A Collaborative Business Model for

the Tool and Die Industry

September 30, 2002

Manufacturing Systems Group

Center for Automotive Research – Altarum
 Table of Contents

TABLE OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................iv

GLOSSARY OF TERMS..................................................................................................v

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................1

II. THE TOOL AND DIE INDUSTRY.....................................................................3

A. CHALLENGES FOR THE TOOL AND DIE INDUSTRY SECTOR ........................... 3

B. STATE AND FEDERAL I NVOLVEMENT ........................................................... 7
C. COMPETITIVE OBSERVATIONS ..................................................................... 8

III. WHAT THE TOOL AND DIE SUPPLIERS NEED TO CONSIDER ...........13

A. BUSINESS P RACTICES OF “BEST” SHOPS .................................................... 13

B. LEAN PRACTICES ....................................................................................... 14

IV. WHAT THE TOOL AND DIE CUSTOMERS NEED TO CONSIDER ........20

A. COLLABORATIVE PRODUCT AND PROCESS ENGINEERING .......................... 21

B. DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL DESIGN M ETHODS .................................. 21
C. LEAN DIE STANDARDS............................................................................... 21
D. FUNCTIONAL BUILD ................................................................................... 22

V. THE COLLABORATIVE BUSINESS MODEL ..............................................25

A. OBJECTIVE ................................................................................................. 25
B. DESCRIPTION OF TOOL AND DIE COALITION .............................................. 27
C. INTEGRATOR COALITION............................................................................ 30
D. SYNERGISTIC BENEFITS AND COST IMPACT OF COLLABORATIVE MODEL.. 33
E. IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES OF THE COLLABORATIVE MODEL ...................... 36
F. RECENT EXPERIENCES WITH THE COLLABORATIVE MODEL....................... 37

VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................40

A. ADOPTING LEAN PRACTICES ...................................................................... 40

B. CREATING COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS ............................................ 41

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 C. GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ............................................................................. 43

VII. REFERENCES .....................................................................................................44

VIII. COALITION APPENDIX...................................................................................45

A. COALITION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF MICHIGAN TOOLING INDUSTRIES

(CAMTI) ................................................................................................... 45
B. MICHIGAN TOOLING ACT (FROM WWW .CAMTI.ORG) ................................. 45
C. FRAUNHOFER TOOL AND DIE PAPER ON PERFORMANCE ............................ 45
D. U.S. TOOLING COALITION (USTC) ANTITRUST POLICY (DRAFT
GUIDELINES ) .............................................................................................. 45

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 Table of Figures

FIGURE 1 – MICHIGAN TOOL AND DIE EMPLOYMENT C YCLE. ............................................. 4

FIGURE 2 – COMPARISON OF ISSUES CRITICAL TO TOOL AND DIE COMPANIES IN 1975
VERSUS 2002. .................................................................................................... 5
FIGURE 3 – BIG-3 RELATIVE DIE COSTS WITH HONDA . ...................................................... 5
FIGURE 4 – COMPARISON OF ASIAN AND NORTH AMERICAN COMPANIES ........................... 9
FIGURE 5 - TRYOUT PRESSES PER CNC MACHINE TOOL. .................................................. 10
FIGURE 6. COMPARATIVE TIMING OF DIE CONSTRUCTION STEPS. .................................... 11
FIGURE 7 - FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH TOOL AND DIE SHOP PERFORMANCE. ................ 14
FIGURE 8 – THE FUNCTIONAL BUILD CONTINUUM . ........................................................... 23
FIGURE 9– BASIC AND FULL SERVICE COALITION CAPABILITIES ....................................... 27
FIGURE 10 – EVOLUTION AND EXPANDING ROLE FOR TOOLING COALITION. .................... 28
FIGURE 11– TOOLING COALITION ORGANIZATION. ........................................................... 29
FIGURE 12 – ORGANIZATION FOR TOOLING COALITION OPERATING COMMITTEE............. 30
FIGURE 13 – INTEGRATOR COLLABORATIVE MODEL......................................................... 32
FIGURE 14 – GENERAL COLLABORATIVE COALITION MODEL. .......................................... 33
FIGURE 15 – COST REDUCTION OPPORTUNITY THROUGH COLLABORATION. .................... 35

