We recently started a weekly post on our Instagram and Facebook page for weekly maintenance that you can find @cuddebackmaching on Instagram and Cuddeback Machining Inc. on Facebook. During this maintenance, we discovered an issue on our HH Roberts Machining Center we wanted to shed more light on that some may overlook.
We thought checking our drawbar pressure once a year was going to be sufficient. But after further digging we found it is recommended to check your drawbar pressure every couple of months. We decided to start keeping a log for each machine so you can track pressure and see if the Belleville washers are starting to break down.
We checked the pressure with this tool from Maritools, CAT40 Drawbar Force Test Gage. Once we put the gage in the spindle, we had 750 pounds of force. Our machine calls for 1,450-2,000 according the manufacturer, HH Roberts. Being half of what our machine called for, it took a few steps to get back into the acceptable range of force needed. We also ordered new Belleville washers expecting to replace them in the process.
First we had to remove the air cylinder that drives the drawbar release on top of the spindle to get access to the drawbar.
From there we had to put a wrench to the top of the draw bar so we could break free the tool gripper in the spindle.
The tool gripper was replaced and gave us another 250 pounds of force. We still needed to come up with 450 pounds of pressure so we had to replace and tighten the belleville washers on the drawbar itself.
With the air cylinder off and the tool gripper out, we had to remove a riser block and a nut to pull the drawbar out.
Once removed, we had to replace the washers. That involved loosening the set screws and removing the nut on the right side of the drawbar. The washers also had to be greased before being reassembled. We used 70-8535 Gleitmetall Metal Lubricating Paste in a bag with the washers. Then we shook and rolled the bag to evenly coat the washers with the grease. (Also a great way to cover chicken wings with dry rub or sauce when making them at home)
When putting the washers back on, they went on three up three down.
When it came to how tight the washer had to be, we had paperwork from a spindle rebuild a few years earlier done by Atlanta Precision Spindles. This included the distance from the top of the drawbar to the top of the nut. It became a guess as to how much it needed to be tightened with the new washers.
We initially tightened it to our starting number from the last time we replaced the washers. This wasn’t enough and we had to tighten it another .100 before putting everything back together and checking the pressure again. This gained us another 400 pounds of force so we took everything back out and tightened it another .050. This put us right at 1,600 pounds of pressure.
Once we had everything back together and running again, the tools were sitting .003 higher or deeper in the spindle. The parts were also more consistent. It had only been about a year since the last time we checked the drawbar pressure in our machines. The other machines were still right in range but the machine with the heaviest use was half of what it needed to be. While the parts were still in tolerance, we noticed the finish and numbers were slowly getting worse. Checking the drawbar was an afterthought but became a quick solution to our problems and a relatively easy fix. It was also a cheaper option to replace the washers versus calling a company to come out for maintenance. We purchased 200 washers for $75.00 and the grease for $100.00. 200 washers is enough for two repairs and the grease will last for about four repairs. Instead of paying for a company to come replace the drawbar, it took about two hours of labor and $62.50 for parts to last for a year.
Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all things machining and to keep up on “Maintenance Monday”. You can also send an email to info@cuddebackmachining.com or go to our website at https://shop.cuddebackmachining.com/
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Larry Cuddeback started working at Rochester Products in the 1960’s and worked as a tool maker through the 1970's. By 1977 Larry started CMI in his basement part-time while he continued to work at Rochester Products. In 1979 CMI was moved into a separate building in Spencerport and became a full-time tool making shop. In 1981, we purchased some land in Hilton and built what is now our current location. CMI continued to grow through the 1980’s and Larry's son, Paul, was hired in 1986. In 1989, Rochester Products sold it’s entire Wire Form department to CMI as we became responsible for approximately 60 different parts for Rochester Products.
By 1990 CMI had grown from running part-time in a basement to developing products that are still in production today. A large part of the growth was due to most operations being done in house. From machining to heat treatment to assembly, CMI is able to get the best results without outsourcing most of the work. Over the years, we have helped design wire forms and assemblies for local Rochester companies like Key Systems and Monroe Fluid Technology. Still in production, these products are the cornerstone of our business.
While CMI still does wire form fabrication, we have complimented our four slide equipment with screw machines, EDM machines, CNC machines and more. This has allowed us to do work for companies such as Bausch & Lomb, Edelbrock, Magneti Marelli and Harley Davidson.
With Larry recently retired, CMI continues to run as a family owned shop with a third generation working for CMI, the next generation being Paul’s sons. We still work with companies both locally and Worldwide. We also have a catalogue of our own products that we have continued to develop over the years. Whether we have worked with a local small business or a Fortune 500 company, CMI has maintained our family values since the beginning.
