Case Study: High-Volume Metal Stamping

Nearly identical metal stamped shells

The customer's production needs are 600,000 – 700,00 pieces per year for FIVE different shells having a uniform shape with slight variations in each design.

The shells shown to the left are almost identical except for the design and dimensions of their bottom lips. Previously, the customer was utilizing secondary machining to crimp the lip after stamping; and this method was expensive and extended the production time.

Ultra implemented two key changes to reduce manufacturing costs and improve production time. First, we designed and built the crimping operation directly into the customer’s progressive stamping dies, eliminating the need for secondary machining.

Second, we reduced the customer’s tooling costs by consolidating their progressive dies from five to two. This was possible due to the uniform shape and design of the shells. The final station was designed for easy changeover to one of five custom stations to complete the stamping process

 

More nearly identical metal stamped shells