Page 17 - MetalForming November 2022

SERVOMECHANICAL PRESSES
DRIVE AUTO-PART PRODUCTIVITY GAINS
A newly installed 630- ton servomechanical press, matching another installed in 2018, allows Omex Manufacturing ULC to up production significantly on auto-part programs.
Two 630-ton servomechanicals headline press row at Omex,
as this forward-driven Canadian manufacturer takes on ever-more- challenging work.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
In Stratford, Ontario, Canada, Omex Manufacturing ULC produces com- ponents for automotive Tier Ones and OEMs worldwide. Output includes automotive drivetrain, seating and body-in-white components. To main- tain its lofty position in the rough-and- tumble auto-supply world, the com- pany, which became a subsidiary of Michigan-based Wico Metal Products in 2021, has focused on automation, expertise in a variety of processes and investment in state-of-the art equipment.
Founded as a family-run business in Kitchener, Ontario, Omex initially stamped residential plumbing and con- struction parts before branching out
into automotive and gas-grill burner components, which prodded the com- pany to up its press sizes into the 400- ton range. Over time, automotive took over, and today Omex specializes in several manufacturing processes, including progressive-die and transfer stamping, arc and projection welding, thread rolling and automated assembly.
Optimized Plant Layout
In 2006, Omex moved into its cur- rent 100,000-sq.-ft. facility, a former foundry. The move enabled the com- pany to thoroughly consider and design the space around its stamping core competency. Today, press row at Omex,
14 MetalForming/November 2022
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