Existing Design Enhancement
Illuminate Opportunities
At WCS Industries, we don't pretend to be an expert on your overall product. You know what you're doing better than anyone. Our role is to bring specific expertise and components that enable your product and process to come to life. We do this for a wide variety of products and applications. Over the course of time, there isn’t much we haven’t seen or experienced.
That’s why our talented team is able to illuminate opportunities for more effective and efficient solutions. Our expertise has helped customers make their products stronger, last longer and less expensive to produce or manufacture. It all begins with a two step process.
Step One
Review customer drawing/requirements
- Review fit, form and function
- Review stress
- Review material
- Review tolerances
- Review fatigue life
Step Two
Review path to smarter, faster, stronger solution
- Provide feedback for design improvement
- Reveal streamlined process
Case Study A - Hooked on Savings
The Challenge
Our customer was looking to reduce cost on one of their products - an extension spring with swivel hooks.
Design Criteria
- Load 1 @ length 1
- Load 2 @ length 2
- Acceptable stress
- Fatigue life
The Solution
We designed an extension spring with extended hooks to replace the costly swivel hooks. Instead of the part being made of two wire diameters (one for the body and one for the hooks), the new design was of one wire diameter. We studied the stress on the hooks and body at different load lengths and determined suitable wire diameter. Then we tested the fatigue life between the two load lengths to ensure we met the customer's fatigue criteria. We provided prototypes of the new design for testing purposes. After successful internal testing, the customer moved the new design to full production. Our extended hook extension spring design saved the customer half of what they were paying previously.
Case Study B - Shear Genius
The Challenge
A WCS Industries' customer had been buying a completely CNC machined part. It was a very expensive process, and parts were failing in the field. (The part is used in a shear for cutting vinyl or sheet metal sheeting. This unit can adapt your cordless drill into a shear).
Design Criteria
- Fit into existing space limitation of assembly
- Reduce costs
- Increase strength
- Eliminate failures
The Solution
We converted the part to cold heading with minimal secondary machining and were able to save our customer 60% on the total cost of the finished part. In addition, we were able to increase the overall strength and eliminate those failures in the field.
