Ebsco Spring Elf On A Shelf Contest

The holidays are upon us and it’s the perfect time for a fun contest around the office. And as part of the holiday season we’ve decided to hold our own “Elf on the Shelf” contest for the holidays. Each department of Ebsco are taking photos of the infamous Elf on the Shelf in some wild and crazy situations. And if you go to our Facebook page you can see some of the amazing shots that the Ebsco departments created.

Plus, this contest was featured on the TV show The List recently, and you can see the exciting video of the segment here.

The winner of the contest gets a free lunch on the company, and we’re so excited to see the creativity and sense of community that each department has shown during this contest. Everyone brought the same excitement and dedication to this project as they do to their work on our quality springs every day. The same dedication that has made us an industry leader for the last seventy years.

It doesn't matter who you are or who you know, it’s all about the springs

One of the great traditions of American small business is that every employee needs to wear many hats while they work. 

If your business only has a small amount of employees, you don’t have the resources for extreme specialization. 

No one is above taking out the trash or answering the phones, not even the boss.  Or, as it is in this case, the son of the boss.

This photo here is of Nick Dooley, the CEO’s son and future CEO himself.  He’s currently working as our Production Manager, except of late he’s been putting a lot of time in at the shop. 

In order to make sure our parts order stay on schedule he’s been working in the shop himself getting his hands dirty.  This is the type of dedication to the company and overall product and process that you just don’t see in large scale businesses.  Every member of our team is familiar with every step of our springs and wants to make sure we offer the highest quality springs possible. 

And Nick is an excellent example of this dedication.  Not content to simply rest easy as the boss’ son, he’s working above and beyond to make sure Ebsco keeps its schedule commitments, and meet’s our own high standard of quality.

The great roman general Agrippa once said that an Empire was only as strong as its line of succession. And looking at the determination and commitment Nick is demonstrating, we’re confident that the next seventy years at Ebsco will be just as bright and successful as the last seventy years have been. 

Springs In Artificial Limbs

The heart of spring manufacturing is being part of a team. A spring is one of many parts that come together to form a machine, a machine that serves a purpose and makes our lives better. By all of the mechanized parts uniting together, they accomplish something greater than the sum of their parts.

And nowhere is this principle clearer than in the rapidly evolving field of prosthetic limbs. With the advances made in microchip technology over the past few decades, it has become increasingly prevalent to see micro processing used in the joints of prosthetic limbs. A microchip receives data about the various stresses and pressures it’s receiving from whatever activity it’s participating in, and reacts accordingly to make sure the joint hinges and reacts as it should.

A perfect example of this is the microprocessor-controlled foot-ankle prosthetic device, the PowerFoot BiOM. It’s still in its design phases, but the BiOM is proposed to simulate the natural function of the foot by simulating the action of the ankle, Achilles tendon and calf muscles to move the individual forward when they step.

These devices utilize various sensors in the ankle and foot to detect foot position, direction, and force of movement. This data is analyzed by several microcomputers that translate it into instructions for a motor-activated spring device in the sole of the prosthesis. The loaded spring device is released as the sensor detects that the user is taking a step forward, forcing the ball of the foot downwards and propelling the foot forward. The spring mechanism reloads itself in-between steps. This device uses batteries to operate this system and requires daily recharging.

Consider the difficulty prosthetics have always had with simulating a joint as complicated as the ankle. With technology like this amputees will be able to walk again with greater ease. Wounded soldiers could Now also consider how with all the amazing technology being used in this device… the spring is the most crucial part. If the spring isn’t able to do its job, all of the data being transferred by the microprocessor is useless. It’s a simple job, but an important one.

And that’s how we view ourselves and our products. The custom springs we manufacture can help you to do anything you can imagine… and because of our dedication to quality, you know you will always be able to rely on it.

A Spring In Your Wheels

When you look at the route 66 signs that are still prominent in Tulsa, it’s hard not to fell the pull of one of our greatest traditions… the road trip. Nothing is more quintessentially American than packing a few things in the trunk and hitting the open road with friends or family. But the problems with roads is they’re tricky beasts full of irregularities, dips and holes that would make traveling on them impossible save for one of the most important system in your car, the suspension.

