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David Jablonowski, General Manager at Barber Spring presented with Awards at annual corporate conference
Barber Spring is a division of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation, one of 56 different divisions in the Wabtec Corporation. Recently, the annual corporate conference was held and all 56 divisions attended. During the conference, awards were presented for various achievements such a Safety, Quality, Service, Innovation. Barber Spring was the recipient of the Quality Award. The Quality Award recognizes Barber Spring as a leader in quality in the Wabtec Corporation. This is the second major award for Barber, the other being the Safety Award.
Aftermarket parts such as automotive aftermarket springs for the automotive industry is a complex and demanding business. Each component has strict tolerances and specifications which must be complied with for a part to function with the whole. Springs are no different as they are one of the most important parts of a car’s suspension system.
If the springs are not manufactured correctly the automobile’s steering, handling and ride could be significantly affected. Springs connect the car body to the wheels which in turn connect the car to the ground. They act as energy absorbing devices which allow flexibility in the suspension system. The stiffness and flexibility of the suspension is an integral part of the car’s ride and handling abilities, and serious accidents could occur if this is comprised.
At Barber Spring, we have the abilities to produce quality aftermarket automotive springs to spec. Springs can be reverse engineered from samples to produce identical products, or the numbers can be crunched to re-engineer the design. Springs can be used to lower or raise the ride of the car, increase the stiffness for a sportier feel, or allow for a variable/progress rate.
Whatever your aftermarket spring needs are, if you are an individual or a distributor, contact Barber Spring to see how we can help you.
Robert Anderson recently joined Barber Spring. His primary functions at Barber Spring include; quoting, technical sales, and engineering assistance in the field of industrial and railroad helical springs.
Robert is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science and a Nuclear Engineering Certificate. Robert was also a key member of the Pitt auto race team.
We are pleased to announce that Jim Schlegel, formerly of Alco Spring Industries, will be joining Barber Spring effective September 1,2013. Jim brings over 41 years of experience in spring design, quality assurance and field support. Jim is highly regarded throughout the spring industry.
The combination of Jim’s knowledge and experience in the spring industry along with Barber’s manufacturing capabilities will provide you with the best customer service, quality, and delivery in the industry. I ask that you give us the opportunity to provide you with a quotation so you can see for yourself the advantages of sourcing with Barber Spring.
In this video Plant Manager Paul Magee discusses the very important topics of safety performance at Barber Spring. Paul also discusses the spring manufacturing process and growth at Barber Spring.
Certain engineering applications involve springs that have progressive or variable rates. Unlike ordinary compression springs which are design to have a linear spring rate, these springs can have multiple rates or a progressively increasing/decreasing spring rate as the spring compresses. One way this can be done by varying the pitch, or the center to center distance between the coils. By doing this, some of the coils close up faster than the rest of the coils and become ‘inactive’, meaning they no longer absorb the compressive energy resulting from applied forces. By lessening the amount of active energy absorbing coils, the spring in turn becomes stiffer and the rate increases. A relatively new way of varying spring rates is by actually varying the material size itself. By machining different sections of bar to different diameters, and putting tapered transitional sections between the sizes, spring performance can be pushed to new limits. With this technology, increasingly greater ranges between rates can be obtained. Springs can even be designed to have a decreased rate as the spring compresses, which is not possible by varying the pitch alone. The transitions between spring rates can easily be controlled by how the spring is manufactured. Barber Spring currently has the resources and know-how to design and manufacture both variable pitch and variable bar springs. Engineers on staff can calculate and design springs to fit any progressive rate requirement you may have.
As in all fields of manufacturing, quality assurance is an important and integral part in fabricating hot wound helical springs. At Barber Spring we have a team dedicated to QA and testing which inspects finish good to insure the parts are with the latest ASTM or customer specifications. Barber Spring makes large springs as well as small, mid size, and very large springs.
We can perform load and rate testing, dimensional verification, metallurgical analysis, decarburization, magnetic particle inspection, ultrasonic inspection, and impact testing. Full certificates of compliance are provided upon request at no charge to our customers as well.
As in all fields of manufacturing, quality assurance is an important and integral part in fabricating hot wound helical springs. At Barber Spring we have a team dedicated to QA and testing which inspects finish good to insure the parts are with the latest ASTM or customer specifications. Barber Spring makes large springs as well as small, mid size, and very large springs. We can perform load and rate testing, dimensional verification, metallurgical analysis, decarburization, magnetic particle inspection, ultrasonic inspection, and impact testing. Full certificates of compliance are provided upon request at no charge to our customers as well.
In this video plant manager Paul Magee discusses a few spring testing procedures which are used in the process of making industrial springs at Barber Spring Company in Pittsburgh, PA. Many of the test are done based of specific customer requirements and each test has a process and procedure that helps to make a quality industrial spring.
In this video Barber Spring Plant Manager Paul Magee speaks candidly about his role in the high quality process of manufacturing industrial springs at Barber Spring Company in Pittsburgh. Mr. Magee also speaks about how his job is to make sure all things are smoothly flowing. Also how his role in the process is to make sure the right products, and order create on time deliver for industrial springs customers.
At Barber Spring we offer some of the most competitive pricing and top it off with great customer service. Great products are easy to find at Barber Spring, our dedicated customer service team and support is one of the best in the industry. If your looking for high quality hot wound industrial springs give us the opportunity to show you how we can make your springs on time and deliver a truly great product. This brief video is about our competitive pricing and great customer service at Barber Spring.
