Not the material I expected

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Anybody who has assembled furniture will have come across these devices. One of today’s tasks was putting together a very low cost (and low quality) bedside cupboard thing. In my experience these cam-locking things are diecast from a zinc based alloy.These are magnetic!

Very little material in them but I’m not sure how they are formed but they are plated steel.

Ian P

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Astonishing

MichaelG.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

It’s Cheesium Jim , “but not as we know it”

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Presumably machined from bar stock on an NC lathe, which will turn the basic cup then cut the side slots with a milling-spindle, then the screwdriver slots punched and the markings stamped?

Machining surface finish not critical….

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

🙂 !

I would be much more likely to believe that they had found a way to make either the plating or the casting magnetic, Nigel

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ probably not the exact component, but this gives some idea of how economically-priced such items are:

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/cam-connector-with-rim-15mm-diameter-15mm-locking-centre-nickel-plated-pack-of-50-991512?

vat=1&GSP=true&srsltid=AfmBOoourT5dN0yWgE6BsGeVtGRSN6v7iokN4UFqJ-SLL_JIB3yNayfNjIQ

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

They look like stamped and pressed to me.
Outline stamped from strip and then pressed through a circular die to make it into a cup. Possibly multiple stages. It’s surprising how fast complex shapes can be made like this.

Robert.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If it is nickel  plate or nickel under chrome it will be weakly magnetic.

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

At first I thought it was possibly the plating that might be magnetic but decided from the amount of grip a Neodymium magnet had that the object itself was ferrous.

It is plated steel and was probably hot stamped/pressed into a cup shape and then has the apertures punched and the remaining parts of the tubular wall bent into shape.

What surprises me is that this method of manufacture could be cheaper than diecasting.

I re-formed ‘tang’ with pliers, it’s about 3mm a 1.4mm thick and unsurprisingly, bends just like steel

Ian P

Robert beat me to it

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

I would suggest die forged steel followed by shearing and then plating.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Looks like sheet to me, in 2 parts

Part 1 stamped and made circular, you can see the die marks

Part 2 stamped like a 5p coin

2 parts induction welded or whatever, together

Then dipped

you can see the grip marks on the outside of part 1

Being made of cheesium makes them easy to manipulate

(Only a guess btw)

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

My guess would be that having them magnetic enables advantages in automatic handling that justify a more expensive material than standard diecasting alloy.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

It amazes me how flatpack has changed over the years, mostly for the better, to be fair.

I’m currently replacing my dad’s kitchen. The old units were just screwed together. The new ones no longer have the locking pegs screwed in, they have expanding sections that lock them in place when you turn the clamps, making assembly much faster.

Some of the other small changes – wedges with a screw in that hold the back panels secure, easier to adjust hinges and doors that just clip in place. Much more expensive drawers, but they work really well.

It’s easy to complain, but I’m finding these units go together better in about half the time.

 

Neil

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