Page 14 - MetalForming April 2009

Rollformed fuel-tank brackets make their way through American Trim’s integrated e-coat and powder-coat line.
A Devotion to
Research and development projects such as large-part PVD coating and high-velocity electromagnetic forming are game changers for American Trim as it looks to stay upfront with new technology on behalf of its transportation and appliance customers.
BY BRAD F. KUVIN, EDITOR
Innovation
12
METALFORMING / APRIL 2009
www.metalformingmagazine.com
Can your company offer customers solu- tions when they’re required? Can you offer guidance during the design phase of new projects to help clear production- launch hurdles and ensure that projects stay on schedule? Do you perform the required level of research and development that allows your production capabilities to expand, evolve and respond to rapidly changing market challenges?
If not, then your company might become, if it has already not, one that stands in the way of progress, rather than one that clears the way. One manufacturer that knows how to get up front with technology development and stay ahead of its cus- tomers, to stay prepared for impending market challenges, is American Trim, LLC, headquartered in Lima, OH, where its research and development center also resides. The company supplies formed metal parts—stampings and rollformed compo-
nents—to the transportation and appliance industries. But it does much more than make parts and welded assemblies.
“Our basic business strategy centers on three core competencies: form, decorate and coat,” says John Swigard, American Trim’s director of marketing, “supported by design and engineering. We’re a one- stop shop for our transportation—heavy truck and automotive—and appliance cus- tomers. In addition, we’re more than a sup- plier—we work with our customers as research and development partners. There are numerous opportunities to perform research and development in metalforming, finishing and coating technologies, but by working with our customers we can ensure that the projects we invest in produce tan- gible, useable results.
“Innovation has been a part of our cul- ture since the beginning of this company,” Swigard continues. “And, thanks to the