Please take a look at our Facilities page to see a list of our equipment along with a few pictures. You can see some of the products we have produced by visiting our samples page.
]]>For over 30 years CMI has been designing and building tooling and running production for our customers. Along the way we have come up with different ideas to make things easier and save time. From these ideas we started to develop our own line of products. Some of our products pertain to our industry and some came from different experiences outside of our industry. At first, we began selling our products on Ebay and Amazon. When sales began to take off, we developed an eCommerce site to showcase our products and sell directly to the customer.
Navigating Our First Trade Show
CMI attended our first trade show that included having our own booth and it brought plenty of learning experiences. As much as we tried to prepare, there were still some things that were a total afterthought.
We were just another shop that hadn’t done anything like this before with plenty of questions. Not every show is the same but we wanted to tell you what helped us, what we did right, what we did wrong and some takeaways.
Table Layout
The show was at the Haas factory outlet in Fairport, New York. It was a demo days event that had some of the new Haas machines as well as other companies around Upstate New York. Our table featured our Quick Change Pallet System, Speed Torq Handle™ and Inline Indicator Holder.
(This was the first setup the day before the show)
The Speed Torq Handle™ was our biggest draw and it was what brought most people over to our table. Once they were at our table we were able to demonstrate that it is a speed wrench and torque wrench all in one with a preset amount of torque. We did the demonstration on a vise we brought with our Pallet System in the vise.
The challenge in selling our own products is how to get the word out. Amazon and Ebay are helpful, as there are millions of people that search for products on their sites every day. But the ability to talk about one product and have it lead into a discussion about another product helped make the conversation feel more organic and less like a salesman.
Issues After Setting Up
The first problem we had was actually our table layout. The Indicator Holder is the smallest part we had and it was hidden by the vise and during our demonstration of the Speed Torq handle™. Thankfully we caught the over site quickly and moved it to the left side. The flow of traffic generally came from the left of our table and it was the first thing people saw.
The Speed Torq Handle™ still had the most color and was the main draw but we gave people more reason to talk.
A few other smaller points we didn’t think of until after the show:
Networking
The entire show was full of other machine shops and business owners in our area. We were able to meet, interact and develop relationships with local people. At CMI we are tool builders as well as running production. We would ask what someone made and how our products could be an inexpensive alternative to fix a problem they had. In the process we discovered that some smaller shops didn’t have the ability to make more complex fixtures that we could make for them.
As great as the show was for demonstrating our products, we were also able to show the wide range of products and services to offer. By networking with other companies in our community, they were able to put a face with CMI. Offering them solutions and tips to their problems worked better for us over trying to just throw products at them.
While we were able to introduce our products to a previously untapped market, we also had another learning experience: you can’t please everyone. Our Torq Handle™ currently comes preset at 8 and 12 pounds of force. This is just so someone can’t change the preset amount of force and another person can use it and unknowingly over torque their part.
We were brought plenty of helpful comments about having a 4 pounder for work with plastic parts. Because of this we created a four pound Speed Torq Handle™ to tighten more delicate parts.
On the other hand, we had a couple people looking for 50+ pounds of force. This is when we realized that having this audience to test your product in front of you was imperative. Due to the type of work we do regularly, we felt that 12 and 16 ft/lb was the most appropriate place to start. But after meeting with hundreds of other machinists, we discovered we were limiting our potential market.
Because of the information and feedback we received, we have added a 4 ft/lb Speed Torq Handle™. This type of interaction with customers can be beneficial to any company, because you're letting the market tell you directly what the problem is and they’re asking you to fix it.
Taking The Leap
Deciding to finally get a table at a trade show was something we went back and forth on for the last few years. Most of our products and services early on were done through relationships from previous work and the early days of CMI. Going to a show was nothing new, but being on the selling side was a whole new experience for us. However it was quite a learning experience.
There were still oversights when we put everything together. From table layout to missing information on our business cards and a list of other previously mentioned oversights. But with that came plenty of ideas for the next show to help build on the foundation that we already have.
It also helped open the door to products we didn’t originally think about. When developing the Speed Torq Handle™ we were worried about getting more pressure. We felt 12 pounds wasn’t enough but afterwards most felt eight pounds was to much. Because of this we created a four pound Speed Torq Handle™. After spending so much time working and designing a product, it is easy to get tunnel vision. Someone on the outside may have a different perspective.
For everything mentioned above, our first trade show was a success. We made mistakes, were unsure at times and probably would do things a bit different the next time around. But building relationships, networking and having a place to show our products outweighed the risk.
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