SW North America Forms Alliance with B/K Components
This strategy introduces gun manufacturers to the strengths of both companies for participation in ITAR sensitive projects.
Posted: March 11, 2015
SW North America, Inc. (Canton, MI), a leading manufacturer of precision metalworking production machines, has announced it has formed a strategic alliance with B/K Components, LLC (Berlin, CT) a CNC solutions company and an engineering consulting business specializing in several industries including firearms manufacturing.
The purpose of the alliance is to introduce gun manufacturers to the complementary strengths of both companies. This alliance will allow SW North America to participate in ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) sensitive projects.
SW North America is a major supplier of multi-spindle machines to the automotive, industrial, and aerospace and defense industry, and is expanding its presence in the firearms industry. BK Components is a leader in new machining processes, innovative tooling and fixturing for the manufacture of firearms and firearm components.
Combined, SW and B/K can supply gun manufacturers with a fully integrated turnkey system optimized to provide superior advances in high-tech world-class component manufacturing.
As a first step in this alliance, SW North America has installed a BA 322 machining center at B/K Components facility in Rockaway, NJ. Here B/K customers and potential customers can develop processes and machine their firearm components to see firsthand the state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities.
The BA 322 is a compact, twin-spindle horizontal machining center targeted for 4- or 5-axis machining of small to medium-sized steel, cast iron, and light metal work pieces. It is ideal in the manufacturing of all main gun components, pistol frames, pistol slides and pistol barrels as well as rifle receivers. The double swivel table design allows these work pieces to be loaded and unloaded during the machining cycle.
BA 322 is equipped with two spindles, a specially developed twin swivel trunnion, and twin or quadruple 5-axis modules to suit the actual machining requirement. Five-axis machining takes up about 50 percent of SW’s applications because today’s components are more complex and intricate in design.
Two firearm manufacturers have already placed orders to produce several different complex small parts on the BA 322 beginning this spring. More are expected this summer and fall.
“We look forward to advancing this alliance to the next level by providing our current customers and potential customers with world class manufacturing solutions,” said Jim Campbell, the vice president of sales and marketing at SW North America. Our BA 322 will deliver the highest quality firearm components while reducing both part cycle time and cost.”
Bill Krauss, president, B/K Components, added, “While SW provides the CNC machine, we will provide the work holding fixtures, the cutting tool packages, as well as the programming and engineering for their specific component to be machined. The cooperative actions of our two companies greatly exceed the impact of each working independently.”
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