Kate BachmanSimulation Software Advances Prototyper’s Credo
May 20, 2024Comments
As an extension of Oakley Industries’ desire to control its own destiny, the prototype stamping manufacturer upgraded its design-simulation software to accelerate its time to first good part, and help meet its defect-free-parts and 100%-on-time-shipments credo.
Third-generation, family-owned Oakley Industries makes prototype stampings and assemblies for a variety of customers, but primarily for the automotive industry. The manufacturer staffs 60 people, including president Michael Oakley; his son, Andrew, fabrication plant manager; Mike’s brother, Christopher, who works in purchasing; and his daughter, Mary, who works in finance.
“My father, Ronald Oakley, started the business with my mom, Brenda, in 1980,” says Mike Oakley. “They worked in the back of a building and a year later moved into another building. Then we expanded by adding onto those buildings and buying more buildings. Now we own five facilities all on the same street—roughly 150,000 sq. ft. in total. Just as we added manufacturing space gradually over time, we expanded our capabilities.”
Each of the buildings is a separate business unit. One building houses press operations with 14 stamping presses. A second building focuses on sheet metal fabrication, equipped with seven laser cutting machines and four CMMs; a third is dedicated to welding and assembly; and a fourth to robotic welding, assembly and warehousing. The fifth building is responsible for tooling, with a pattern shop, fixture shop, NC mills and its own kirksite foundry.
Kirksite, a zinc alloy commonly used in the prototype industry, is quicker to machine and easier to modify than standard production tooling. This aligns with the industry’s need for speed and flexibility. However, kirksite tooling has a limited life, as it eventually wears down. Besides prototyping, it often is used for short-run production.
“Our thought process is that we do everything in-house. That helps us control our own destiny,” Mike says. “We can design the tooling and build it to run in our presses, using our knowledge to do so. We only outsource the plating and painting.”
“We’ll design a tool and have the software evaluate how the tool works,” Andrew says. ”The simulation software shows us where the tool design might result in springback in the part. It’s way ahead of what we used to have.” The company’s designers then can redesign the tooling to compensate for springback with overbending. It also predicts where splits likely will form.
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