Case Study

All-in-One Ball Joint: A Case Study

Executive Summary

A prospective customer was having sourcing, quality, assembly and maintenance issues with some of the ball joint components used on the front suspension of rugged utility vehicles. CCTY Bearing Company designed a solution that eliminated the ball joint issues, which also proved to be:

  • Less expensive
  • Cleaner and faster to assemble on the production line
  • Easier to source by consolidating three part numbers
  • More reliable than previous parts

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Forklift Tie Rod Saves OEM Cost & Improves Service Life

When a forklift OEM provided samples for a tie rod quote, CCTY Bearing Company engineers took a look at the overall design. Based on knowledge from working with similar applications in the commercial truck industry, the engineers were able to improve the tie rods used in the steering mechanism.

Tie rods in forklift steering are traditionally metal-on-metal, which requires periodic re-greasing and leads to a shortened lifespan. They also include a coil spring and two cups behind the ball joint. CCTY Bearing Company’s design utilized a metal on nylon, self-lubricating design that eliminated the need for cups and the spring – providing cost savings.

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Bronze Bushing Order Leads to Critical Design Improvement

A new large construction vehicle design required an array of aluminum bronze bushing sizes. CCTY Bearing Company reviewed the application, its loads, and the mating components of the requested bushings. Concern was raised that the design lengths of the bushings were too long relative to the application loads on the shafts. The kind of loads that might create excessive shaft deflection within the bushings length.

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Keeping Bearing Deliveries on Schedule During a Strike

Executive Summary

Mast Guides and Side Rollers for Material Handling Forklifts

When contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union and waterfront employers broke down, shoremen went on a work stoppage, which eventually led to a strike. As a result, containers were left to languish on the water for weeks.

CCTY Bearing Company was monitoring the progression of talks and began routing shipments through an alternate source weeks before the strike. This foresight allowed customers to keep their production lines on schedule without an increase in transportation fees.

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Bearing Redesign Response: New Parts Shipped in 70 Days

Snowmobile bearingsExecutive Summary

A snowmobile customer needed a stronger ball joint than what was originally specified for a new design. The part had been approved and orders placed. However, after analyzing the ball joint in field tests, it was determined that the stud needed to be enlarged without expanding the housing. CCTY Bearing Company’s engineers designed a solution that adhered to part specifications in just one week. Due to the timely response, the client was able to reorder without delaying the production schedule and continue testing the sled without interruption.

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