Problem
McDermott Cue, an innovative company that manufactures and distributes some of the best pool cues in the world had come to us, Mantel Machine Products, with an idea and a print. Their idea was a quick release pool cue, that would only take 2 ½ to 3 turns to screw the shaft into the cue. A drastic difference from the industry standard of 10 to 12 turns.
Strategic Review
We had a couple members of our team meet with McDermott Cue’s General Manager, Larry Liebl, to go through the print, and talk about what Larry envisioned the outcome to be with this idea. With the idea comes the questions of machinability, material that best suites the functions, cost.
Solution
With meeting with Larry Liebl, and discussing the facets of this part; we as a team decided the most effective materials to use would be brass and stainless steel, and a process that not only ensured the customer a great product, but also cost effective for McDermott. The reasoning for using brass for the quick release insert is because it is a non-rust material, and is an easy material to machine which allowed for better efficiencies, and with using stainless steel for the quick release joint, it gave McDermott a durable and nice clean looking part. After using the part for a couple years McDermott had come to us to find a way to make a lighter part, with our past experience of working with the part we offered suggestions that still gave McDermott a part that kept the same functionality.