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 Glossary of Terms

Term Meaning
ABC Activity Based Costing.
Activity Based Accounting method for allocating overhead charges based on
Costing
leasing equipment / space / overhead resources per unit time.
CAD Computer Aided Design.
Captive shops Tooling shops that are owned by the customer.
CAR Center for Automotive Research.
CNC Computer Numerically Controlled.
Die Design Standard A standard that states how dies will be manufactured, for
example, how many wear plates will be used, whether
standardized screws will be used, etc. These standards can be
generic for all dies or specific to particular part families, such
as fenders. In the US, customers often dictate the standard to
ensure dies are made that will run in the customer’s presses.
Functional build A method for determining when a die is acceptable for
production based on its ability to produce a part that will
result in an acceptable assembly.
Lean manufacturing Practices and techniques designed to reduce waste in all its
forms (e.g., cost, time, space, labor), including work- in-
process inventory through single part production flow; wasted
motion, space, and labor through more efficient work space
layouts; fluctuating resource demands through leveling work
flow, etc.
OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer.
Setup Task of placing a die in a precise position on a machine or
press prior to operation.
SUV Sport Utility Vehicle.

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Term Meaning
Synchronous Process A production line flow of materials through serial processes
Flow
with all resources needed at every point in the process as the
job arrives.
T&D Tool and Die.
The Big 3 DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors.
Tryout The trial and error process of making a part, checking a part
versus its specifications, making changes to the die, and
making the next part.
Unibody Car design strategy where the car body provides the structure
for the engine and transmission, as opposed to having a
separate frame and chassis.
Value stream mapping Technique to identify bottlenecks in the product process flow.
CAM Computer Aided Manufacturing.
Patterns Styrofoam shape of the die from which the casting is formed.
Castings The cast block of metal from which dies are made.
2-D machining Process of rough machining the two-dimensional part shape
in the casting.
3-D machining Process of fine machining the final three-dimensional part
shape.
PPAP Production Part Approval Process. The process by which the
contracted dies are proven to be capable of producing parts
that meet specifications.
Die lineup Number and order of dies required to produce a particular
part
Draw die First die in a die lineup, which determines the part shape and
does the greatest amount of forming.
Blank Flat piece of metal that is placed in a draw die.
Blank die Die that forms the blank.
Bearing surface A metal supporting surface in a die.

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Wear plate A plate that allows the upper and lower die to move against
each other.
Die insert A separate metal piece that is inserted into the main die,
usually to perform a special function, such a piercing a hole,
or to create an especially hard area in the die.
Show panel dies Dies that make parts that are externally visible to the
customer on a car, such as a hood, fender, or door outer panel.
Examples of non-showing parts are reinforcements, rails,
engine compartments, safety belt anchors, etc.
Cpk Process capability index that relates the tolerance of a
dimension to the process mean and variance. If the process is
centered 4 standard deviations from the closest tolerance
limit, the Cpk is 1.33.
BIW Body In White, the assembled car body including doors,
decklids, and hoods prior to painting.

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 I. Executive Summary
The current economic problems facing the tool and die industry are significant:
• 30% - 50% overcapacity,
• increased foreign competition,
• technology improvements that lower the barrier for others to enter the
market,
• lower demand from the automotive companies due to reduced number of
new vehicles, gr eater part integration, and increased part carryover,
• increased customer demands to provide more services and lower price by
5% annually.
Although some of these factors have come and gone before, this economic downturn is
considered to be different from previous downturns, because there has been a
fundamental change in the manner in which the automotive industry operates. Both
OEMs and their suppliers are under intense foreign competition and must cut costs and
change the way they do business, both internally as well as between one another. The
above factors are permanent and not going to disappear as the automotives compete;
hence the industry needs to restructure and develop new business models, such as the
coalition approach.
Benchmark data shows the foreign competition can make dies at one-third the
cost in approximately one-half the time. These differences can be attributed to three
basic reasons: lean operations, simpler part designs from their customers, and closer
supplier-customer relationships. This latter factor is particularly important as it drives, in
part, the simpler part designs, and because it enables both parties to identify system level
cost reduction opportunities, such as functional build.
It is imperative that T&D shops adopt lean practices. These practices have been
shown to result in lower cost and improved manufacturing performance. The benchmark
data clearly shows that lean practices lower time and cost in the manufacturing functions,
i.e., die machining, assembly, and tryout. The state- funded Michigan Manufacturing
Technology Center (www.mmtc.org) offers numerous training classes and
implementation support for lean practices.

