Hydraulic Valve Maker Cuts Production Time 10% Keeping up with growing demand without increasing your production costs can be a real challenge. For one company, accepting that challenge has trimmed their production time by ten percent per part, improved process control and dramatically reduced assembly costs. HydraForce Inc. (Lincolnshire, IL) manufactures high-quality hydraulic cartridge valves that are used in fork lifts, construction vehicles, and other heavy-duty equipment. Quality products and a reputation for fast turnaround have helped the company to rapidly become an industry leader. Deposit Size Is Critical Knowing that their valves will be exposed to high temperatures and constant vibration, HydraForce uses an anaerobic threadlocker to secure threaded components in place. Controlling the size of the deposit is critical to ensuring product performance and endurance, according to assembly operations manager Geri Leatherman, who supervises more than 30 workstations. If too little threadlocker is applied, the parts might separate during use in harsh operating environments. On the other hand, overapplication could result in the adhesive migrating onto precision internal components and affecting valve operation. HydraForce had tried using squeeze bottles to apply the threadlocker, but found them slow, messy and hard to control. As demand for their products increased, they began looking for a faster, more consistent application method. More Productivity Without More Operators Their search led them to EFD Inc. (East Providence, RI), whose air-powered benchtop dispensers have helped HydraForce improve their assembly operation in several ways. First is the ability to make identical deposits on every part. Unlike squeeze bottles, hand syringes and other manual applicators, timed-pulse dispensers do not rely on subjective operator judgement and hand-eye coordination to control deposit size. Instead, a combination of time, air pressure, and dispense tip size is used to produce precise, repeatable deposits. Adhesive is loaded into a disposable barrel, which is then connected to the dispenser by lightweight, flexible tubing and fitted with a precision tip. After setting time and pressure, all the operator needs to do to make identical deposits is press an electric foot pedal. The dispensers have also improved efficiency by eliminating wasted motion. Before, the operator would lay out a batch of parts, pick up the bottle and apply adhesive to the entire batch, then set the bottle down and assemble the parts. With a dispenser, the assembly process is a true one-piece flow in which the operator simply raises the assembled part to the stand-mounted barrel, presses the foot pedal, and passes it on to the next station. The new process saves HydraForce at least five to ten seconds of assembly time per part, which has helped the company control their overall costs while improving productivity. Another advantage of automatic dispensing, according to Leatherman, is the ability to easily change the deposit size when necessary -- without affecting accuracy. "As an ISO-certified company, we have documented procedures that specify the amount of adhesive that should be applied to each of our different valve styles," she says. "With a dispenser, we can actually set the size of each drop. Squeeze bottles just can't provide that kind of control." Operator-to-Operator Consistency Leatherman notes that with so many workstations and valve styles, the ability to get consistent deposits from operator to operator is a major benefit. Since the dispensers allow every operator to use the same time and pressure settings, uniformity is assured. "Once we set the controls, that's it," she says. "The operators just come in, turn the units on, and they're ready to go." Lower adhesive costs have been an unexpected benefit. Instead of purchasing threadlocker in small individual bottles, HydraForce now buys it in economical bulk containers and loads the 30cc barrels themselves. Waste has also been eliminated, thanks to controlled application and special pistons that wipe the barrels clean as the adhesive is dispensed."We used to have to throw away squeeze bottles that still had some very expensive material stuck to the sides and bottom," Leatherman recalls. "With the barrels and pistons, we're now dispensing every drop." Between higher output, better quality, and lower assembly costs, Leatherman estimates that an EFD unit pays for itself within 60 days. "We're obviously very pleased, or we wouldn't keep adding dispensers," she concludes. "They're doing everything we wanted them to do." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To learn how EFD equipment can help you improve your dispensing processes, please e-mail info@efd-inc.com, or in the USA call our Fluid Application Specialists at 800-556-3484.