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High Pressure / Welding Industry Background A major R&D company that had recently been awarded a contract with one of the ‘Big Three’ for cylinders for transport vehicles was presented with the challenge of developing a new product line of regulators and valves. If successful, the line would be useful to automobile manufacturers and bus manufacturers alike, offering each the ability to significantly reduce air pollution. Due to the ever-present danger of explosions from pressurized gas, this is an industry segment that is heavily scrutinized and regulated by industry and government. Safety is the watchword. The company intended to produce a regulator for the natural gas fuel system by machining parts from a 3.5” diameter brass bar. The machined prototype met established safety requirements and also attained pressure requirements of up to 12,000 PSI, however the complex geometry resulted in an expensive component. Challenge The company faced a dual challenge. Safety was paramount, and was not to be compromised. However, the economic justification of the regulator appeared prohibitive for the project to continue. The cost of the product had to be reduced, but never at the expense of safety. Solution A ‘word-of-mouth’ referral brought the R&D group to Lofthouse. Several Lofthouse staff members reviewed the requirements, and concluded that if they forged the part using C37700 brass to near net shape, they could reduce the weight of the part and the final machining time and costs, while continuing to achieve high pressure requirements. Lofthouse answered the call, actually achieving a pressure rating of 14,000 psi, and a machining cost reduction of about 75%. Lofthouse was subsequently asked to produce four additional parts that required the high strength and pressure tightness of a forged component, as well as the use of a corrosion resistant material. This Lofthouse-inspired technology was licensed to a third party
that still uses the concept to produce regulators.
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Automotive
Industry Case Study