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 The T&D shops must learn to collaborate with one another and with their
customers. For example, they can form coalitions that offer a broader range of services
to their customers including project management and functional build. Collaborative
efforts can drive tooling costs down by 40% through the following:
• Manufacturing and Engineering Efficiencies – 10%
• Coalition Efficiencies – 5%
• Product Design Input – 10%
• Lean Tool Standards – 5%
• Functional Build – 10%
The OEMs must entertain such coalitions as viable options. They can only
succeed if the OEMs learn to work with the coalitions to reap the benefit of the system
cost savings. These cost savings will require early design input, the creation of lean die
standards, changing the part approval process (PPAP), and the implementation functional
build processes at the supplier’s and potentially at the customer’s site.
The local, state, and federal government can support the coalition model by
• Funding the creation of coalitions or initial development into the structure of
coalitions for various industries or customers (automotive, furniture, etc.),
• Creating investment tax credits and faster depreciation schedules to enable T&D
shops to keep pace with the changes in technology,
• Changing laws to allow coalitions to purchase group healthcare coverage,
• Providing more funds for the education and adoption of lean manufacturing
methods,
• Providing funds to support coalition cost reduction initiatives.

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 II. The Tool and Die Industry

Many tool and die makers have gone bankrupt during the first years of the new
millennia. This study was commissioned to better understand the underlying causes for
the demise of these shops, including a benchmarking study comparing selected Japanese
(2) and US die shops (4). The results from the benchmarking study are presented in
various places in the report.
The information presented in the report was derived from the literature, interviews
with industry experts, working with different organizations in the industry, the results of
the benchmarking study, and CAR’s extensive knowledge of the world automotive
industry.

A. Challenges for the Tool and Die Industry Sector

The tool and die (T&D) industry, particularly in Michigan, has always
experienced large fluctuations in demand with high and low cycles lasting several years.
In Michigan, where nearly 50% of the tool and die industry is automotive related, the
cycles are a way of life, and companies have learned to expand and contract over time.
Figure 1 illustrates the employment cycle for Michigan’s tooling companies since 1970.
These cycles are largely related to the introduction of major vehicle programs in the
automobile companies. The questions being asked by T&D companies now is when will
the next up-tic begin, will the demand return to full- employment levels, and will the
demand support prices that allow T&D companies to make a profit?
Two factors contributing to the down turn are overcapacity and foreign
competition. Most T&D manufacturers believe that there is a significant over-capacity in
the world and domestic ma rket (by 30% to 50%), with developing countries (mostly in
Asia) continuing to build new capacity with the intent of supplying North America.

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 Michigan Tool and Die Industry Employment
(Bureau of Labor Statistics)
(SIC 354: tooling, dies, Jigs, fixtures, gages, etc.)

Employment (thousands) 70
Downsizing: unibody Trucks/SUVs
65

60

55
50
?
45
40
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year

Figure 1 – Michigan Tool and Die Employment Cycle.

On the surface, it would appear from the cycles in Figure that all the industry has
to do is wait for the next upturn, and business will continue as usual. In fact, when you
compare the concerns of T&D companies back in 1975 with those of today, not much has
changed (see Figure 2). Dominant concerns in 1975 included: foreign competition,
increasing productivity (at the T&D shops), over supply, and low profit margins. All
these issues are with us today. All these factors continue to put pressure on the industry
today. So what has changed?
The concern that the downturn is, in fact, a re-structuring of the industry stems
from the competitive changes at the automobile OEM level. The T&D industry sector is
a microcosm of the automobile industry. International competition is intense with over-
capacity, particularly in the major developed countries (North America, Europe and
Japan). This has led to falling market share by the Big-3 – the principal customers of the
domestic T&D industry. A primary mechanism to re-gain market share is to introduce
new vehicle models that generate increased sales. The major bottleneck of introducing
new programs is funding, which in turns places pressure on lowering tooling costs.

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 1975 (1) 2002
Capacity Increase
Increased foreign competition x x
Productivity gains x x
Shortage of Skilled Help x
(die maker) (engineer)

Unfair Competition
Excess capacity x x
Pricing below costs x x
Reduced Demand
Foreign competition x x
Captive shops x x
Customer technology x
Unsupportive Government Policies
Exchange rates x
Taxes x x
Figure 2 – Comparison of Issues Critical to Tool and Die Companies in 1975 Versus
2002.

Company Relative Die Costs

Honda X

Big-3 A 2.6 X

Big-3 B 2.8 X

Big-3-C 3.1 X

Figure 3 – Big-3 Relative Die Costs With Honda.

