Wexmar offers custom pin machining for OEMs that need clevis pins, pivot pins, hinge pins, shoulder pins, locating pins and cross-drilled retaining pins made to their drawings. We are a direct CNC shop in Canastota, New York, producing CNC machined pins on Swiss-type and conventional CNC lathes, with in-house centerless grinding for precision diameters.
What pins do and who buys them
Pins join, locate, pivot or retain parts. A clevis pin carries shear through a linkage. A pivot or hinge pin lets two parts rotate. A shoulder or locating pin positions one component relative to another. Because pins often run in bushings or reamed holes, their diameter, straightness and surface finish determine wear life and fit. Our pin customers include industrial equipment and material handling OEMs, fluid power and cylinder builders, power transmission companies, fastener distributors, medical hardware makers, aerospace hardware suppliers and defense programs.
How we machine CNC pins
Pins up to 32 mm diameter are an ideal fit for our four Maier MLK-32 Swiss-type machines with FMB bar feeders. The sliding headstock supports the bar right at the cutting tool, so long, slender pins hold diameter and straightness along their full length. The Swiss machines turn grooves for retaining rings, cross-drill cotter holes, cut threads and chamfer ends in one cycle, and they can run lights-out for production quantities. See Swiss machining.
Larger diameter pins run on our Mazak and Doosan CNC lathes with live tooling and Y-axis, which add cross holes, flats and grease passages without a second setup. When a drawing calls for a diameter tighter than turning will reliably hold, or a ground finish, we finish the OD on our in-house centerless grinder. Headed pins with heads larger than the shank are turned from bar sized to the head. See CNC turning.
Pin materials
- Carbon and alloy steels: 1018, 1045, 12L14, 4140 and 4340, and 8620 for case-hardened pins.
- Tool and bearing steels: O1, A2, D2 and 52100 for hardened wear pins.
- Stainless: 303, 304, 316, 416, 440C, 17-4 PH and Nitronic 50 for corrosion and galling resistance.
- Others: brass, bronze, titanium, Inconel, Monel and engineered plastics.
Critical pin features and how we hold them
- Diameter and fit: turned to size or centerless ground for press, slip or running fits in reamed holes or bushings.
- Straightness: controlled by Swiss support, material condition and grinding after heat treat when needed.
- Retaining ring grooves: width, diameter and location held to the ring maker's groove specification.
- Cross holes: cotter and lock-pin holes located from the head or shoulder and deburred at break-through.
- Ends and chamfers: lead-in chamfers or radii for assembly, and ball or bullet noses where specified.
Typical tolerances and finishes
| Feature | Typical tolerance | Tighter on request |
|---|---|---|
| Turned diameter | ±0.0005 in | ±0.0003 in |
| Ground diameter | ±0.0002 in | ±0.0001 in |
| Overall length | ±0.005 in | ±0.001 in |
| Groove location | ±0.002 in | ±0.001 in |
| Cross hole position | ±0.003 in | ±0.001 in |
| OD surface finish | 32 Ra turned | 8 Ra ground |
These are typical values. Tenth-level tolerances depend on diameter, length and hardness, and we will confirm them at quote stage.
Secondary operations
Through-hardening, case hardening, induction hardening, nitriding, zinc plating, black oxide, chrome plating and passivation are performed through qualified outside processors. For hardened pins that need a precision OD, we grind after heat treat on our centerless grinder so the final diameter is held in the hardened state.
Quantity patterns
Pin orders range from a few replacement pins for maintenance to production runs of 1,000 to 10,000 or more. Swiss lights-out running makes higher quantities economical, and blanket orders with scheduled releases are common.
Inspection
Diameters are measured with calibrated micrometers and checked against ring gages where specified. Groove geometry, chamfers and profiles are verified on our Mitsubishi optical comparator, and cross-hole position on Brown & Sharpe CMMs. AS9102-format first articles, material certs, heat-lot traceability and outside processor certs are available. See inspection and quality.
Getting a quote
Send a drawing with material, hardness, finish and quantity. You can upload a drawing for an instant estimate, and an estimator will confirm price and lead time. Or call (315) 400-2654. Related: custom dowel pins and bushings.