Precision Aluminum Brake Shaft Bearing Blocks for Welding Equipment
McCormick Industries partnered with a major welding equipment OEM to produce and assemble a precision brake shaft bearing block assembly. This project required exacting dimensional control, consistent assembly interface geometry, and a fully integrated machining-to-assembly process.
Every operation — from billet machining through final assembly — was completed in-house, ensuring total process control and precision.
Component Design
Each bearing block is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum billet to deliver the ideal combination of rigidity, light weight, and corrosion resistance. The design demanded:
- Four precision-drilled mounting holes for accurate frame alignment.
- A central bearing bore machined to ±0.0004″ total tolerance, ensuring absolute concentricity across paired blocks.
- Surface finishes held to Ra 125 on all bearing-fit contact surfaces.
Precision CNC Machining
This project leveraged McCormick’s TC-22A CNC Machining Center, optimized for tight-tolerance production. Key process details include:
- High-speed precision boring of the center hole to maintain tight diameter and concentricity.
- Precision fixturing to eliminate deflection and maintain orientation between operations.
- Quality verification of all critical features before assembly release.
In-House Assembly
Once machined, all bearing blocks move directly into McCormick’s dedicated assembly department for subassembly integration. Assembly steps include:
- Press-fitting precision bearings into front and rear blocks under controlled alignment.
- Installing a custom-machined shaft, produced in-house using multi-axis Swiss turning.
- Joining the blocks with four precision Swiss-turned fasteners manufactured by McCormick to ensure exact bolt preload and block-to-block alignment.
Prior to final assembly all components were cleaned and inspected for runout and parallelism. Once assembled, they were packaged for direct OEM line installation.
Performance Results
The completed assemblies exceeded customer expectations for performance consistency and dimensional precision, confirming McCormick Industries’ capability to deliver production-grade mechanical assemblies for demanding industrial applications.
McCormick Industries provides complete machining, turning, and assembly solutions — from raw material to installation-ready subassemblies — all under one roof.
Precision CNC Milling Services from McCormick Industries
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