locations where water resistance is an
important requirement.
Visit LarsonElectronics.com for an
extensive line of explosion proof lights,
hazardous location lights, intrinsically
safe lights, oil rig lights and explosion
proof tank lights, or call 800-369-6671; call
903-498-3363 for international inquiries. Q
Larson Electronics
HALP-EMG-48-2L-T5HO
Emergency Fluorescent Light
Advertiser's Index
A & D Trading
(440) 563-5227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Admiral Steel
(800) 323-7055 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Alex Industries
(847) 298-1860 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Alloy Wire International
(866) 482-5569 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Associated Spring
(800) 528-3795 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
CASMI
(630) 369-3466 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
CDW
(216) 267-5500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Century Spring,
Division of MW Industries
(800) 237-5225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Diamond Wire Spring Co.
(800) 424-0500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Dispense Works
(815) 363-3524 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Elgiloy Specialty Metals
(847) 695-1900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Exova
(866) 263-9268 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Forming Systems Inc.
(877) 594-4300 . . inside front cover,
back cover
Gibbs Wire & Steel Co. Inc.
(800) 800-4422 . . inside back cover
Gibraltar Corporation
(847) 769-2099 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Industrial Steel & Wire
(800) 767-0408 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
InterWire Products Inc.
(914) 273-6633 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
JN Machinery
(224) 699-9161 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Kiswire
(201) 461-8895 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Link Engineering
(734) 453-0800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Mapes Piano String Co.
(423) 543-3195 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Messe Dusseldorf
(312) 781-5180 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
NIMSCO
(563) 391-0400 . . . . . . . . . 14, 32
North American Spring Tool
(860) 583-1693 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Proto Manufacturing
(800) 965-8378 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Radcliff Wire
(860) 583-1305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
RK Trading
(847) 640-9371 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Shinko Machinery
+81-6-6794-6610 . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Simplex Rapid
(563) 391-0400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Spectral Systems
(800) 393-4747 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Spring Manufacturers Institute
(630) 495-8588 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
SPX/Fenn Division
(860) 594-4300 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Suzuki Garphyttan
(574) 232-8800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Tool King
(800) 338-1318 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ulbrich Stainless Steels
(203) 239-4481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
United Wire Co.
(847) 840-9481 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Vinston US
(440) 972-1098 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Vulcan Spring & Manufacturing Co.
(215) 721-1721 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
WAFIOS
(203) 481-5555 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Zapp Precision Strip
(203) 386-0038 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Snapshot
Name: Don Lowe
Company name, city and country:
Peterson American Corp.,
Southfield, Mich.
Brief history of your company: Peterson
American is a storied manufacturer of
engineered metal products, celebrating
nearly 100 years of manufacturing
springs, coiled rings, spring stampings
and wire forms for the automotive and
industrial markets.
Job title: Senior vice president, sales
and marketing
Birthplace: Wilmington, Del.
Current home: Commerce Township,
Mich.
Family: Roberta (wife), and Evan
(adult son).
What I like most about being in the
industry: The diversity of the products,
the dynamics of the markets and the
ability to solve problems for customers.
Favorite food: Everything that’s bad
for me.
Favorite song/musician:
My most outstanding item of importance
is: Attention to detail (some see this as
Everything Beatles.
more of a fault than a quality).
Hobbies: Motor sports, baseball,
I knew I was an “adult” when:
Corvette restoration, and hunting.
Favorite places: Historic locations,
particularly in southern U.S. and Italy.
A really great evening to me is:
Spent with friends and family, enjoying
company and surroundings.
/ SPRINGS
Fall 2013
68 68
/ SPRINGS
/ Fall/ 2013
All the bills became mine.
©iStockphoto.com/Tryfonov Ievgenii, nicholas belton
Don Lowe
Peterson American Corporation
:K\3DUWQHU:LWK*LEEV"2XU3HRSOH
Aaron Alejandro Alison Alisyn Allan Allen
Anderson Andrew Ben Beth Beverly Bill
Bob Bradley Brandon Brian Calvin Caralee
Carlos Cathy Chad Christine Claire Claudia
Cynthia Dale Dan Dana Daniela David
Denise Derek Diana Dick Don Duane Eric
Frank Gary George Gloria Greg Heather
Hector Herb Jack Jared Jean Jessica Jim
John Jonathan Joyce Juan Kathy Kelly
Kenneth Kenny Kevin Lisa Luanne Manuel
Maribel Marie Mario Mark Matt Michael
Mike Neal Pablo Pat Paul Paula Peter
Ray Ricky Robert Roger Rosetta Sandy
Saul Sean Shawn Steve Susan Terrance
Terry Tom Tommy Travis Tricia Vern Wayne
Every successful organization counts on its people. At
Gibbs we have a team of dedicated employees you can count
on, too. Men and women who truly care about the work they
do and the customers they serve. They are really a special
group and they’re yours at no extra charge when you choose
Gibbs.
reliable people, innovation and leading edge technology, the
lowest total cost and a commitment to customer service and
responsiveness beyond traditional expectations. That’s why so
many leading companies have chosen to partner with us.
Since 1956 Gibbs Wire and Steel has represented a
combination of excellent quality product, knowledgeable and
The People You Can Rely On For Wire And Strip
ZZZJLEEVZLUHFRP
Connecticut
Indiana
Texas
California
North Carolina
Ontario
Mexico

Spring 2013 Vol. 52 No.4 - Spring Manufacturers Institute

Transcription

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