Page 35 - MetalForming December 2017

The Winners
These companies were recognized for excellence in their categories, with each receiving a plaque, commemorative flag and cash prize.
Zierick Manufacturing Corporation Productivity Award
Anchor Manufacturing Group, Inc., Cleveland, OH
Ulbrich Award for Excellence in Product Development
Metal Flow Corporation, Holland, MI
Plex Systems Innovation and Technology Award
Hatch Stamping Company, Chelsea, MI
Clips & Clamps Industries Educational Institution Award
Southwestern Illinois College, Granite City, IL
No winners were selected for the following: Link Systems Process Control Award Higgins-Caditz Design Award
Pridgeon & Clay Excellence in Quality Award Pitcher Insurance Agency Safety Award
A.R. Hedberg Training & Education Award
the same environment. As a result, Anchor built a part stand that placed the part in field position and then determined the customer-specified distance for viewing the part. Anchor placed lines on its plant floor to properly locate the part stand and the inspection distance. Then, it investigated the cus- tomer-specified lighting under which the parts needed to be inspected. Anchor modified the lighting both at its inspection table and at its part stand to meet the specification.
The third issue involved a surface blemish identified as residue from the adhesive on the protective film applied to the part before shipment. Anchor determined that the parts sat idle for too long when production was ahead of schedule, resulting in the adhesive residue. After trialing other pro- tective films, Anchor found one that left no residue and also saved the company on cost.
As a result of these measures, Anchor experienced an annual savings of $150,000 from scrap reductions, produc- tivity increases and improved on-time delivery. Scrap rate decreased from 3 percent to 0.5 percent. In addition, the customer could now expect 100-percent on-time delivery and 100-percent quality parts.
Sponsored by Zierick Manufacturing Corp., Mount Kisco, NY, the Productivity Award recognizes outstanding achieve- ment by a manufacturing company in the development and implementation of programs, processes and use of assets that lead to significant improvements in productivity.
Product Development Award
Metal Flow Corporation
Metal Flow Corporation, Holland, MI, received the 2017 Ulbrich Award for Excellence in Product Development for developing a deep-draw-stamping alternative to a costlier machining process when producing automobile fuel-system assemblies. The company, a contract manufacturer, spe- cializes in deep-drawn automotive components.
Metal Flow identified an opportunity in the fuel-system industry, specifically related to the trend of higher-pressure gasoline-direct-inject (GDI) applications. GDI technology reportedly exists on nearly 85 percent of light-vehicle gasoline power plants globally.
A GDI fuel rail, typically a brazed assembly consisting of multiple stainless-steel components, delivers high-pressure fuel to the injectors. Each injector requires a tight-tolerance cavity, which interfaces with the injector seal and must have a calibrated surface finish with
ering the features required by the GDI rail design. This pro- prietary deep-draw, anneal and burnish process utilizes two high-speed-stamping operations with an intermediate anneal process to yield a finished component. Metal Flow discovered that without the intermediate anneal process, dimensional creep during the final braze process on a simple deep-drawn component created final-assembly issues at its customer. A collateral benefit of the high-speed burnish: superior sur- face finish and consistent cavity definition, enhancing the dimensional integrity of the deep-drawn solution.
Metal Flow’s solution delivered $0.70 of savings per injec- tor cup. Depending on the engine/rail configuration (inline 4, V6 or V8), the savings per engine ranges from $3 to $5. Along with delivering these quantifiable savings on the piece-price level, the deep-drawn solution, by nature of the process, also eliminates the porosity-failure mode, which is typical in a machined solution. Metal Flow currently sup- plies multiple configurations of these injector cups with annual volumes surpassing 5 million pieces.
Sponsored by Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals, Inc., North Haven, CT, the Product Development Award acknowledges a manufacturing company that demonstrates
the interface diameter-controlled statistically to within 50 microns. Historically, the cavity or injec- tor cup in GDI rail systems was a machined component. Metal Flow began developing a process that would allow customers to capture the cost benefits of a deep-drawn solution while deliv-
Metal Flow developed a deep-draw-stamping alternative to a costlier machining process when producing stainless-steel automobile fuel-system assemblies. The company’s solution delivered $0.70 of savings per injector cup, with savings per engine ranging from $3 to $5.
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