Even freshly paved highways have subtle imperfections that can interact with your car’s tires. These imperfections apply forces to the wheel, and according to Newton’s law of motion all force has both a magnitude and a direction. So when you hit a bump in the road it causes your wheel to vertically accelerate off the road after which gravity pulls it smashing down on the road. Without a suspension system to absorb and redistribute that energy all of it would be applied to the frame, causing you to feel every bump in the road, or worse send your car rolling over the side of the road. And an important part of any suspension system are the coil springs that absorb this energy and release it where the rest of the system can redistribute it harmlessly.

In fact it’s the tightness or looseness of the springs in your suspension that make the determination between how your car handles and the smoothness of the ride. A Loosely sprung car like a Lincoln Town Car can absorb bumps easily and provide a smooth ride, but it prone to dive and squat during braking and acceleration and usually experiences body sway during cornering. Whereas a tightly sprung car like a sports car, are less forgiving on bumpy roads, but they minimize any body motion and thus can be driven aggressively, even around sharp corners.

Whatever you need from your car, the springs inside the suspension can help you get it. And when the highways and hidden roads of this great country call out to you with offers of exploration and exciting new destinations and experiences, the springs we make at Ebsco both help you answer that call, and keep you safe while you do it.

Continuous Improvement

Manufacturers are constantly adding certifications, ISO 9001, Quality System, ISO 14001

Environmental Management System, OHSAS 18001 Safety Management System, CAPA, Certified

Auto Parts Association, ISO 16949, Automotive Quality Certification, AS 9120 and Aerospace quality

certification just to name a few. Each of these certifications addresses different aspects, yet they all

share the same common emphasis, Continuous Improvement.

Continuous Improvement is the central theme in manufacturing. ISO, Lean, 6 Sigma and so on,

all focusing on organization’s efforts on continuous improvement. Since the Asian manufacturing explosion in the 1950′s, continuous improvement has become the cornerstone of manufacturing.

Manufacturers monitor and measure everything, allowing them to discover any unanticipated results. Everyone rushes to determine the reason for the unexpected results or root cause then determines how to fix it then change policies and procedures to ensure it doesn't happen again. The quality systems provide a framework for the improvement process and the discipline to ensure improvements are maintained. This system works. Everyone is focused on improvement. Current performance is only acceptable for an instance than expectations are raised, getting better without end.

My question is, “Why don’t other industries embrace continuous improvement like manufacturing?”

Manufacturing is one of the oldest trades. So maybe, manufacturing has been around longer and is more developed?

In retail and service industries the focus is customer satisfaction. That’s great, but it focuses more on isolated circumstances and not patterns of events. I see management at retailers dealing with upset customers, one on one to satisfy them. What I don’t see is the effort to analyze what happened in the system. I don’t see the effort to find a way to fix the root cause so it doesn't happen again. I don’t see the focused discipline to maintain the changes. What I don’t see is a system with a standard. Do you have a favorite store that always seems to have long lines at a certain time of day? Does it happen over and over? Where is the continuous improvement? Where is the root cause analysis and corrective action to see it doesn't happen again? I’m not picking on retail. It’s the same story in service organizations and other industries.

Continuous Improvement should be for every industry, and maybe even for every person. I’m sure

my wife could write-up several non-conforming behavior forms on me, know the root cause and offer corrective actions for the future. Can you imagine your spouse walking around with a stack of corrective actions for you to address? Okay maybe not that far, but as individuals we should be focused on continuous improvement such as education, knowledge, being a better parent, friend or

spouse. Everyone should want to improve.

So when you hear people talking about manufacturing like the stereotypical sweat shop assembly line, think about it. Manufacturing is one of the most developed and constantly improving industries in the world. It must be. Manufacturing has been part of the global economy long before other industries knew the global economy existed. I know retailers have competition. Stand in any retailer’s parking lot and I bet you can see their competitor across the street. Manufacturing faces world-wide competition. Not local or national, but global compaction. Manufacturers face competition from countries with lower labor costs and government assistance in key industries. Without continuous improvement individual manufacturers would not exist.

