Precision That Honors Tradition

The Challenge

Craftsmanship with High-Quality Standards

The Waterbury Button Company is a historic American manufacturer founded in 1812 that specializes in producing high-quality buttons, military insignia, uniform accessories, and fashion pieces. For more than two centuries, the Waterbury Button Company has embodied American craftsmanship, producing handcrafted pieces from its current location in Cheshire, Connecticut. Their legacy spans historic moments and iconic uniforms: buttons worn by U.S. Military service members, first responders, and even the crew of the Titanic. Customers know and trust them for their quality and year-over-year consistency.

Waterbury Button Company’s production process is deeply rooted in craftsmanship, but it also requires modern manufacturing discipline. Their plating operations, critical for achieving precise, predictable colors, must deliver uniformity year after year. Any variation in agitation, solution flow, or part movement can introduce defects, rework, or color inconsistency.

As part of a multi‑year improvement initiative, Waterbury Button Company focused on upgrading equipment and tightening process controls across their production and plating operations. Their goal was to eliminate Muda, improve flow, and reinforce Visual Management throughout the process. When they began replacing aging components on their plating line, they quickly realized Novo Metal Finishing Equipment offered more than reliable replacement parts: they provided practical, experience-driven technical guidance that strengthened the entire system.

Waterbury Button Company needed barrels that were:

• Precisely sized for their parts and batches
• Durable enough for high‑volume cycles
• Engineered for consistent solution flow
• Designed to reduce material catching and nesting
• Delivered quickly and affordably
• Supported by local technical experts

Their goal was simple: improve consistency without compromising the craftsmanship that defines their brand.

The Solution

Custom Barrels, Delivered Fast

Novo Metal Finishing Equipment partnered with Waterbury Button Company to deliver precisely engineered replacement plating barrels, rapid turnaround, and hands‑on technical support. Their team provided not only the right equipment, but also practical, on‑site expertise that helped Waterbury Button optimize performance across the plating line.

Novo Metal Finishing Equipment provided exact‑fit barrels sized to Waterbury Button Company’s exact specifications, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems and eliminating the need for workarounds or retrofits. Novo Metal Finishing Equipment’s single-body, thermally bent barrels are extrusion-welded at the ends, creating a seamless internal volume and eliminating catch points where fluid can collect. The tight drilling perforations improve solution flow, agitation, and drainage.

Beyond manufacturing the barrels, Novo’s team visited Waterbury Button’s facility to provide Gemba‑level support, observe the plating process directly, review part movement, and advise on barrel configuration and material selection.

This in‑person collaboration helped Waterbury Button Company refine:

• Barrel size and configurations
• Barrel perforation choices
• Door style selection
• Current Transfer Method
• Flow patterns and agitation behavior

The Result

Supporting a “Tradition You Can Wear”

With Novo Metal Finishing Equipment’s custom barrels and technical support, Waterbury Button Company achieved measurable improvements across quality, consistency, and production flow. 

This was the impact:

1. Enhanced Plating Quality
   The new barrels delivered more uniform coatings, improved agitation, and better solution flow, critical for maintaining the precise colors and finishes Waterbury Button Company is known for. This consistency is especially important for military insignia and heritage products where color accuracy is non-negotiable.
2. Reduced Waste and Rework
   Improved drainage and reduced material catching minimized drag-out and chemical waste. Fewer defects meant less rework, supporting Waterbury Button Company’s lean goals and improving overall throughput.
3. Increased Reliability and Barrel Life
   Durable construction and seamless internal surfaces extended barrel lifespan and reduced downtime. Waterbury Button Company gained predictable performance throughout production runs, supporting stable takt times.
4. Strengthened Process Control
   With Novo Metal Finishing Equipment’s on site guidance, Waterbury Button Company improved process repeatability and eliminated several sources of variation. The improved throughput has allowed Waterbury Button Company to be more responsive to their customers.
5. Reinforced Commitment to U.S. Manufacturing
   By partnering with another Connecticut‑based manufacturer, Waterbury Button Company continued its long tradition of supporting American industry- just as it has since 1812. Whether marking America’s 250th anniversary or celebrating personal milestones, Waterbury Button Company continues to deliver the “Tradition You Can Wear,” honoring craftsmanship, heritage, and U.S.‑made excellence.