Steel wire makes threaded linkhook

William Hughes has manufactured a threaded linkhook with many bends, designed for use in the diesel pumps in lorries and cars.

The small component starts off as a piece of wire just 117.4mm long, which has to meet precise dimensional tolerances.

Based on a 2.6mm diameter length of annealed steel wire, the component passes through five different processes before it is ready for use.

The first stage is to form a hook at one end and a chamfer on the other using a rotary table, six-stage blanking machine.

The partly formed component then moves to a thread-cutting machine, where a 20mm long thread (4 x 40 UNC) is cut on the chamfered end.

The component is then subject to a press bend and two hand bends to form the precise shape required, before being case-hardened in a special sealed quenched furnace.

The completed linkhook is then checked for accuracy to the correct dimensions and specification, using high-technology inspection equipment.

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