Measurement, assembly, and welding: Ultra Tool's quest for in-die perfection/Part I: Errorproofing with in-die measurement

摘要

The done-in-one concept pervades manufacturing. Machine shop operators, for instance, fixture stock to a turn-mill center and remove a complex part finished to spec. Multistation progressive dies do something similar; coil stock enters the press and sheet metal components exit complete. But in recent years stampers have taken a step further with integrated in-die operations, including measurement, assembly, and welding. Ultra Tool & Manufacturing today offers all three-a rare feat for a U.S. contract stamper-and it's a story that will take the next three months to cover. The Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based company has pursued the technology aggressively for almost a decade and, in doing so, has made great strides toward errorproofing, eliminating secondary operations, and drastically reducing the labor content for some seriously complex work.