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Seeking Manufacturer for Machined Brass Parts

Sileff

Plastic
Joined
Oct 1, 2020
Hello,
My name is Jeff and I am a US Regional Category Manager for ABB (formally Thomas & Betts). We are seeking a manufacturing company to machine brass caps that are assembled on our high voltage fuse products. Attached is a picture showing an example of this type of product.

If your company is capable and interested in machining these brass caps please private message me so we can discuss the details further. If anyone has a recommendation for us on a company who specializes in machining brass, especially machining brass dry, please let us know. Please only domestic suppliers (lower 48 states) preferably in the mid-south to southeastern states.

Hi-Tech+current-limiting+fuses+Why+Hi-Tech.jpg

Cheers,
Jeff
 
Qty schedule and payment plans are gonna have to be disclosed up front, long before tolerances and details.
 
Also no idea of the physical size and what you want provided.
 
Jeff, upload a detailed drawing of the part you want produced, with the material and quantity you need. Then we can give you a quote, the photo means nothing.
 
Do you still have the idled building somewhere out on lamar @ shelby drive near Mahaffey? Seems like a good spot to put in a machine shop, I would say the Island is better for everything but you already have a climate controlled building with docks. With the medtronic layoffs you have operators available. Hire 11 people and you likely get to reduce property tax to zero... not that I am pro MEM subsidizing multi-national companies, but I know reality. Start a shop in Crosstown and get all the free hip and trendy pr and have really good coffee as employee benefit, AND you have Moore tech just down the street for labor farm.

disclosure: I am proponent of jobs in Memphis.
 
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for all the interest. We've received allot of great responses. Let me try to provide as much information as I possibly can without getting myself into any non-disclosure related problems with the Legal Dept.

Let me start with each of the threads comments/questions first:
Q. Qty schedule and payment plans?
A. We purchase approx. 600,000 caps per year. There are about 40 different caps with the highest volume being roughly 70,000/yr.
A. I'm not sure what is meant by payment plans. ABB issues a PO for a quantity of caps, supplier invoices upon delivery, ABB pays at agreed upon terms.
Q. physical size and what you want provided
A. I'll try to answer that question in the best way I am allowed to. Based on the prints the caps range from 1-3/8" to 3-1/8" dia. and 1" - 2-1/8" in height.
A. What we need provided is a finished machined cap that meets all print tolerances and specifications. Some caps are plated so our supplier will need to have access to someone who can plate brass. Very few are plated. The caps are delivered in bulk plastic totes to the factory either once or twice a week depending on production demands.
Q. upload a detailed drawing of the part you want produced
A. Non-disclosure rules at ABB don't allow me to upload engineering drawings to the internet. I will, however, try to get something uploaded that has been sufficiently edited to avoid exposing any confidential information.
Q. the material you need
A. Based on the prints I've seen they all specify the same material, "360 Free Machining Brass." The ones that need to be plated say, "Dull tin plated."
Q. we can give you a quote
A. Honestly, we are not looking for a quote here on this forum. What we need is contact information for a company that can do this type of work so we can reach out to them, get an NDA signed, and provide them with all of the prints and information needed to provide a formal quote.

fuse.jpg

Cheers,
Jeff
 
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for all the interest. We've received allot of great responses. Let me try to provide as much information as I possibly can without getting myself into any non-disclosure related problems with the Legal Dept.

Let me start with each of the threads comments/questions first:
Q. Qty schedule and payment plans?
A. We purchase approx. 600,000 caps per year. There are about 40 different caps with the highest volume being roughly 70,000/yr.
A. I'm not sure what is meant by payment plans. ABB issues a PO for a quantity of caps, supplier invoices upon delivery, ABB pays at agreed upon terms.
Q. physical size and what you want provided
A. I'll try to answer that question in the best way I am allowed to. Based on the prints the caps range from 1-3/8" to 3-1/8" dia. and 1" - 2-1/8" in height.
A. What we need provided is a finished machined cap that meets all print tolerances and specifications. Some caps are plated so our supplier will need to have access to someone who can plate brass. Very few are plated. The caps are delivered in bulk plastic totes to the factory either once or twice a week depending on production demands.
Q. upload a detailed drawing of the part you want produced
A. Non-disclosure rules at ABB don't allow me to upload engineering drawings to the internet. I will, however, try to get something uploaded that has been sufficiently edited to avoid exposing any confidential information.
Q. the material you need
A. Based on the prints I've seen they all specify the same material, "360 Free Machining Brass." The ones that need to be plated say, "Dull tin plated."
Q. we can give you a quote
A. Honestly, we are not looking for a quote here on this forum. What we need is contact information for a company that can do this type of work so we can reach out to them, get an NDA signed, and provide them with all of the prints and information needed to provide a formal quote.

