E Tube & Wire created a custom fixture for a fan guard that can cover three different part sizes ranging from 9′ to 13′ in diameter. This custom design allows the fixture to change from one size to the next by moving pins. To manufacture the fixture we used SolidWorks software and had the fixture water-jet cut to the highest tolerances. The fan guards had to actually be re-drawn in SolidWorks and then a fixture was designed around that model. The whole process took several months. We used conventional engineering techniques to design and secure the part; which at the same time, made it easy for the operators to load and unload the fixture. By using the cut and straight machine to make some of the parts, work load/time was reduced on the CNC wire bender
s.
The results of the new fixture reduced the time on the
CNC machines and eliminated four cutting operations along with 40 welds. As an added benefit, by reducing the amount of cut edges the possibility for having sharp edges was reduced by 50%. Fixture loading time was reduced by 1/3 and 20 minutes of “per part production time” was cut out allowing the production quantity to double.
To ship the fan guards, special skids were developed to avoid damage and take up as little space as possible. These are warehoused in E Tube & Wire’s climate controlled facility, using blanket orders to accommodate demand spikes and reduce lead times.
The final result saved the customer money by using less hardware to fasten the guard and still being able to adhere to the customer specifications. E Tube & Wire has over 20 years of experience with this type of product.