During the winter months, snow and ice can make the roads a hazardous place to be. Because of this most localities have a troop of snow plows that will clear and salt roads to make them safer for motorists.
Pot holes and other such ‘bumps in the road’ could potentially be damaging to plows and the plow blades. Because of this, many snow plows have spring actuated blades which allow them to flex as it moves over the ground. This is important in the fact that the spring absorbs the shock of an impact and not the blade or plow frame.
Most of the springs are compression springs which sit inside of a piston type actuator tube, protecting the metal from road salt and precipitation. Some plows also use large torsion springs which torque the blades and keep them in a down facing position.
No matter the design, springs are an integral part in snow plow design and functionality.
In this brief video General Manager Dave Jablonowski talks about how Barber Spring has been in business since 1905. The fact that Barber makes quality industrial springs is well known and not only does Barber Spring serve the local companies in Pittsburgh, PA. but also serves many international client in Europe, Asia, and Africa just to name a few.
Barber Spring takes great pride also in its quick turnaround, exceptional customer service, fast lead time and large steel inventory. All these factors make Barber Spring the clear choice when your looking for high quality hot wound springs. Enjoy the video friends!
In this short video David Jablonowski, General Manager at Barber Spring talks some more on customer service and how his company maintains one of the highest levels of great customer service to all its clients.
- Barber Springs Lead Time is one of the fastest in the Industrial Spring Manufacturing Industry, currently our lead time for hot wound industrial springs is at 3 weeks.
- Barber Spring has the ability for quick turnarounds one week or less.
- Barber Spring makes large helical springs over 4” (101 mm) bar diameter.
- Barber Spring builds high-quality Industrial hot wound springs at a competitive price and extend a personalized service to each customer.
- Barber Spring combines modern manufacturing equipment and an extensive material handling capability.
- Barber Spring has a complete inventory of steel for the Industrial, Transit, and Railroad Markets.
- Barber Spring is a Lean Manufacturing Facility.
- Barber Springs has 100 plus years of spring manufacturing expertise.
- Barber Springs has factory direct pricing, global distribution, engineering assistance, and are ISO 9001:2008 and AARM M-1003 Certified.
- Barber Spring has manufacturing capabilities that are among the most unique in the world.
- Barber Spring has Bar diameters range from ½ inch to 4 inch (12 mm to 100 mm), Outside diameters from 1.875 inches to 24 inches (48 mm to 602 mm), Free lengths from 2 inches to 72 inches (50 mm to 1828 mm).
- Barber Spring does non destructive testing, hardness testing, Load testing, Shot Peening, Cycle Testing, Powder Coating, and other Coatings.
Dave Jablonowski, General Manager at Barber Spring talks in this video about Barber Spring Processing and Inventory. Barber Spring does all the processing in Pittsburgh, Pa. The steel is purchased from domestic providers, then various processes create our exceptional quality hot wound springs. Barber Spring has an extensive steel inventory, with business divided into two main categories – industrial, and railroad freight car.
Bob Dreher, Sales Manager at Barber Spring talks in this video about his role at the company. Also discussed is Wabtec and the vast resources, representative groups, and global sales force of Wabtec. The importance of customer service is briefly discussed and how competition in the manufacturing of industrial springs is fierce.
Helical compression springs basically are mechanical devices which store and release energy. They are used in a wide variety of applications where predictable flexibility is desired. Here at Barber Spring we specialize in large helical compression springs for use in: Actuators, Valves, Snow Removal, Railroad, Locomotives, Freight car, Agriculture, Construction, Elevator, Mining and Aggregate, Petrochemical, Pipe Hanger & Support, Playground, Power Generation, Transportation, Vibration Isolation, Industrial Equipment, Material Handling, Automotive, and Nuclear.
Actuators & Valves: Actuators in the most basic definition are motors for moving or controlling a system. Our springs are used in a variety of industrial uses in the actuator field. Most commonly, a spring canister/piston arrangement is used to create a linear actuator that can works as an on/off switch for a mechanical system.
In addition, our springs are used in the valve industry where large forces are needed to shut off and open up pipe lines and fluid flow systems. Our springs make their way into safety release valves as well. These valves are designs to stay shut until a critical pressure level in the fluid system is reached. Once this point has been reached the spring is designed to compress and release pressure to prevent damage and catastrophic failure.
This video shows Barber Spring G.M. Dave Jablonowski speaking about how recently Barber Spring Installs New Hot Wound Spring Coiler. This great new coiler is capable of coiling hot wound industrial springs up to 4 inch bar diameter. Also in the video, discussion includes world wide standards and certifications for quality at Barber Spring. Barber Spring has fast lead time and continues to improve its equipment to meet the demands of the industrial spring manufacturing industry.
Barber Spring can coil Large Hot Wound Springs. These Springs are some of the largest Industrial springs in the world. Large spring steel in stock providing much quicker deliveries than our competitors. Large Springs up to 2000 pounds can be produced. This is just one of the many ways Barber Spring Company is ahead of the competition in service.
Our lead-time for hot wound industrial springs is currently at 3 weeks. Barber Spring makes large helical springs over 4” (101 mm) bar diameter. What this means is that we are fast, efficient, and committed to providing our clients with exceptional service and providing this service very fast. Barber Spring lead-time for hot wound springs is one of the fastest in the industrial spring manufacturing marketplaces.