Wakefield Corporation

Case Histories
The Wakefield Corporation is proud to have created this web site in honor of our 90th Anniversary. Since our first production of impregnated wood bearings in 1922, we have been working side by side with engineers across America to design and create products with special applications. If you have any questions about Wakefield, please contact David Clapp at The Wakefield Corporation.
PROBLEM SOLVERS TODAY...
CUSTOMER--Ridge Tool Co., Elyria, Ohio APPLICATION --Adjustment gear for pipe threading machine SIZE--1.833" dia. x 1.625" MATERIAL--Low Alloy Steel FL-4205, copper infiltrated DESIGN CRITERIA--Gear requires toughness with high impact strength and hardness to withstand abuses in field applications. WAKEFIELD ADVANTAGE--Originally, FN- 0408 (a Nickel Steel) also a complete martensite was used to produce the gear and had to be heat treated after sintering. Wakefield lowered the customer's cost and improved the gear's strength and toughness by producing it as a copper-infiltrated, low-alloy steel component. A complete martinsite transformation is accomplished during the sinter cooling phase, eliminating the heat treating operation. The Rc 30 air-hardened gear is now stronger and tougher than the previously heat treated one.

CUSTOMER--Bodyguard Fitness, Ste. Foy, Quebec, Canada APPLICATION--Timing belt pulley for a step-exercise machine SIZE--1.94" dia. x 1.56" MATERIAL--Nickel Steel (FN-0408-35) DESIGN CRITERIA--A precise tooth profile is required to minimize belt wear. WAKEFIELD ADVANTAGE--The pulley was originally purchased as an off-the-shelf standard. Converting to a Wakefield P/M component yielded the customer a substantial cost savings pulley. P/M also provides the toughness needed to withstand the equipment's commercial applications.

CUSTOMER--Peerless-Winsmith, Springville, New York APPLICATION--Spacer for speed reducer SIZE--2.88" dia. x .4305" MATERIAL--Iron-Copper (FC-0100) DESIGN CRITERIA--Spacer front and rear surface parallel to within .002" WAKEFIELD ADVANTAGE--This spacer and 15 others were converted from machined tubing or solid bar to P/M. The spacers undergo a finish grinding operation in Wakefield's in-house machine shop to achieve the required parallel tolerance. The customer realized significant savings by eliminating their machining operation and the associated carrying cost of an extensive raw material inventory. The cost savings for this size spacer is $1.55 each.

CUSTOMER--Matsushita Compressor, Mooresville, North Carolina APPLICATION-- Counterweight for air conditioner compressor SIZE--2.4" x .674" MATERIAL--Brass (CZP-3002) DESIGN CRITERIA--Hole location held within 5.004", weight variation held to within 53 grams. WAKEFIELD ADVANTAGE--The counterweight was originally imported as a brass die casting. Wakefield successfully substituted brass P/M to satisfy customer requirements, while holding all critical tolerances. Wakefield provided its customer a cost reduction, excellent weight consistency and a dependable domestic source.

CUSTOMER--Market Forge, Everett, Massachusetts APPLICATION--Door hinge for institutional food steamer SIZE--1-3/8" x 1-1/4 x 6" MATERIAL--316 Stainless Steel DESIGN CRITERIA--Stainless steel for corrosion resistance. 1/8" maximum corner radius, buffed satin finish. WAKEFIELD ADVANTAGE--Wakefield converted a heavily machined sand casting into a net shape P/M component. Secondary operations are limited to the threading of three-cored holes, plastic impregnation and buffing. The customer now has reduced component cost and improved cosmetic appearance.

CUSTOMER--Scully Corp., Wilmington, Massachusetts APPLICATION--Cap handle for bulk handling coupling SIZE--3.12" x 1.135" x .534" MATERIAL --316 Stainless Steel DESIGN CRITERIA--Corrosion resistant, good compression strength, 5.0025" tolerance for hole locations. WAKEFIELD ADVANTAGE--Handle was previously fabricated from brass extrusion. The trade name was stamped into the part as a secondary operation. While reducing overall cost, Wakefield converted the handle to stainless steel P/M, increasing corrosion resistance, providing good compression strength and enhancing cosmetic appeal. The P/M process enables customer's trade name to be molded directly into both handle profiles, eliminating the secondary operation.

CUSTOMER--Superwinch, Putnam, Connecticut APPLICATION--Stationary and rotation ring gears SIZE--Stationary gear O.D. 5.300 "; Rotation gear O.D. 5.250 " MATERIAL--Nickel - Steel FN-0408-35 DESIGN CRITERIA--Apparent hardness of Rb 78; minimum tensile strength of 65,000 psi; diameter tolerance of +/- 0.0004 "; max. pitch dia. runout of 0.004 ", max. concentricity O.D. of 0.005 "; max. tooth radius of 0.005 ". WAKEFIELD ADVANTAGE--Working closely with the technical staff of The Wakefield Corporation, the customers's design team replaced the die cast ring gears in their S-Series winch line with powder metal ones. By designing a package which incorporates P/M steel ring gears in an aluminum housing, the customer achieved significant performance growth without a corresponding cost increase. The nickel-steel ring gears are double the strength of the aluminum counterpart with a five-to-ten-fold increase in life expectancy. In addition to the greater strength and wear characteristics, the P/M gears run quieter, both in noise level and quality.

CALL: 781-245-1828 or 800-548-9253 | 29 Foundry Street - Wakefield, MA 01880 | Email: info@wake.com