Versatility Gives Better Chance to Compete
                                                                                                                                                     by Bob Loudermilk

Today’s “Cold Heading” marketplace gets tougher to compete in every day.  Old, as well as newer clients want lower prices, better quality, and less stock in their own inventory.  They also want a vendor who can manufacture and supply a larger variety of formed parts.  I’m sure in the minds of our customers, their ideal supplier would be that of, an entity who can quickly quote, manufacture, and ship any type of screw, bolt, rivet, nut, pin, and special in under 4 weeks.  The Greek mythological God Zeus would have trouble with that delivery.  Most fastener buyers aren’t concerned with specifics involved with producing their parts, ie..(engineering, tool ordering and lead time, wire availability, machine time, outside finishing) etc..  Their primary focus is centered on a smaller vendor base who can satisfy their demands in the timeframe in which they are allotted.

For those of us who have evolved into more of a narrow product category, it makes it harder to compete against a well oiled, full line house.  That is, unless your niche includes special value added parts that most other forming shops just don’t want to, or can’t deal with.  Simple one die two blow, or even some two die two blow, low to medium carbon parts, just don’t generate the necessary profit margin needed to survive anymore.  These companies are sadly becoming a dying breed.  This is why the current trend of multi die station parts have become much more popular, and attractive to heading companies.

Does anyone actually review old “no quotes”, to see what type of work they have been missing out on over the years?  Most of the time, these parts that have been passed over because of lack of capabilities.  “We have the engineering and set up capability, but we just can’t budget a multi-die machine that has a short enough term of return on investment”.   

Quality Rebuilding Corp. has a high tech., high quality machine in stock, right now, that can give an up and coming company with the right attitude, a leg up on the competition.  It’s a multi-die station bolt parts former that has several important design enhancements, which makes the owner of it, a real game changer. 

Maker: Chun Zu       Model: CBP-135LLA      Dies: 5      Location: Valparaiso, Indiana   

The CBP-135LLA isn’t just an ordinary bolt parts former.  It’s a hybrid monster.  A 13mm machine on steroids with a beefy, highly engineered 18mm cutoff.  This allows you to impact extrude a much larger diameter, down into a smaller nominal size.  This feature grants you admittance into another realm as far as larger head sizes go.  Another freaky attribute of this beast, is that it is a 5 die machine, built on a 6 die frame.  This means a highly rigid machine frame with way bigger hammers and dies.  This equates into larger diameter carbide, which can handle more press.  Now, instead of blowing the press you need to form complicated heads, you have the luxury of using larger die bore sizes the way you always wished you could.  This may seem like a lot of jacked up headerman lingo, but what it means to the cost justification execs in the office, is that now we can compete on a higher level with a machine that should cost more than twice as much, run better quality parts faster, and make a higher marginal income.

The CBP-135LLA is currently set up on critical engine bolts. 

If you’d like to see it run, please contact me, and I will be happy to set up a visitation.  Email: bob.l@pft.company  or call Bob Loudermilk at: 219-413-6128 or If you would like to find more information about pricing or availability for this machinery, please contact

                                                                       Bob Loudermilk @
                                                                       Patriot Forming Technologies
                                                                       Tel.: 219-413-6128
                                                                       Email: bob.l@PFT.Company
                                                                       Website:  www.pft.company