How's It Made: A Giant Machine That Makes MG Links

Published on October 11, 2022
Duration: 3:12

This guide details the industrial manufacturing process for machine gun links, as demonstrated by Ian McCollum at the Arex Defense facility in Slovenia. The multi-stage process involves high-speed stamping of sheet steel, heat treatment (hardening and annealing), quenching, and a final corrosion-resistant finishing step. The facility boasts an impressive annual production capacity of 100 million units.

Quick Summary

Machine gun links are manufactured from sheet steel through a multi-stage industrial process. This includes high-speed stamping, hardening at 850°C, liquid quenching, annealing at 360°C for flexibility, and a final phosphating/Parkerizing treatment for corrosion resistance. The Arex Defense facility can produce 100 million links annually.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction to Arex Defense Facility
  2. 00:25Raw Material: Sheet Steel Coil
  3. 00:50High-Speed Stamping Process
  4. 01:20Pneumatic Transport of Links
  5. 01:40Hardening and Quenching Stages
  6. 02:10Annealing for Strength and Flexibility
  7. 02:30Finishing: Phosphating/Parkerizing
  8. 02:50Production Capacity Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary material used for manufacturing machine gun links?

Machine gun links are primarily manufactured from large coils of soft sheet steel. This material is fed into a high-speed stamping machine that shapes it into the individual link components.

What are the key heat treatment steps in making machine gun links?

The process involves hardening the stamped links at 850°C to increase their hardness, followed by a liquid quench. Subsequently, they undergo annealing at 360°C to make them both strong and flexible.

How are machine gun links protected from corrosion?

After heat treatment and annealing, the links are subjected to a phosphating or Parkerizing process. This chemical conversion coating provides a durable, corrosion-resistant finish to the steel components.

What is the production capacity for machine gun links at the Arex Defense facility?

The specialized machinery at the Arex Defense facility in Slovenia is capable of producing an impressive 100 million machine gun links per year.

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