Keeping control of inventory requires intentionality.
Insufficient inventory management leads to more waste, higher costs, and a poor vendor/customer relationship.
But how do you manage steel inventory, which is a big investment with a limited shelf life? You need a lean inventory management[...]
In the old days, it looked good when roll forming companies produced as much as possible. But that concept no longer flies in today’s world of lean manufacturing, value engineering, and so many other cost-efficiency philosophies.
Offshoring. It became popular back when corporations first realized they could maximize their profits by outsourcing manufacturing to countries with cheaper labor.
However, thanks to increased quality, lead-time concerns and the rising cost of global middle class labor, it’s no longer best[...]
OEM projects can be hectic. The nuances of why raw materials cost a specific amount are probably not something you think of often. Your main concerns are likely lead time, reliability, quality, satisfying your customer, and controlling overall costs.
But when it comes to that last one, wouldn’t[...]
Since the turn of the 20th century -- or perhaps much earlier -- roll forming has been used to quickly and cost-effectively produce metal parts for many industries.
One clutch roll forming advantage is that it's a highly repeatable metal fabrication process. The machine pulls a coiled strip[...]
Bringing metal roll forming processes into your plant is a complex investment. It’s more than just buying a machine that you turn on and off whenever you need it. There are additional costs and risks you won't understand unless you run a full-blown roll forming factory.
There’s nothing new or mysterious about “just-in-time” or JIT manufacturing. The idea has been around since the 1970s, and all it means is that you receive what you need, just when you need it -- hence the popular term just-in-time delivery.
Yet, when it first came into practice, it shook up[...]
Maintaining inventory of what a customer needs for production, and nothing more, is a delicate and complicated balance. As inventory ages, it can depreciate to a level that no longer adds value for the producer. This is especially true in metal forming processes.
For manufacturers who require a continuous flow of custom roll forming, late shipments and stock outages can negatively impact sales and make it difficult to compete in today’s global marketplace. To limit the possibility of such headaches, OEM often choose between multisourcing vs.[...]