View attachment 300872

Cheers,
Jeff

I think what they are trying to say is, will you do Net 30 or be like some shady shops that go stupid and Net 120 or never pay on time.

and material makes sense as its C360, super common.
 
I guess I would nibble a bit on this, but I have an issue with NDA's somewhat.

You are asking someone to sign an NDA for a product that any of us at any day can run to our local sparky supply and buy and take apart?
Just exactly who are you trying to keep your info from?

Everyone seems to think that their stuff is rocket science.
But the enemy isn't likely to get your rocket. That's the difference.
Rusky even ended up with a U2, so ...

This makes as much sense as years ago when I dinked with MFG.com (an internet based route for China to git into the US market) and a fair amount of the companies wanted an NDA signed.

Really?
ANYONE in the world can download the file if they click this button.
What is the point?
What and who is that protecting?

We are here to make parts, not fuses.


If you are interested in me looking at your parts otherwise - my website and e-mail are under my name in the ULH corner of this post.



(Just ranting a bit)

------------------

I am Ox and I approve this h'yah post!
 
Last edited:
As someone who has worked with T&B in years past I'm a little skeptcal one look at the drawing and I think sketchy . That doesn't look like anything a company like T&B would Draw . Also with their resources why are they looking they have shops all over the country .It would be better for the OP to put his contact info up so we can check him out .
 
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for all the interest. We've received allot of great responses. Let me try to provide as much information as I possibly can without getting myself into any non-disclosure related problems with the Legal Dept.

Let me start with each of the threads comments/questions first:
Q. Qty schedule and payment plans?
A. We purchase approx. 600,000 caps per year. There are about 40 different caps with the highest volume being roughly 70,000/yr.
A. I'm not sure what is meant by payment plans. ABB issues a PO for a quantity of caps, supplier invoices upon delivery, ABB pays at agreed upon terms.
Q. physical size and what you want provided
A. I'll try to answer that question in the best way I am allowed to. Based on the prints the caps range from 1-3/8" to 3-1/8" dia. and 1" - 2-1/8" in height.
A. What we need provided is a finished machined cap that meets all print tolerances and specifications. Some caps are plated so our supplier will need to have access to someone who can plate brass. Very few are plated. The caps are delivered in bulk plastic totes to the factory either once or twice a week depending on production demands.
Q. upload a detailed drawing of the part you want produced
A. Non-disclosure rules at ABB don't allow me to upload engineering drawings to the internet. I will, however, try to get something uploaded that has been sufficiently edited to avoid exposing any confidential information.
Q. the material you need
A. Based on the prints I've seen they all specify the same material, "360 Free Machining Brass." The ones that need to be plated say, "Dull tin plated."
Q. we can give you a quote
A. Honestly, we are not looking for a quote here on this forum. What we need is contact information for a company that can do this type of work so we can reach out to them, get an NDA signed, and provide them with all of the prints and information needed to provide a formal quote.

View attachment 300872

Cheers,
Jeff

Does your purchasing dept know your out looking for vendors?

Nothing wrong with that, but I've seen a few situations where everything went swimmingly between engineers/managers and new potential vendors go south when purchasing got involved. "wait a moment, you said net 30, purchasing is saying we'll be on net 90, whats going on?"

Or have you discovered their (purchasing) not capable of looking for vendors outside of their already established network?
 
As someone who has worked with T&B in years past I'm a little skeptcal one look at the drawing and I think sketchy . That doesn't look like anything a company like T&B would Draw . Also with their resources why are they looking they have shops all over the country .It would be better for the OP to put his contact info up so we can check him out .

Maybe that AS9100 dude is back ... :hole:
 
I have a beautiful shop in Stanhope NJ. Two CNC lathes (Okuma and Mori Seiki) and two CNC machining centers. All are in excellent condition. I would love to quote!
-Doug
 
I guess I would nibble a bit on this, but I have an issue with NDA's somewhat.

You are asking someone to sign an NDA for a product that any of us at any day can run to our local sparky supply and buy and take apart?
Just exactly who are you trying to keep your info from?

