In today’s competitive commercial construction environment, finding ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality isn’t just good business—it’s essential for survival. At Velocity Metalworks, we recently partnered with a leading commercial building supplies manufacturer to solve a complex manufacturing challenge that demonstrates the power of innovative metal engineering.

The Challenge

Our customer faced several critical pain points in their production process:

• They needed to produce components in multiple widths (4-inch, 6-inch, and various other dimensions)
• Each product required varying lengths based on customer specifications
• Their existing process required multiple separate dies for different sizes
• A secondary operation was necessary to complete assembly after stamping
• Production capacity couldn’t keep pace with growing demand

Using conventional manufacturing approaches, the customer was looking at a $600,000 investment in multiple dies and additional handling equipment. This approach would have not only been costly but would have maintained inefficiencies in their production flow.

Our Engineering Solution

Rather than accepting the status quo, our engineering team took a different approach. We designed a single progressive changeover die with several innovative features:

1. Flexible Width Adjustments: The die can be quickly reconfigured to produce four different component widths without requiring separate tooling
2. Variable Length Capability: Our design allowed for production of any length component the customer required
3. In-Die Assembly System: We engineered an internal transfer system that eliminated the need for secondary operations by completing the assembly process within the die itself
4. Streamlined Production Flow: By combining multiple operations into a single die, we significantly reduced handling time and improved quality control

The Results

The impact of our solution was immediate and substantial:

• $450,000 in Direct Savings: Our $150,000 investment replaced what would have been a $600,000 expense
• Increased Production Flexibility: The customer gained the ability to quickly adapt to changing market demands with minimal changeover time
• Eliminated Secondary Operations: By integrating assembly into the stamping process, we removed an entire production step
• Improved Quality: Fewer handling steps resulted in more consistent product quality
• Doubled Capacity: Demand increased so dramatically that the customer commissioned a second die to keep pace with production

Beyond the Numbers

While the financial savings are impressive, perhaps the most valuable outcome was the newfound production flexibility our customer gained. In an industry where customization is increasingly important, their ability to rapidly adjust to specific customer requirements without costly retooling has provided a significant competitive advantage.

The success of this project exemplifies Velocity Metalworks’ commitment to engineering solutions that go beyond basic manufacturing to deliver transformative results for our partners.

Is your company facing similar manufacturing challenges? Contact our team today to discuss how we can help transform your processes.