At Snap-on Industrial, we go far beyond manufacturing custom tools. We engineer solutions. If you can’t find the tool you need, we’ll build it for you—with the in-house design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities to meet your exact specifications.
A TOOL THAT STANDS-UP TO RIGOROUS USE
A railroad customer was using a “buggy bar,” a specially-designed variation of a pry bar, for adjusting brake slack on locomotives. Following inspection, the bar was determined to be out of compliance with the railroad’s required metallurgical specifications.
The customer turned to Snap-on Industrial’s Solutioneers to design a custom tool that not only met the technical and metallurgical requirements, but also was competitively priced. Following rigorous testing in the field, the new buggy bar was approved for use, effectively resolving the safety and productivity issues that had been created by the inferior tool. Snap-on’s buggy bar is now widely used throughout the railroad industry.
A TOUGHER TOOL FOR A CHALLENGING TASK
An aviation customer working in a demanding environment asked for our assistance with a difficult challenge.
The customer was consuming one standard socket for every two fasteners that were applied. Snap-on Industrial Solutioneers developed a custom-designed socket with a steel alloy more suited for the application, and improved the design and the heat treatment process, resulting in a new socket that tightens 70+ fasteners without failure, improving safety and productivity, while reducing cost.
A SUPERIOR TRANSFORMER ACCESS TOOL
An electric utility customer was dissatisfied with the performance of an off-the-shelf, pad-mounted transformer access tool. The ratcheting portion of the tool included an open gear mechanism that was susceptible to moisture and dirt contamination, resulting in failure.
In addition, the tool was loosely toleranced and the ratchet gear was causing premature wear on the tool. The customer turned to Snap-on Solutioneers for a custom solution. The result is a tool that offers a number of improvements, including a sealed, 80-tooth ratchet gear system that’s resistant to contamination; Snap-on’s patented Flank Drive® design, which grips the fastener on the “flats,” delivering 15-20% more turning power than conventional sockets without fear of slipping; and a longer, ergonomically designed handle that provides more leverage and greater comfort for the user.
The new Snap-on Transformer Access tool has been tested and approved by the customer and is now in use throughout its crews and by a number of other electric utility companies.
A COLOURFUL SOLUTION TO TOOL CONTROL AND PRODUCTIVITY
A customer in the oil and gas industry was facing a tool control issue on its multi-deck, offshore drilling rigs. Workers were routinely carrying tools between decks, often leaving some decks without the tools necessary to complete specific tasks, which significantly reduced productivity.
The customer’s Snap-on Industrial account manager determined that an effective solution to the problem was color-coding the customer’s tools, according to the specific deck to which they were allocated. But, the idea required an alternative to ordinary paint, which was unlikely to withstand repeated use of the tool and the corrosive environment of the offshore rig.
Employing a lean process approach, the Snap-on Industrial team specified an innovative coating that bonded with the tool’s surface, was available in a variety of colours, had proven to be extremely durable, and would accept laser etching for easy identification. In addition, the special coating could be applied in a layer so thin that it wouldn’t interfere with the tight tolerances of Snap-on’s tools and sockets.
The results of this creative solution were more effective tool control, improved productivity, enhanced worker safety, and greater tool longevity. Applications for this tool control system now exist in a wide variety of critical industries.
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