Page 26 - MetalForming February 2022 Special Automotive Issue
P. 26

 Future Success in Supplying the Auto Industry
 ...hinges on a two-pronged approach at Tier One body-in-white manufacturer Kirchhoff Automotive: workforce development, coupled with a commitment to investing in the latest technology, including servo presses, automated welding cells, and the accompanying equipment and processes to enable quick changeovers to handle smaller lot sizes.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Global automotive-industry sup- plier Kirchhoff Automotive has been around almost as long as automobiles themselves. Recognized worldwide as a leader in providing stamped parts and welded assemblies for front-end frames, grill-opening rein- forcements, cross-car beams and other body-in-white structures, as well as bumper systems, floor assemblies and more, the firm is at the center of the evolutionary swirl encapsulating this rapidly evolving market.
The firm has its senses tuned to react to new challenges which seem to come daily—electrification, lightweighting, new steel and aluminum grades, reduced lot sizes, shortened lead times, and, of course, workforce and supply- chain hiccups. And, the Kirchhoff Auto- motive management team knows that a commitment to workforce develop- ment, along with equipping its plants with the latest metal forming and auto- mated welding technology, clears the path to continued success.
The Kirchhoff Automotive facilities in Tecumseh and Lansing, MI, provide stamped parts and welded assemblies for front-end frames, grill-opening rein- forcements, cross-car beams and other body-in-white structures, as well as bumper systems, floor assemblies and more, supporting several platforms including the GM Camaro and C1Y SUV platforms, including the Chevy Traverse shown here.
24 MetalForming/February 2022
www.metalformingmagazine.com
 


























































































   24   25   26   27   28