Tag: casestudy-other

A switch manufacturer contacted Advanex because the local spring maker they were working with was unable to produce springs that met their design specifications. Advanex offered support, despite the fact that the springs they were using were made by a competitor. The customer had produced specifications for the springs on their own and had them produced by a local spring maker but they were found to be over-stressed and ineffective. They tried to use the Advanex design software on our website but needed the know-how of a specialist, so they contacted the Advanex Customer Support Center.

Advanex was able to offer superior service and knowledge to meet a specific challenge. This was achieved by:

• Rapid prototyping and testing
• Quick and helpful correspondence
• Knowledge and technical ability

The customer required a functioning torsion spring for use in a new joystick. The customer requested that Advanex design and develop a spring that would continuously work through the full range of movement required.

To strengthen the customer’s relationship with Advanex, we arranged for their engineers and ours to communicate directly due to the complex nature of the project. After discussing the matter, our engineer at the Koriyama Prototype Center designed a spring that was, in theory, up to the task and sent the drawings to the customer.

Using a numerical control multi-forming machine at the prototype center, they produced a sample with more coils to reduce fluctuations in stress and avoid spring setting and also adjusted the leg angles to meet the customer’s required torque levels and add durability.

In all, five prototypes of the spring were produced. All communication was done via telephone and e-mail exchanges with the customer, who appreciated the quick responses from Advanex. During development of their initial product, the customer then ordered a compression spring, which further demonstrated their faith in Advanex’s capabilities.

A manufacturer of plant equipment based in Hokuriku needed to incorporate springs into a partition they were making for the air conditioning control unit of a clean room. Initially they purchased standard springs from a wholesale supplier made from music wire. They tried several variations but could not make their product work successfully. This led them to approach Advanex via the web.

For a customer with no prior knowledge of springs, Advanex was able to provide an ideal product with a prompt and helpful response. We offered:

• Custom design and development from initial inquiry to end product
• Rapid design and development
• Quick delivery

The customer commissioned Advanex to design and manufacture springs suitable for their product, which would be used in clean rooms.

The original springs used by the customer were made from music wire and were thus susceptible to rusting, making them unsuitable for a clean room environment. They requested that the springs from Advanex be manufactured from stainless steel that would retain the original functionality of the previous materials.

The customer had no experience designing springs so they consulted Advanex by telephone and e-mail explaining that by using stainless steel instead of the music wire they were breaking new ground, so we would need to do a redesign to meet their requirements.

A design specification was provided and trials begun. Three trial sets were carried out to reach a suitable solution for their application and the final product was delivered just 25 days after their initial contact with Advanex.

An electric power equipment supply manufacturer in Kyushu aimed to develop an anti-vibration nut to improve the safety of joints affected by vibration loosening of nuts and bolts. Initial designs and tests were carried out by a local spring maker, but they were unable to produce an effective product in the required commercial quantities. The company’s technical director approached Advanex on the web for cooperation on the proposed product.

It took around five years to complete the product’s development from initial inquiry to a highly successful product used in various industries. Advanex was able to provide a solution through:

• Advanced manufacturing equipment and technology
• Superior craftsmanship
• Strict quality control

The only requirement the customer had for the product was to create a unique nut that used spring force to prevent it from ever loosening from a bolt through vibration. Even if just one bolt was to come loose it could be the cause of a serious accident. In order to demonstrate the product, it was subjected to strict severe acceleration tests using the customer’s own vibration testing machine, which was the only one of its kind in Japan.

If a successful product could be mass-produced, there would be a huge commercial advantage to be had by the customer as the leading national supplier to a large market.

Advanex was able to create an ideal solution to this complex problem. The combined sense of achievement felt between Advanex and the customer cannot be expressed in words. The customer dreamed of evolving from a local brand into a national leader and that was achieved. They continue to expand into markets overseas.