Everyone seems to think that their stuff is rocket science.
But the enemy isn't likely to get your rocket. That's the difference.
Rusky even ended up with a U2, so ...

This makes as much sense as years ago when I dinked with MFG.com (an internet based route for China to git into the US market) and a fair amount of the companies wanted an NDA signed.

Really?
ANYONE in the world can download the file if they click this button.
What is the point?
What and who is that protecting?

We are here to make parts, not fuses.


If you are interested in me looking at your parts otherwise - my website and e-mail are under my name in the ULH corner of this post.


------------------

I am Ox and I approve this h'yah post!

OMG! Exactly what I was thinkin, who needs an NDA for a stupid simple cap/tube end??? :D

I fi I could find it in a store, I could disassemble and model the damn thing in an hour or less. BUT, when I worked at mega corp they did stupid stuff like that so...??

edit: we do specialize in brass machining, but neither myself, or (pretty sure) my company would be interested in these probably $1 profit parts
 
Everything is nda. We have done work for thomas + betts; something similar to a train truck with two beams spanning a large length with a winch riding on those. It could be used to lift something and move it anywhere in its gantry envelope. Not as bad as refineries that have no shop copies of drawing allowed for - stairs and rails. It sucks for everyone down stream, but somehow it makes logic for suits. Gets grey area when you want to sub out some plates for laser, what point is a square with two holes special? I am sure exxon would love to know that part shell uses to hold stair to catwalk.
T+B paid us in timely manner, and that is almost rare in construction/fabrication world.

I do think it would be better if Jeff talked suits into a small satellite forge/machine facility. GSK building with view of the river (when high), walking trail, and deer in the front yard is for lease on the Island. 5 loading bays, new roof, climate controlled- do it! You already have parts lined up to make.
 
As someone who has worked with T&B in years past I'm a little skeptcal one look at the drawing and I think sketchy . That doesn't look like anything a company like T&B would Draw . Also with their resources why are they looking they have shops all over the country .It would be better for the OP to put his contact info up so we can check him out .

I didn't look at the drawing, I've never seen a T&B drawing, but that's one of the most amatuerish drawings I've seen in a while.

ASS9100D is back in town!
 
I didn't look at the drawing, I've never seen a T&B drawing, but that's one of the most amatuerish drawings I've seen in a while.

-As someone that once worked for T&B I can tell you that there are thousands of drawings that resemble this one for several reasons. If the OP would reveal which CAD program was used to create this drawing it would help verify authenticity. Why the OP is doing this can be for a couple of reasons that come to mind but I'll withhold comment. I'd also like to ask which facility is targeted for final assembly if the OP can reveal this. If answers to any of these questions the public can view is verboten a PM is fine with me and the information will not be disclosed. I don't break the rice bowl of anybody.
 
I have a beautiful shop in Stanhope NJ. Two CNC lathes (Okuma and Mori Seiki) and two CNC machining centers. All are in excellent condition. I would love to quote!
-Doug

If this isn't the return of AS9100, I think someone would need a lot more equipment than that to handle the volume proposed.
 
600K EAU out of 360 is not much.

This is multi-spindle screw machine territory, not single spindle CNC.

And it will be ran WAY cheaper than most any of you think.
To land this work - you need to be in an exchange program with the brass mill (which is 7 miles from me).


Now if the parts were ran out of Eco-Brass (unleaded) then it would be more what y'all are thinking.
Case in point - I just fetched a cpl brass barb fittings a cpl days ago, and they were $$$
Then I noticed that they had been single pointed.
I'm sure they were unleaded brass to justify single pointing.
I'm told that stuff runs about like stainless.


----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
A. I'm not sure what is meant by payment plans. ABB issues a PO for a quantity of caps, supplier invoices upon delivery, ABB pays at agreed upon terms.

There is rarely agreement, large firms pay based on their treasury policy - you're dictate to. Those terms are material in identifying suppliers who can do/will to this work. Many won't be interested if its the 90-120 days. otoh if you offer a five day discount that'll attract leaner meaner vendors
 
OMG! Exactly what I was thinkin, who needs an NDA for a stupid simple cap/tube end??? :D

Whether an NDA is needed or makes sense is irrelevant. Its box ticking. You'll waste a lot of time arguing with policies created in the bureaucracies of billion dollar companies.
 








 
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