Business Conditions Steady as She Goes

July 26, 2023

July 26, 2023

Technology Focus: Stamping Presses

MetalForming brings you the July installment of our monthly Technology Focus newsletter, this month highlighting Stamping Presses.

Business Conditions Steady as She Goes

Metal forming companies’ predictions for business conditions remained virtually unchanged from the previous month, with most company managers predicting no change in general economic activity in the coming months, according to the July 2023 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report. Per the July report, 55 percent of metal forming company execs expect no change in general economic activity in the next three months (compared to 58 percent in June), 34 percent predict a decrease in activity (compared to 32 percent in June) and 11 percent forecast an increase in activity (compared to 10 percent last month).

Sponsored

STOP Doing These 10 Things Immediately

The best manufacturers shared secrets on how they compete with the greatest – and it is done by not doing these 10 things. Put yourself among the best by downloading the 10 Things Great Manufacturers Won't Do whitepaper and start competing at a higher level today.

DOWNLOAD >>

Robot-Tended Press at Work in Monterrey

This 27-yr.-old metal former, with five facilities throughout Northern Mexico, while nurturing a rapidly expanding fabrication business now eyes metal stamping as a key to continued growth. At the core of its stamping business is a 440-ton mechanical press, tended by a robot to handle large, heavy blanks and stamped parts.

Sponsored

MagSlide Conveyor for Maintenance-Free Operation

Bunting MagSlide conveyors are engineered to provide you outstanding performance and value, when handling materials such as dirty and oily metal chips, parts, jagged or abrasive scrap, and other punishing materials where conventional belted or steel hinged conveyors risk being damaged. For more information visit www.buntingmagnetics.com

Taiwanese Automotive-Parts Manufacturer Hota to Set Up Shop in New Mexico

Per Automotive Logistics, Hota Industrial Mfg., a manufacturer of internal combustion-engine and electric-vehicle (EV) powertrain components for North American and European OEMs, including Tesla, announced plans to build a facility on a 30-acre site in New Mexico’s Santa Teresa Borderplex industrial park some time in 2024. Hota also expects to hire 350 employees and is set to invest $72 million in New Mexico with future potential expansions over the coming decade.

Sponsored

Get A Competitive Edge With Flat Wire For Stamping Applications

United Wire custom manufactures flat & shaped wire for any application! All alloys available. With 1,000 lb continuous coils, enjoy fewer setups, and less downtime! Smooth edges & rounded corners minimize scrap & allow faster run speeds compared to strip! Precise! ±0.0005” tolerance on thickness; ±0.003” or less width tolerance.

Get A Quote Now

Feintool to Expand and Invest in Next-Generation Hybrid Powertrain

Feintool continues to expand and invest in next-generation hybrid-capable transmissions for its customers. “Our recent $26-million, 47,000-sq.-ft. expansion represents a 25-percent increase in plant size at our Nashville, TN, facility,” says Christoph Trachshler, CEO, Feintool U.S. operations, “and is part of our transformation towards an electrified future.”

Feintool’s expansion will make room for a new 1600-ton direct-drive servo transfer press planned to enter service in Q1 2025. “The expansion will create 25 new jobs to help meet demand for automotive transmissions hubs, clutch baskets, and gear spiders,” explains Dan Swiger, Feintool Tennessee vice president and general manager.

Sponsored

Prevent Downtimes & Increase Availability

Benefit from more transparency in production with Schuler’s digital Shop Floor Operations Management tool. Shop Floor Operations Management’s ability to monitor, calculate, and reveal key performance indicators can lead to lower part costs and up to 30% higher equipment availability! End-to-end daily reporting and intelligent analysis enables manufacturers to optimize production and prevent machine downtimes!

Contact Schuler North America to learn more

A one-of-a-kind conference, PMA’s and MetalForming magazine’s Industry 4.0 Experience for Metal Formers & Fabricators is designed to educate metal forming and fabricating plants on the latest in digital and plant-floor connectivity technologies. Join us October 3-4 in Nashville, TN, when experts will explain how automation, Internet of Things and additive manufacturing are changing how manufacturers work.

Sponsored

Allen Bradley Controls Now Offered On SEYI Servo Presses

SEYI introduces Allen Bradley PLC based controls as its newest offering on SEYI servo presses. These simple, yet advanced controls further elevate SEYI presses in peak performance, seamless integration, and superior safety. With this addition, Allen Bradley controls are offered on all SEYI press series. Explore which SEYI press is best for you when paired with Allen Bradley controls.

Learn More

AP&T Press Hardening Line Headed to U.form

AP&T has received an order from Italy-based U.form for another press hardening line to be installed at its facility in Detroit, MI, for manufacture of automotive parts for several U.S. and European OEMs.

Sponsored

AIDA-America’s Latest Innovative, Advanced Servo Press Offering

AIDA’s new DSF-N2-AB series press highlights its dedication to continual servo press and metal forming technology advances. These two-point, unitized frame presses are available in 200- and 300-ton capacities, featuring an exclusive AIDA/Allen-Bradley control system. The latest in productivity and safety features are also included.

Learn more

October: 30th Anniversary of Premier Automotive Parts Suppliers Conference

Leaders in the automotive-supply industry will gather in Greenville, SC, October 26-27, 2023, for the 30th annual Automotive Parts Suppliers Conference, produced by PMA and MetalForming magazine. The conference will highlight topics such as venture startups in the automotive industry, the impact of EVs on metal formers, and legal and regulatory issues.

Sponsored

Too Much Work and Too Few Welders?

Give your welders the tools to automate simple, repetitive welds so they can focus on the creative and challenging welds they prefer. Then watch your productivity—and their satisfaction—take off.
Cobot welders powered by Universal Robots are affordable, low risk, quick to deploy and easy to learn, so you get fast results. Let your welders see for themselves, with a welding system demo from one of our expert partners.

LISTEN: Upskilling by Metal Formers

Jeff Aznavorian, president of Clips & Clamps Industries and 2023 PMA board chair, joins PMA’s Destiny of Manufacturing podcast, hosted by Dean Phillips, to talk on workforce and technology topics. He is reinventing Clips and Clamps by changing the way it uses technology and how the company leverages the strength of its workforce.

Sponsored

FABTECH is back in the Windy City this September! FABTECH is North America’s largest metalforming, fabricating, welding and finishing event. Make sure to register by September 8 to receive free admission.

Don’t forget to stop by the Precision Metalforming Association and MetalForming magazine’s booth—D451560—during the show!

Hot Off the Press

Amada Press System Adds MEC Sales Representative
Arisa Exec Earns "Executive of the Year" in La Roja Region of Spain
Dengensha Opens Sales/Service Office Near Nashville
ECI Software Solutions Debuts Scalable ERP Platform for Batch and Process Manufacturers
Introducing RL Automation GmbH

Sponsored

PMA Membership

Position your company as an industry leader when you utilize PMA resources—ITR Econ Trends reports, trade publications, One Voice and FABTECH trade shows. A PMA membership will provide your company and all of its employees with a range of valuable industry resources that are designed to help you become more connected, more informed, more efficient, more competitive and ultimately more profitable.

From the June/July Issue of MetalForming

Clow Stamping: A METALFORM EDU Power User

A major part of Clow Stamping’s efforts to keep employees trained involves extensive use of the Precision Metalforming Association’s (PMA’s) METALFORM EDU online training system.

Die Design and Simulation: Stories from the Field
An overview of current software technologies as well as successful use cases demonstrate the potential for die designers and builders to excel among the competition.