Engineering consistent performance
—and quality

Problem

When Tigerstop, LLC, the global leader in automatic stop/gauge and pusher systems, needed to re-think the manufacturing process behind one of their essential product parts, they turned to Futura for help.

"We had a complex, heavy extrusion that our previous vendor just couldn't get right—there was a hole at the pivot point that had to be in precisely the right position in order for the part to operate correctly—but when we received the final product, it was never positioned properly," says Stuart Aldrich, New Product Engineer at Tigerstop. "Then we called Futura."

Solution

Tigerstop worked with Futura to redesign the part. By re-evaluating the entire manufacturing process, Futura's Value Stream Engineers determined that the part could be made more accurately and cost effectively by machining the hole rather than extruding it, and by entrusting a single vendor to handle both steps of the process.

"We talked with Futura's extrusion foreman, we talked with their machinist. We all put our heads together, and through this collaborative process, we came up with a workable design," says Aldrich. "We haven't had any problems since."

Results

By enhancing manufacturing efficiencies and increasing the reliability of the final product, Futura delivered more than quality. They delivered peace of mind. "I never worry about product returns or quality issues anymore," says Aldrich. "With Futura, everything I get looks good—and works great."

Tight tolerances—on a tight budget

Problem

ICW USA, a leading manufacturer of commercial-grade mounting solutions, needed highly technical extrusions for four new parts. But the tolerances they required were so tight, that many extruders weren’t even willing to quote the job.

"Our engineers were beginning to worry," says Richard Havice, ICW's Purchasing Agent. "We knew that if we couldn't find an extruder to meet our extra-tight tolerances, we'd be forced to add secondary machine operations to ensure proper assembly, which would increase production costs."

Solution

Futura's quote committed to meeting ICW's tight tolerance requirements without secondary operations. “We gave Futura the job because of their reputation for excellent quality and service, combined with their ability to meet our technical needs at a reasonable price,” says Havice.

Working with ICW's designs, Futura created customized dies to meet each part's precise tolerance requirements while also ensuring a flawless finish. "What you put into the die design is what you get from your extrusion," says Havice. "And the precision of these dies came down to thousandths of an inch."

Results

The precisely dimensioned parts that Futura delivered "were right on the money," says Havice. And the aluminum finish, which needed to be perfectly flawless in preparation for powder coating, was "absolutely beautiful."

“Our quality control team tried to find something out of tolerance… but they simply couldn’t,” he says. “Our engineers were delighted, and everyone here just raved.”