Tubular Configurations

Butt Seam

Our most popular configuration, the butt seam is highly rigid and features great columnar strength making it the perfect solution for demanding spacer and standoff applications. It is commonly used to separate two components with a screw, rod, or rivet passing through the inside diameter. It’s an economical replacement for cut tubes, machined parts, or powdered metal bushings.

Applications:

  • Spacers
  • Standoffs
  • Bushings
  • Hole Liners

Open Seam

Open Seam (or Gap Seam) bushings are designed to compress, enabling insertion into a hole, increasing the retention force of the bushing due to inherent “memory” or “spring back” in the material. Open seams are useful in cases where wires, sheet metal, rods or other material must be able to pass through the gap.

Applications:

  • Spring Pins
  • Compression Limiters
  • Coil Body Housings
  • Solenoid Housings
  • Tension Sleeves
  • Wear Strips

Coined Outer-Diameter Impressions

Coined impressions on the outer surface enable the tube to be locked in place when plastic is injected around it. The impressions prevent the tube from dislodging or from rotating in the application. Tubes with impressions are useful as compression limiters in plastic housings that may be removed for service work or routine maintenance. Locked in securely, the compression limiter will not be separated from the housing.

Applications:

  • Injection Molding
  • Rotational Molding
  • Compression Molding

Holes or Perforations

Our high-speed, hole-punching process eliminates the costly step of drilling or milling holes or slots into bushings after forming. Such perforations are frequently used for lubrication, pin-holes and locating slots. Hole diameter and location can be customized to exacting specifications.

Applications:

  • Tube & Pipe Couplings
  • Sleeve Bearings

Notches

Wisconsin Stamping & Manufacturing can customize spacers or tubes with notches or cutouts for any application. Notches can be used to lock an insert in place or prevent rotation of a component inserted into the ID of the spacer.  Additionally, notches can be used to pass wires through when used as a motor housing or solenoid body.

Applications:

  • Motor Housings
  • Solenoid Bodies

Diagonal Seam

Diagonal Seams are useful in spanner bushing applications where the split tube acts as a bearing race. The angle of the seam ensures any rolling element or sleeve will progressively engage and disengage when passing over the seam area. This effectively eliminates premature wear as well as audible “clicks” when a straight seam engages the roller all at once during the revolution. Frequently, heat-treated and centerless ground configurations are employed for long life and tight tolerances. Lubrication holes are commonly requested with this type of seam.

Applications:

  • Spanner Bushings
  • Bearing Inner Raceways
  • Bearing Outer Raceways
  • Caster Center Tubes

Internal Projections

Indentations that project into the inner diameter of the spacer tube are commonly used as a mechanical stop to limit the depth to which an object can be inserted into a spacer. Widely used in wire-forming applications as wire couplings and in automotive and off-road suspension bushings, our proprietary in-line process eliminates costly secondary operations commonly used to dimple after forming.

Applications:

  • Wire Form Couplings
  • Tube & Pipe Couplings
  • Suspension Bushing Inners

V-Joint

At times called a “Chevron” seam and available in various configurations, V-Joint seams are used where axial displacement of the bushing along the seam line is undesirable. This configuration has high axial strength and rigidity for high-load applications. Most often used as hollow alignment dowels, this configuration is also used as tension bushings, bearing inner races, and spanner bushings.

Applications:

  • Alignment Dowels
  • Tension Bushings
  • Inner Races of Sleeves
  • Spanner Bushings

Special Shapes

Our proprietary manufacturing method lends itself to any custom “net round” shapes. Some commonly manufactured shapes include Obround, Oval, Square, Hex and “D” configurations in a variety of lengths.

Applications:

  • Compression Limiters
  • Inserts
  • Weld Bosses
  • Spacers
  • Standoffs

Flanged End

A Flanged-end configuration provides a natural stop when inserting a spacer into a flat piece of sheet steel or other type of housing.  In addition the flanged end can function as a load bearing surface in applications that may see axial loads.

Applications:

  • Bushings
  • Bearings

Locking Seam

The Locking Seam ensures a more rigid tube design without the need for a traditional cut tube or welding the seam. Slippage along the seam will not occur when the tube is inserted into the assembly, even in applications that require significant force to properly seat the tube.

Applications:

  • Applications Subject to Axial Loads
  • Spanner Bushings
  • Compression Limiters

Overlap Seam

This specialized seam design accommodates expansion or compression of the sleeve by allowing the material to slide over itself on the sleeve overlap. Special tooling is generally required for this uncommon configuration.

Applications:

  • Customer Design Specific