Page 36 - MetalForming December 2015

Automotive Still Revving, But is it Sustainable?
Within the last few months, MetalForming has been on hand to witness several new press installations throughout the United States, all with the primary aim of satisfying automotive’s continuing voracious worldwide appetite. But a new industry report shows that the automotive supply chain must wrestle with numerous challenges to remain successful.
BY LOUIS A. KREN, SENIOR EDITOR
In September, a Precision Metal- forming Association Tennessee Dis- trict meeting provided the oppor- tunity to assess the current strength of the automotive manufacturing sector in the Southeastern United States and tour some of that region’s metalforming operations. Safe to say that the region
remains healthy, a fact confirmed by discussions with several producers and suppliers at the 2015 FABTECH show this past November in Chicago.
For example, at North American Stamping Group’s massive, sparkling Plant No. 2 in Portland, TN, crews were busy preparing for a new mechanical press. The new press joins a row of large mechanical presses from Eagle Press & Equipment Co., Ltd., Oldcastle, Ontario, Canada, the largest at 1300 tons. With a soon-to-be-completed expansion underway at a plant in Mexico, including addition of a 1500-ton Eagle Press, NASG’s manufacturing footprint will include 1.1 million sq. ft. across stamp- ing facilities in Canada, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Mexico, totaling nearly 100 press lines. With its progressive- and servo-transfer-stamping prowess, along with welding, finishing and assembly capabilities, the Tier Two is a major sup- plier to the North American vehicle mar- ket. Products include exhaust and seat components and assemblies, ride-con- trol stampings, door hinges, body and engine mounts, inner and outer vibra- tion components and brake compo- nents for passenger and commercial vehicles.
Just down the road in Portland, as covered in the June 2015 issue of Metal- Forming (beginning on p. 18), Hatch Stamping Co. opened a new 120,000- sq.-ft. facility featuring three stamp-
ing lines anchored by mechanical presses from Nidec Minster, Minster, OH. The 250-, 350- and 1000-ton lines supply automotive seat-assembly brackets, tracks and seat-related mech- anisms; ABS and other braking com- ponents; and fuel-system brackets, straps and rings.
Despite Health, Challenges on Way
The investments by NASG, Hatch Stamping and others show that the industry expects to remain strong and even grow. These predictions have remained accurate thus far, but a new industry report, the 2015 Automotive Tooling Update, an analysis of the auto- motive supply chain by the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) and manufacturing consultant Harbour Results, Inc. (HRI), suggests caution.
Although the North American auto- motive industry is predicted to pro- duce more than 20 million vehicles in 2015, states the report, it will plateau going forward to 2022, similar to mar- ket conditions in the early-2000s. Why the plateau, and why the caution? The report points to several findings:
• With an unprecedented number of North American vehicle launches scheduled for 2017, 2018 and 2019—40, 49 and 39, respectively—resources will be constrained.
• A shift to low-volume vehicles with
34 MetalForming/December 2015
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