World Wide Fittings-Davenport

World Wide Fittings, located in Chicago, specializes in the manufacture of steel tube and pipe fitting components, supplying over 150 million components annually to domestic and foreign markets. Everything they manufacture meets ISO, SAE and any customer-specific standards. Dan Holt, Plant Manager, with recent success with his National Acmes and Logan Clutches, decided to retrofit a model B Davenport screw machine with a Logan Clutch Hi-Lo Retrokit, and CS 2001XTP controller.

The retrofit met and exceeded all expectations. The easy-to-install, air-operated Logan clutch eliminates the constant adjustment problems of the original Davenport mechanical clutches, roll clutch, band brake, and linkages. Engagement and disengagement now are smooth and positive. The new quick-stop, power-applied brake prevents machine coasting. With the fast-acting clutch, World Wide now has the ability to run the machine at full index speed for a greater part of its cycle.  Dan Holt reports that he has seen an increase by over 500 pieces per shift, over conventional mechanical clutches.

Without the addition of the CS 2001XTP during set-up, the operator had to stay in a position to monitor the end of the raw bar stock, in order to stop the feed to protect the tooling from damage by the bar end. Because the arrival of the end could not be predicted accurately, the operator spent a fair amount of time just standing around waiting for it. But with the Logan product implementation, the controller now automatically shuts the machine down at the end of each bar. The operator can leave the machine unattended and be in other places, freeing up close to 30 minutes of the day.