Manufacturing of Metal ball bearing slides from sheet metal

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

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.

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

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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.

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.

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.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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 :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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