| | Aug 4, 2011 — Customization and design collaboration is a tool PBC Linear uses to streamline assembly, reduce installation time and lower total installed costs. With a 150,000 ft² manufacturing floor encompassing numerous mills and machining stations as well as unique domain insight into linear motion design, PBC Linear can provide cost saving and performance enhancing collaborative solutions to our customers. One of the ways PBC achieves these benefits is by streamlining customer features and requirements into carriage design. This can be accomplished in two general ways: either by modifying the standard available carriage or by creating a completely new carriage by incorporating parts of the application in order to improve performance.
Modified Standard: The modified standard option offers several additional machining features to enhance application fit. Extended lengths, additional tap holes or changing tap hole position, and also adding machined features for alignment and reference are all ways PBC can customize the standard carriage. These optional features are made possible by PBC Linear’s expansive manufacturing capabilities; such as flexible machining centers running 24/7, over 30 CNC turning and milling machines, and shaft grinding/straightening processes all completed in house.
One example of a modified standard application is PBC machined additional features and changed roller position for an aircraft interior design firm. To enhance the overall fit of the compact, low profile Redi-Rail linear guide, PBC added additional tap holes and mounting features to their carriage to ease installation and integration – creating better fit and performance overall.
Complete Custom: For this option, PBC Linear engineers work directly with the customer’s design team to create a new, more integrated carriage solution that combines design features with the PBC Linear product. The end result is a streamlined assembly that reduces extra pieces and saves on total installed cost; typically by completely eliminating machining plates and fasteners. An additional bonus to this process is it also reduces the number of machining vendors by using PBC’s on site capabilities for high volume production.
An example of PBC’s complete custom carriage option is utilized in the same aircraft interior application. Two carriages were machined with special dowel pins and tap holes as well as additional mounting apparatus to ensure complete integration as well as reducing the number of mounting components. | |
