Bent Wire from William Hughes gets you on the move
18 January 2013
The accelerator pedal assembly on many modern cars looks to most people like a piece of cleverly bent wire - but to manufacturer William Hughes Ltd, it is a critical component with precise dimensions that has been designed to meet key safety requirements.
Added to this, the component has a complex shape, needs to be strong and durable, and suitable for manufacture in large quantities at a low cost. William Hughes is used to such challenges and has many years experience in the manufacture of bent wire components for a wide range of applications. Its engineers have a wealth of knowledge and expertise, aided by the latest computer design software and CNC controlled machinery.
Using these resources, William Hughes is able to design and manufacture complex bent wire parts that meet customer’s specifications for dimensional accuracy and strength. For example, a typical bent wire pedal bar may require as many as eight bends in three dimensions to achieve the required shape. Each bend has to be precisely applied to the component with consistency and accuracy.
Some manufacturers require additional individual variations for example, a tapered boss welded to one end of the wire. To achieve this with high accuracy, William Hughes designed a special assembly jig that provides a foolproof method of feeding the parts into an automatic welding machine.
Variations for other two or three dimensional wire forms include twists, turns, spirals, protrusions, indentations and ‘pips’ that enable plastic components to be used to rigidly link assemblies together. When the components have completed their bending and forming they
are finished using an e-coating (electrophoretic painting) process – an environmentally friendly process that applies a durable black coating to the component with a uniform thickness.
There are many other examples of projects where William Hughes has worked with its customers to engineer the best solution and then manufacture to a high quality and low cost using its high capacity production plant, which is one of the most sophisticated in the world.
The William Hughes product range includes compression springs, tension springs, wire forms, PCB test points and spring wire. Stringent quality checks to ISO 9001:2008 and
TS 16949, combined with the latest design, production and distribution techniques ensure continuity of supply, rapid delivery and competitive prices across the range.
Other Press Releases By This Company
- 30/08/2023 - Significant investment keeps automotive supply chain agile and just-in-time
- 27/04/2023 - Over-moulded Lumbar Structure
- 10/01/2023 - Technology investment boosts cleanroom capabilities at William Hughes
- 09/06/2022 - William Hughes is welded to success
- 13/01/2022 - New tech, new capacity & new capabilities at William Hughes
- 09/08/2021 - Insulated bus bars formed without coating damage thanks to new approach to bending
- 03/12/2020 - William Hughes goes solar with Low Carbon Dorset - saving energy costs and reducing its carbon footprint
- 12/08/2020 - Springing into action saves the day for automotive tier one
- 19/12/2019 - William Hughes boxes clever with spot welded assembly for storage tray
- 19/11/2019 - Test Point Beads Provide a Fast and Flexible Way to Insulate and Support Components on Printed Circuit Boards
- 13/08/2019 - William Hughes can now offer Electrophoretic Painting for the protection for metal parts
- 08/07/2019 - William Hughes introduces metrology services for high precision manufacturing following the acquisition of JK Metrology
- 14/03/2019 - Salt spray testing keeps a check on corrosion-resistance at William Hughes
- 25/10/2018 - Secondary processes and finishes for springs and wire components
- 27/09/2018 - Passivation explained and demonstrated
- 31/05/2018 - William Hughes uses testing to guarantee components meet endurance requirements
- 12/12/2017 - William Hughes vacuum formed trays help protect valuable parts during storage and transportation
- 11/10/2017 - William Hughes expands European operations with the acquisition of Nosag Polska Sp. z o.o. from the DEFTA Group
- 14/09/2017 - William Hughes meets new challenges for high performance spring in critical aerospace application
- 07/08/2017 - William Hughes takes the stress out of spring specification
- 22/03/2017 - Critical components cleaned to the most demanding quality standards, approvals and specifications
- 17/02/2017 - Ultrasonic cleaning comes to Southern Manufacturing & Electronics
- 13/12/2016 - William Hughes shares spring making secrets on youtube
- 12/10/2016 - William Hughes invests £1/4 million in latest welding technology to meet growing demand for automotive seat frames
- 29/06/2016 - William Hughes apprentice programme provides young people with engineering career opportunities
- 06/06/2016 - Latest 3D measurement scanner from William Hughes
- 18/02/2016 - Clean bill of health for William Hughes
- 18/01/2016 - Specialist springs from William Hughes help improve car comfort and safety
- 11/04/2014 - William Hughes celebrates 10 years of success in Bulgaria
- 21/01/2014 - William Hughes is sole supplier of specialist compression springs to Eaton Fluid Power in Havant
- 25/10/2013 - William Hughes adds strength and versatility to its wire components with new overmoulding capability
- 16/09/2013 - Coiled and ready for action
- 08/08/2013 - Wire-form & Spring specialist expands services portfolio
- 28/06/2013 - William Hughes continues to grow its manufacturing facilities in Bulgaria
- 11/02/2013 - Passivation Plant reduces lead time for spring and bent wire forming
- 30/01/2013 - Plasma Welding expertise at William Hughes
- 20/12/2012 - William Hughes Spring Technology at the heart of Deltex Blood Flow Monitor
- 07/12/2012 - Speedy wire solution to rear car seat frame challenge
- 02/11/2012 - Improved Spiral Springs from William Hughes
- 05/09/2012 - Need double torsion springs? No problem for William Hughes
- 03/09/2012 - William Hughes achieves NADCAP accreditation
- 16/07/2012 - Hughes expands Compression and Torsion Spring ranges
