Bigelow Components Corporation President Reveals Advantages in Manufacturing Miniature Cold-Headed and Stamped Metal Parts

SPRINGFIELD, NJ, November 24, 2011 (Press-News.org) Inside company headquarters, however, is its warm human face - Brett Harman, the company's president, who recently spoke about the company, its products and services, and the many industries it serves.

Q. Bigelow Components works with a wide variety of different materials. How does this versatility represent an advantage for customers when it comes to precision cold-headed and stamped metal parts manufacturing?

Brett Harman: We manufacture parts for a great many different applications and each part has its own set of performance requirements. Some require high tensile strength, for example, while others need to have very low electrical resistance. There is no single material that can meet all of these requirements so being able to select the material with the best balance of properties is a distinct advantage.

Some customers specify "stainless steel," for example, but there are about 500 different grades of stainless steel. All of them are designed not to rust, but some are heat treated to modify their ductility. That's why we ask customers exactly what they are trying to accomplish and what they expect the part to do. When we understand what purpose the component will serve, we can recommend the best material based on its required properties.

Raw materials like steel also come in different forms such as wire and strip. When you think about stamping parts, you might think you have to use strip, but we frequently use flat wire because it's available in a better grade of material. We also need to think about RoHS, or the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, which prohibits toxic metals and other substances (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROHS) in alloys used to make electrical and electronic equipment for export to European countries. These are all reasons why being able to work with a diversity of materials is an advantage for our customers.

Q. How does Bigelow's expertise in understanding the mechanical and chemical properties of different materials pay off for the customer?

BH: It helps us better match the material with the end use application. In some cases, a particular material might produce a slightly stronger part but cause big problems with manufacturability. In others, the material might be easy to process, but affect the ability of the part to function when it's assembled or aligned with other components. Knowing the end use requirements and being able to anticipate these problems, however, often allows us to correct them before they occur.

Q. How does having in-house tool production capabilities benefit your customers?

BH: It makes development of new components faster and less expensive. We have greater flexibility because we don't have to rely on third parties. We can make adjustments on the fly and be back in production almost immediately. It also simplifies continuing production of existing components. If tools break, we don't need to wait to repair them. Total control of tooling means total control of the process.

Q. When is cold-heading a viable alternative to other metal machining processes?

BH: When you're producing high volumes of small precision parts, especially in intricate shapes, cold-heading is faster and less expensive than machining. The resulting cold-headed parts have greater tensile strength and better resistance to shock and fatigue. They cost less because production is faster, requires less labor and produces virtually no scrap. This happens because material isn't removed as it is with machining. Instead, it's simply reshaped, which is much more efficient.

Q. Can a customer benefit by getting Bigelow involved in the early design phases of a project?

BH: Absolutely. An engineer designs a component based on how he or she wants it to work and what it's intended to do; he or she is not always thinking ahead to how the part will be manufactured or assembled. Sometimes, we can tweak the design without significantly altering it in order to make it easier to manufacture. Recently, we assisted a new client whose first fabrication attempt by another supplier resulted in a part that simply couldn't function as intended. We analyzed the issue and offered an alternative manufacturing approach that not only resolved the problem, but also virtually eliminated any waste material. I only wish they had contacted us first. We could have saved them considerable time and money.

Q. Does it ever make sense to purchase large quantities of raw material in advance, more than might be needed for an initial production run; and are there any advantages to doing so?

BH: If a customer wants to produce a large quantity of parts over an extended period of time, we can purchase and stockpile a year's worth of material and release it in increments over 12 months. The advantage is that the customer always knows that inventory is available, and doesn't need to worry about delays or parts shortages. Of course, this requires good long-term planning and accurate forecasting and not every customer is in a position to do that, but it can result in improved cost control.

Q. What about consignment arrangements? When does this type of scenario make sense?

BH: It makes sense when a customer requires a large array of parts, say 20 different shapes and sizes, but only needs a few at a time because of their production or assembly schedules. By consolidating different parts into the same shipment, you can cut down on both shipping costs and transit time, especially if the client is international. It also helps the client schedule just-in-time production, and aids them financially, because they don't pay for parts until they actually receive them.

Q. How important is it for you to understand how the part you are making will be assembled, used or integrated into an end product?

BH: It's very important for us to understand that. Remember that we're making an extremely small custom part. If something unexpected were to occur in production, we need to be able to make judgment calls about how to best solve the problem from a quality control standpoint. If we know exactly how the part will be used, and the range of acceptability, it ensures that we'll make the best possible decisions to ensure that the part's quality and functionality requirements are met.

Knowing the end use may also help us head off potential problems before they occur. Our clients are outstanding at what they do, but they just don't have the exposure to - and expertise in - the manufacturing and assembly of micro components; that's why they come to us. If there's some aspect of the component that might interfere with assembly, we may be able to identify and correct it long before it becomes a problem.

