Page 43 - MetalForming January 2013

Don’t get caught behind the 8 ball
Have you been wanting extra copies of an article published in MetalForming for your own promotional efforts— trade shows, meetings, mailings, etc ?
Reprints are cost effective and will produce a high- quality piece of literature for your particular needs.
We do all the work, and you’ll have your reprints in three weeks—all at a surprisingly low cost!
Call Sue Cubranich at 216-901-8800/scubranich@pma.org for full details.
Tooling by Design
right questions. Ask for references, and find out what cus- tomers say about a supplier’s quality, integrity, past per- formance and workmanship. Ask how well they handle short- delivery and crash programs. Do they have strong program managers? What types of products and tooling do they have exceptional strength in?
Visit the facilities of prospective suppliers and gauge whether or not they have the support services you require, such as process modeling, circle-grid analysis, CMM and inspection capability, laser scanning and reverse-engineer- ing capabilities. Do they operate high-quality tryout press- es properly sized for your work, and do the presses have feed lines to enable tryout of progressive dies?
Also evaluate the engineering department, and find out if you will have a dedicated program manager. Is all of the engi- neering done onsite or do they outsource? If so, where to? If necessary, can they design in 3D? How available are service providers such as foundries, tool-steel suppliers, heattreaters and platers?
Finally, look for tooling suppliers that are cooperative and proactive in addressing problems. Insist they be part of a team—your team—dedicated to continuously improving design, manufacturing, assembly and serviceability. Your suppliers should be committed to building good relationships with your organization through continuous and cooperative communication. MF
Fabricating Executive Roundtable
PMA has designed a two-day meeting to provide you with exclusive networking opportunities and exposure to the latest metal fabricating technology and software to make your company more competitive and profitable. In addition to the technical presentations and tours, a facilitated roundtable discussion will be held to address your individual topics
of interest.This two-day meeting is sponsored by Amada and Epicor.
For more information or to register, visit www.pma.org/meetings/event_details.asp?id=580, or contact Allison Grealis at agrealis@pma.org.
February 6–7, 2013 Hyatt Regency Irvine 17900 Jamboree Blvd. Irvine, CA 92614
Benefits of attending include:
• Executive Networking
• Fabricating Skills Update
• Roundtable
• PlantTours
• Business Planning
• Open Exchange of Ideas
• Benchmarking of Operations • Gaining New Perspectives •Technology Update
Who should attend?
• Senior Executives • CEOs
• Plant Managers
• CFOs
6363 OakTree Blvd.
Independence, OH 44131
Phone: 216-901-8800
Fax: 216-901-9190
www.pma.org www.FabricatingProductNews.com
• Presidents • COOs
Thank you to our sponsors
Fabricating
PRODUCT NEWS
www.metalformingmagazine.com
MetalForming/January 2013 41