I have no doubt that manufacturing has one of the most developed business models of any industry. My only question is “When is everyone else going to catch up?” Excuse me now, I need to get to the store where I’m sure they will only have one register opened for the long line of customers, or I need to call the technical help line and sit on hold for 45 minutes…just like yesterday and the day before that.

Compression or Extension – It Springs Either Way

When working in specific industries, it is important to know about the materials that the equipment and machinery are made of to ensure the quality of the product that is being manufactured and to be aware of safety issues.

It is not necessary to  know everything about them, but it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the two springs. For example, it is necessary to know what an extension spring is versus what a compression spring is and what they do and what purpose they serve.

Attached to both ends is a variety of extensions to other components at both ends and as they move apart, the spring draws them together. Energy is then absorbed and stored to create resistance. The original tension is what sets the coil's tightness and the tension is able to manipulate the load requirements as well as the coil-connected components weight.

They are usually made with eyes and hooks which are attached to the component pieces and may have center loops, extended twist loops, hooks, threaded inserts or tear-dropped shape ends, From the coil's body, these ends have variance in distance. Depending on the equipment needs, there can be different distances custom-designed. For situations where weight could be overloading, there draw-bar variety of springs is a perfect solution because of the built-in stopping point.

Compressionsprings are the most common used spring and are an open-coil designed that counterbalance compression. They are usually either fitted in a hole or placed over a rod and when weight is placed against it, it becomes shorter and forces back against the load, returning to it's original form. This type of resistance is thought to be the most energy efficient storage device.

The compression spring with a straight metal coils is the most common with a diameter and the length is teh same as that of the component. There are also other shapes such as the barrel and conical types in a convex shape and the concave hourglass shape as well.

These springs are found in the manufacturing of cars uses extensions in the interior and exterior both as well as garage door assemblies, trampolines and vise-grip pliers. With the wide variety of sizes of these springs, they are also found in something as small as a carburetors or as large as farm equipment and even in medical devices, toys and washing machines. From the brakes in off-road machinery to the furniture on your patio, there are uses of these springs.

Regardless what the end purpose of the compression or extension spring, the best quality is a must so that the quality of the end product is durable, reliable and strong enough to stand the use it may applications.

Spring Wires and Steel Springs

Compression springs are found in many products these days regardless the industry. This couldn't be even truer than in the aerospace industry.

When looking at aerospace compression springs, the calculation method, the material used will depend on how much stress will be applied to that specific area and part.

Many preferred types are merely not in stock in the quantities need while others call for heat treatment after being wound. Nearly all springs are cold hard wire when wound.

 

The continual drawing by dies, and each drawing process gains strength from both the shear and tensile work hardened. Therefore, the shear stress that can be used will hinge on the wire size. Basically the smaller the diameter the more stress it can absorb.

The "regular" spring wire from this process is known patented carbon steel spring wire, the process of applying the steel to make it simpler to for smaller gauges. It typically has no alloying content and is available metric diameters as well as the usual Standard Wire Gauge size.

Because carbon steel wire is not suitable for temperatures over 125c and they may have the risk of corrosion or the temperatures can get high, the more useful material is the hard-drawn stainless steel springs. Where steam/water are a concern, the hard drawn phosphor-bronze is non-corrosive and is usually recommended for uninterrupted use below about 110 deg. C. It is comparatively easy to take in a broad range of gauges or to metric dimensions.

A corrosion resistant material is the nickel alloy spring. They offer heat resistance and superior strength in a grade of wire that has high elastic qualities akin to music wire. Yet it maintains the corrosion resistance quality of standard stainless. An excellent material for all types of springs, the nickel alloy spring, offers long life when required for severe service conditions while giving excellent fatigue properties.

Chrome is a higher prime spring material, such as vanadium steel, that must be heat treated after winding. The spring is wound while soft and then hardened. The shear elastic limit is approximately the same as carbon phosphor-bronze. Hard-drawn brass is an inexpensive spring material and perfect for mild conditions. It is more common used for flat springs that can provide sharp bends as needed.