Q. How important is the finishing process - de-burring, cleaning, polishing, etc. - to the overall quality of a manufactured part?

BH: It's huge. Many of the parts we produce go into electrical devices, so not properly de-burring, cleaning or polishing them will probably inhibit their end use. All of our parts require some cleaning and about 80 to 90 percent of them have some critical criteria that requires de-burring, cleaning or surface finishing. It's a critically important part of our entire production process.

Q. What are some of the in-house secondary operations that Bigelow offers and how do these capabilities open up options for customers?

BH: Especially when it comes to complex shapes, our automated secondary operations capabilities open up a whole range of options. Some parts, for example, may have a hole in the middle and it may be easier to punch it in a secondary operation. Other parts may have sharp corners like a square or a rectangle or even a hexagonal shape. There's no way to machine that, but we can trim the part to whatever shape is needed. We've also done parts where we need to trim the outside diameter but because of their complexity, we're unable to hold tolerances all around. Trimming them in sections, however, allows the tighter tolerances.

Q. We're talking about micro components. Is there an ideal size range that best fits your capabilities?

BH: With cold heading, we can produce parts from wire diameters of .015 inches to .475 inches. With stamping, we can go even smaller, material thickness from .002 inches, all the way up to .250 inches.

Q. What's the smallest part you've ever produced?

BH: We produce an electrical rivet contact made of fine silver with a body diameter of .018 inches and a head diameter of .038 inches. It's about the size of a "T" on the back of a dime. Your hair is .004 inches in diameter, so it's four to five times the thickness of a human hair.

Q. From an end use standpoint, where are some of your components used?

BH: Many of them wind up in industrial electronic devices, and electrical applications, telecommunications and surge protection devices. Some are components that go into circuit breakers or are part of a switch. Still others go into electrical devices as opposed to a mechanical device where they hold something together or cause it to move. Here's a bit of Bigelow history: we made a part used in a switch in one of the first manned space explorations.

Q. Can you describe a part that you make that you're especially proud of and explain why?

BH: Have you ever used Johnson & Johnson dental floss? Did you notice the small metal piece that you use to cut the floss to length? We've been making that part for the past 18 years. J&J is very proud of the quality of their product and we are very proud that our commitment to service and delivery has allowed us to maintain this strong relationship.

Q. What are some of the common misperceptions that people have about the micro-manufacturing industry?

BH: Unfortunately, the micro-manufacturing industry is not well understood. Most people are more familiar with machining than they are with cold heading and stamping, so there is usually a learning component at the beginning of most of our conversations. Fortunately, this is a conversation that we are eager to have.

Understanding the costs associated with our work requires some additional explaining, especially for new clients. Sometimes the material alone costs more than they budgeted for the completed part.

Add in the cost of expert toolmakers and operators, not to mention the cost of complex dies, and the total cost can be a surprise, especially for customers who are unfamiliar with our processes. As part of Bigelow's initial project assessment, we consider all options and regularly present our clients with cost-effective suggestions and alternatives that can fall well within their budgetary guidelines.

Q. What are some the most common questions that customers or potential customers ask you?

BH: Environmental responsibility is an obvious top-of-mind consideration when it comes to manufacturing of any kind today. People want to know what Bigelow is doing in the way of sustainability.

Q. There has been a lot of mainstream news lately about manufacturing slowly returning to the United States? What's your perspective on this?

BH: I think that some manufacturing will come back, but probably only more high-end complex products. I can't see any way that smaller, less expensive stuff will ever come back. When it comes to quality and complexity, however, American manufacturing has a real advantage because we can get things done no matter how daunting the challenges or obstacles may be. Just look at the automotive and aerospace industries, or the defense and military applications that we rarely hear about. There is nothing better anywhere in the world, and absolutely nothing we can't do when we try.

There are also hidden costs associated with offshore manufacturing of complex parts - shipping, not having goods on time, questionable quality, just to name a few. Saving a few cents per product can result in unintended consequences.

Q. You once said jokingly, "We're willing to try stupid things." What did you mean by that?

BH: When someone shows me a part and says, "You can't make this," I welcome the challenge. It may be crazy but we'll try it anyway, and many times, to everyone's surprise, it works! Theory, experience and "rules of thumb" are great, but sometimes you just have to go with your instincts. You'd be surprised by some of the things you can make with today's machines and technology.

Trial and failure is the pathway to discovery and innovation. Just look at all the scientists and engineers who were told, "You can't do that. It won't work." They tried it anyway and succeeded. That's a principle on which my father built Bigelow, and I'm committed to maintaining it.

About Bigelow Components Corporation

Bigelow Components Corporation, located in Springfield, NJ, has been providing the highest quality parts, innovative solutions and responsive service for more than 50 years. The company provides cold heading and stamping services to manufacturers that require precision custom components for product assembly. For more information, visit www.bigelowcomponents.com or contact Brett Harman at (973) 467-1200 or by email at b.harman@bigelowcomponents.com.

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