Page 21 - MetalForming November 2009

coming to us with a concept or early design iteration and asking us to take over those responsibilities for the proj- ect,” says Kuhr. “In addition, we’re reengineering a lot of projects for cus- tomers, often takeover work for projects where design drawings no longer are available. In fact, this has really been an area of significant growth for us over the last year or two.”
New Line Raring
to go in the New Year
PTM’s new Eagle press hits the ground running in December, stamping a high- tonnage job for an automotive OEM. The part—a large bracket—is of an advanced high-strength DP590 dual- phase steel that PTM expects to occupy the press for about 12 hours per month and account for $600,000 in annual sales. Not a bad start for a new press line.
“The only challenge in launching this project, now that we have the press capacity to handle dual-phase high- strength steels,” says Kuhn, “is actually getting the steel inhouse. Suppliers are running lean and lead time is long.”
The press PTM acquired will help the firm grow its list of key customers from just a few to around 20, a much more comfortable level, says Russell. “We had too many customers that were taking their larger parts requiring more ton- nage capacity to other stampers,” she says, “and just giving us the smaller stampings and fourslide parts. Now we can take on an entire package and become a key supplier to more cus- tomers. This will help develop a more in-depth and rewarding relationship with customers, for which we hope to provide our full suite of services includ- ing design and R&D.”
More: Upgraded ERP, New Laser
The firm also expects, if its foray into the military marketplace takes off as expected, to add to its inventory of laser-cutting machines. “We’re thinking 4000 W this time,” says Kuhn, “with a large 12- by 25-ft. bed. We recently quoted a project requiring blanks 150 in. long. We want to be prepared to handle some of the larger projects out there.”
PTM, like most successful stampers these days, also is busy upgrading other areas of its operations, including investing in its ERP system to include a module called Global Financials (for its Infor ERP Visual software). The firm also runs a tool design and build house called Modified Technology. It added the Global Financials module to help consolidate and control the finan- cial accounting information for both companies.
“This is an important tool for us in
managing our growth and plans for the future,” says Russell, noting that the firm plans to move all of its prototype- development work out of PTM and into Modified Technology, to create an advanced engineering center.
Which begs the question: How many stampers operate what they might refer to as an advanced engineering center? And, of the stampers that are strug- gling out there, how many might bene- fit from developing such a center of excellence in the near future? MF
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