Which Press Will You Choose?
SEYI offers a broad line of mechanical presses (crank, crankless, or link motion... single-, double- and four-point drive configurations) up to 3,000 tons in size. Click to view our product line. Industry-leading Wintriss press controls & hydraulic clutch/brake are standard on all SEYI presses. Top-notch system integration & after sales service support. Let’s talk today—ph: 931-455-7700. more about the sponsor
Domestic Tooling at Competitive Prices!
Victory Tool, a Division of MultiSource Mfg. LLC, can meet a wide range of tooling needs, at pricing that fits your budget. Located in the upper Midwest, Victory Tool has been satisfying customers from coast to coast for 20 Years. We specialize in progressive tooling and we do it well. Give us a call at 763-323-8877 or click here. more about the sponsor
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Pressroom Automation—Transfer Systems
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April
Stamping Press Technology
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In-Die Electronics/Sensors
Consulting Firm Calls Mexico the “New China”
When it comes to global manufacturing, Mexico might soon become thought of as the new China, according to corporate consultant AlixPartners, meaning that Mexico has now become the lowest-cost country in the world for those companies that look to manufacture products for the U.S. market. In fact, Chinese companies looking to sell in the United States are now locating plants in Mexico to take advantage of the trade advantages offered by being right next door, according to an article posted to www.moneymorning.com.
The list of Chinese companies operating in Mexico includes firms in the cellular-telephone, television and automotive markets. Says the article’s author: "We’ll be watching for signs of a resurgent Mexican manufacturing industry that’s ultimately driven by Chinese companies—because we know that the American companies doing business with them will enjoy the fruits of their labor."
The Automotive Winds Blow Strong to the South
A recent article in World Trade Magazine explains that the Southeast U.S. has a number of critical site location factors that make it a highly attractive region for expansion and relocation projects. The region’s manufacturing sector has been transformed during the past two decades by a number of foreign automaker production plants.
Europe- and Asia-based automakers continue to drive economic development in the Southeast, creating a region-wide phenomenon that has transformed the manufacturing landscape. South Korea-based Kia Motors is the latest foreign automaker to launch production in the Southeast, beginning operations in West Point, GA, last November.
Germany-based Volkswagen has begun installing equipment at its new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is expected to being production in 2011. The automaker received more than 65,000 applications for the production workforce and about 30,000 applications for skilled maintenance and professional positions. Hiring will begin early this year, and Volkswagen expects the plant to generate some 2000 jobs.
Mercedes is expanding its complex in Vance, Alabama, where it will spend $150 million for a 200,000 sq.-ft. expansion of the body shop, and it will spend $140 million for equipment and process upgrades, including more robotics, in other parts of the facility.
Toyota is building a $1.3 billion plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi, which will employ about 2000 workers to build the Prius.
Medical Suppliers Should Benchmark the Automotive Industry
"Learning From a Legend" is the title of an article published recently in Orthopedic Design & Technology magazine—the "legend" being the automotive industry and the "learning" being done by medical-device manufacturers. Author Joe Condon, management consulting leader for the Life Sciences group of Plante & Moran and a past corporate officer in the medical industry, writes: “This fledgling (medical) industry could learn a thing or two from its more mature counterpart."
In great detail, Condon explains how and why the medical industry needs to benchmark the automotive industry in areas such as management systems for quality assurance, process improvement, supply-chain management and new-product introductions. "Its future success may depend on it," he says. … "The medical device industry would benefit greatly by embracing a more customer-focused, process-oriented and continuous improvement-based approach to quality management…Supply-chain management is the discipline with the greatest variation across these two industries."
Crowning Achievements Deliver Press Brake Accuracy and Process Efficiency
While any type of crowning system is better than none at all, fabricators must carefully consider the effectiveness of the crowning system when comparing and contrasting the press-brake models on the market.
Precision Blanking Line Three Times Faster, Quicker to Set Up
A new blanking line keeps eight stamping presses flush with material, turning out anti-slip safety grating for the railroad, construction and other industries.
