Tool and Die Engineering is an Essential Part of Manufacturing

From analysis and design to preventive maintenance, and more, support for tooling furthers your investment.

Every manufacturer knows the value of the tooling used to produce their parts, components, and finished products. Whether it’s the molds used for plastic injection or metal stamping dies tool and die engineering helps manufacturers make the most of these investments. 

This is especially important when you work with a contract manufacturer. Any time you enter into an agreement with a contract manufacturer you should consider their knowledge and expertise when it comes to tool and die engineering. A quality partner needs to know how to care for your molds and dies, should have the capability to address any issues that come up, and then be able to find or offer solutions that can further optimize or improve the entire production process.

Today we’ll go into more detail about the ways the right contract manufacturing partner can enhance your production with tool and die engineering services and support. Creating new molds, tools, and dies presents a substantial cost investment. Whether in-house or through a third party, it’s only sensible to do everything possible to extend the life and maximize the productivity of these essential components. 

Ready to Optimize Your Part Quality? Request a quote today and discover how LMC Industries get your parts program running like clockwork. 

Design and Preventive Maintenance are Critical in Tool and Die Support

If you’re relying on or have come to trust a contract manufacturing partner, it’s no revelation that part quality and adhering to timelines are of the utmost importance. But the right partner can elevate the process with additional services that consolidate needs, streamline processes, and add resiliency to your supply chain.

Risk Analysis of Existing Tooling

Before initiating any new program, your contract manufacturer should conduct inspections of existing tooling and identify any components that may require repairs in advance. Ideally, your partner can also address those repairs, including the fabrication of any spare components, in-house with an internal tool room that eliminates delays and provides quality assurance.

Tooling Design for Manufacturability

Investing the time needed for proper engineering and operations from the beginning means the product line will unroll smoothly from the start. Minimizing required adjustments or changes in the early stages allows production to ramp up quickly and improved speed to market.

This is where Design for Manufacturability shines. Put simply, this process optimizes part and tooling design. With these capabilities, your contract manufacturer can cut down or wholly eliminate defective parts, and reduce the risk of damage to stamping dies and molds — which present steep costs to fix and severely harm delivery times.

Preventive Maintenance

Any contract manufacturing partner should have a regularly scheduled preventive maintenance program. Your tooling is at the forefront of production and bears the brunt of the impact, stress, and repeated usage. 

A strong PM program contains many elements. For stamping dies, you’ll need periodic punch sharpening and perishable replacements. Injection molds, for example, require ultrasonic treatment and cleaning. You’ll also want information and a proper PM program will electronically track and record all preventive maintenance activities so you’ll also know exactly where your tooling stands.

Get Your Parts When (and How) You Need Them:  The need for quality parts is a given. But logistical support can add efficiency and elevate your operation.

LMC Supports Tool and Die Engineering, and Much More 

We have more than seven decades of experience under our collective toolbelt in turning your complex manufacturing projects into completed products. Through it all, LMC Industries has remained driven by our core principles — dedication, innovation, service, and manufacturability — while remaining proud to be a family-owned business. 

We understand that tooling is a significant investment and we ensure you get the most out of it with expert care and fabrication capabilities. We use our 14,000-square-foot tool room to fabricate, repair, and maintain metal stamping dies and injection molds with full CNC milling, water jet machining, wire EDM, conventional EDM, and TIG welding capabilities. 

Our tool and die engineering support also includes the fabrication and stocking of consumable components, such as bushings and pins, to replace as needed without affecting your production. We limit any potential downtime to the absolute minimum with our robust in-house repair capabilities.

Connect with LMC Industries to learn how we help you re-engineer your parts with complete tooling support, including tool and die engineering.