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News
Writer George Keremedjiev provides a “virtual tour” of
ITW Drawform in this condensed article which was first
printed in MetalForming Magazine in January 2000.
Often, I am asked, “If there were one company where
one could see excellence firsthand, where would it be?” Without
hesitation or second thoughts, I always respond, “ITW
Drawform in Zeeland, MI.” I would propose this shop
as reflecting some of the finest practices in housekeeping,
cleanliness, building maintenance, press, machine and
toolroom layout.
Let me take you for a virtual tour of the place, as I
have taken others there to see for themselves what is
possible when a metalforming company decides to present
itself with no less passion for cleanliness and housekeeping
than one would find in a pharmaceutical plant.…
We enter the reception area, and immediately are faced
with a stunning scene. Behind large panels of glass, a
commons area serves both as employee cafeteria and mass
meeting place. To the left is a kitchen area with a large
television. Colors are subdued, but inspire discipline
and cleanliness…
We proceed to the toolroom where the dies are built. The
place looks like a laboratory, as precision tooling and
components are machined and documented with state-of-the-art
machinery and highly skilled, disciplined toolmakers.
Our group stares at the tooling, the machinery — all
immaculate…
The next stop is the maintenance toolroom, where dies
are sharpened and the multitude of components needed to
produce these parts are shaped into disciplined performance
in the pressroom. The maintenance toolmakers are no less
impressive in their thorough understanding of the stamping
process. At ITW Drawform, the maintenance toolroom takes
full, unconditional responsibility for the precision functioning
of the tools in their respective presses. The transition
between press and maintenance toolrooms is seamless…
As one walks around the pressroom, neat concepts such
as in-line part cleaning, inspection, mistake-proof shipping
check fixtures and sensors in dies are evident. Best of
all, for some, is the way that the dies are stored on
shelves along the perimeter walls of the pressroom, allowing
for easy die changeovers. The color scheme seems absurd
at first — the presses are painted white, the walls
of the pressroom are white — but then, one sees
how clean the floor and presses are…
Our tour continues into the tryout area with several presses
and a component library available for tooling tryouts.
All of the concepts are tried out first in this experimental
tooling research area. How refreshing to see tryouts in
the truest sense of the term — away from the production
pressures and time restrictions that most of us have to
deal with when we try to compete with press time to get
a die tested.…
We then are shown the micro-sectioning laboratory, where
precision mounting, preparation and analysis of metals,
their grain structures, laminations, voids (and other
not-too-pleasant surprises that typically arrive in our
metal strips) are analyzed. This room smacks of science
and focused technology, and screams volumes to visitors
and customers about the company’s ability to cut
through muddled guesses with clear facts. This lab, and
a discussion with ITW Drawform’s excellent metallurgical
technician, alone are worth a trip to the shop…
We finish the tour in the training room, which could better
be described as a college lecture facility, complete with
the latest audiovisual equipment, comfortable furniture
and a podium. We walk out in silence. How can 120,000
square feet of manufacturing look so good? |
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