SAFETY FOR LESS
Reducing Machining, Weight, and Costs

When it comes to safety, the golden rule is "never compromise" – not, "at any cost." So when a manufacturer of industrial safety harnesses wanted to improve its "sayflink" (a moveable device attached to a horizontal safety wire that can stop the fall of a worker), Signicast found a way to reduce the cost while actually increasing the quality of this crucial part.

The original component consisted of three-piece assembly requiring machining, stamping, forming, and welding. To replace it, Signicast engineers were able to design an assembly consisting of two investment cast pieces, eliminating nearly all the machining in the process. The result is a 20% savings in weight (making the sayflink easier to handle in dangerous situations), an improved design (larger radii and smoother edges), and added strength (the piece is cast in 17-4 PH stainless steel). All of which ensured that the only thing to drop with regard to the sayflink was the cost.