Manufacturing of Metal ball bearing slides from sheet metal

[salil gupta]

Hi,

We are the distributers of sheet metal, now looking to diversify.

As i could figure out that Ball Bearing drawer slides are made from sheet metal, I could not figure out the process of manufacturing.

As it would be required to be given the shape to hold in the bearings and another sliding member, I guess it can be made in bending machines. And the holes with the use of CNC punching machines. I might be wrong. Please advise.

I am young steel professional who wants to diversify, but unable to find right advice. Your help in this matter would be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
With Regards,

Salil Gupta

[Bruce Boone]

I would assume it's done with rollers on a continuous strip. That would allow it to be bent over center and allow the efficiency it would take to really make money at them.

[Dan Hintz]

Bruce has it... a roll of sheet metal that gets bent/chopped to length.

[salil gupta]

I would assume it's done with rollers on a continuous strip. That would allow it to be bent over center and allow the efficiency it would take to really make money at them.

Thanks Bruce, By this you mean it is done by the roll forming machine. You suggest the drilling(for holes) is done before or after the bending?
I would like to have some knowledge before I could go to the fabricator asking him for the machine design.

[Bruce Boone]

I would think a properly designed set of rollers could also punch the slots. There's nothing to say it can't be done on a smaller scale with a straight punch and die set though. It would take at least a 2 station die to bend to 90 degrees and another to overbend them. Unless you are doing boatloads of them, the cost of tooling of a rotary setup would be very expensive and may not pay you back.

[Wes Grass]

I don't think you'll get a good enough finish, so they'll roll smoothly, by bending. It's been a couple years since I had any in my hands to look at, but I kind of remember them having a burnished (or coined) finish in the tracks. I don't think it would be practical to do this any other way than roll forming.

[salil gupta]

I would think a properly designed set of rollers could also punch the slots. There's nothing to say it can't be done on a smaller scale with a straight punch and die set though. It would take at least a 2 station die to bend to 90 degrees and another to overbend them. Unless you are doing boatloads of them, the cost of tooling of a rotary setup would be very expensive and may not pay you back.

Thanks Bruce,

I am planning to actually make boatloads of them, so i guess rolling is the way to go for me.
Will start talking to the fabricators for the design i have in mind. Lets see how it goes :)

[salil gupta]

I don't think you'll get a good enough finish, so they'll roll smoothly, by bending. It's been a couple years since I had any in my hands to look at, but I kind of remember them having a burnished (or coined) finish in the tracks. I don't think it would be practical to do this any other way than roll forming.

I plan to do a small test in a while. Plan to get a C section channel done with bending and rolling done. Will see how it compares out.
But I see that once the rollers are set, its going to be much faster a process than bending each member separately.

Thanks