The cost efficiencies of many of the Asian companies are well recognized, which
affords them a competitive advantage at gaining market share. A recent industry study,
for example, shows the Big-3 OEMs have a significant tool and die cost disadvantage
with respect to Honda in the car body (see Figure 3). The Big-3 die costs are over 2.5
times greater than Honda’s die costs. Honda’s timing is also considerably faster at

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tooling construction and tryout, although not to the same magnitude as the die cost
differential (see section II.C Competitive Observations ). The Big-3 recognize the need to
reduce this competitive disadvantage, and that a significant transformation of the
domestic tooling industry may be necessary.
One of the mechanisms the Big-3 is using to push down prices is on- line auctions.
In spite of the negative reaction by long-term suppliers, the OEMs have managed to
reduce prices with auctions, particularly during times of over-capacity. It was recently
reported that DaimlerChrysler has been purchasing dies at 30% to 40% below
conventional prices from just a couple of years ago. Although providing short-term cost
relief and sending a message to the T&D industry, the auction approach is counter to the
Asian (including Honda) collaborative supplier model. For example, suppliers to Honda
see their relationships as open, collaborative, and long-term. The reward for this
relationship includes less volatile demand cycles and cost-reducing cooperation (such as
two-way sharing of product/process design knowledge), albeit with lower overall
operating profit margins.
Other changes by the automotive companies are forcing suppliers to assume a
greater portion of the OEM’s financial liability and investment risk. The percent of
annual capital expenditures by the supplier base has increased steadily for the past several
years reaching approximately 66% in 1999 (IRN, 2002). No part of the supply industry
is affected more than tool and die where the manufacturing lead times are long and the
expenditures are high. Previous payment schemes were progress-based, for example,
providing 30% at contract signing, 30% upon final design approval, 30% upon shipment,
and 10% upon final validation at the customer facility. Under such a plan, the supplier
could generally finance work- in-process through local banks when necessary. The new
payment proposals, which are replacing the traditional progressive payments, at best, pay
100% upon shipment to the customer. Other proposals defer payment until final
validation at the customer, or later. One proposal is to pay for dies on a production part
basis, by amortizing the investment over the projected life of production on a piece-part
basis. This pushes final payment out even further and adds additional payment risk. A
further complexity has occurred from sourcing dies to tier-1 stamping companies (thus
pushing the tool and die supplier back to a tier-2 supplier). The tool and die supplier

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must negotiate payment from a smaller, tier-1 company. Under these payment conditions
and with the instability in the market, many banks have avoided tool and die financing,
because of the higher risk in receiving payment altogether.
Although a traditionally cyclical busine ss, there is strong evidence that the
industry is re-structuring in a substantial, long-term way. The outlook for small (under
10-15 employees), independent and entrepreneurial tool and die shops is very grim.
These small shops will likely need to identify their niche and then team up with larger
companies that pool together resources to supply a greater variety of bundled products
and services. The cost pressures on the larger shops will also force them to continuously
evaluate their strengths and maintain a technical edge. Foreign competition is forcing the
domestic auto companies to “share the pain” with the suppliers. Although many see the
foreign tool and supply companies as the cause of the domestic problem, the true cause is
the competitive pressures being experienced by the auto companies.

B. State and Federal Involvement

The difficulties experienced by the tool and die industry, particularly in Michigan,
have been recognized by state and federal agencies. In addition to commissioning this
study, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has been supporting
the industry through several initiatives including support to the Michigan Manufacturing
Technology Center (MMTC). The MMTC (www.mmtc.org) provides services to the
industry in the form of training and consulting for small manufacturers throughout the
state. The MMTC leverages funds from state and federal sources to support the needs of
Michigan manufacturers.
The federal government recently became actively involved with the tool and die
industry when the International Trade Commission (ITC) began an investigation into the
competitive conditions vis-à-vis foreign competition. They wish to ascertain whether or
not other countries are competing fairly in their pricing of tools and dies to North
American customers. The ITC report is expected in October 2002.
Representing Michigan’s tooling industry to the federal and state government is
the Coalition for the Advancement of Michigan Tooling Industries (CAMTI).

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 “CAMTI’s mission is to direct federal and state government attention to
the issues facing Michigan’s tooling companies and affected communities.
It will also advocate for legislative and regulatory initiatives that will
advance their interests.”
The CAMTI website (www.camti.org) contains information on pending legislation, ITC
committee transcripts, and dates of upcoming events that would be of interest to the
tooling industry.
A report written in spring 2002 by IRN, Inc. for The Right Place Program (a
regional economic development organization serving west Michigan) provides an
overview of the industry issues and ongoing initiatives. The report, “A Competitive
Assessment of the Die and Mold Building Sector – A West Michigan Perspective,”
provides a summary of issues based on research and broad perspectives gleaned from
interviews with tool and die companies and industry experts.

C. Competitive Observations
A number of benchmarking studies have been conducted showing the cost and
lead-time advantages Asian automakers have over the domestic companies. All the
major Japanese automakers are recognized as having competitive or superior
performance, and have had this advantage for many years. The Japanese companies are
known for their efficiency and lean production methods, and better implementation of
these practices will undoubtedly improve the competitive performance of North America
companies (see section III.B Lean Practices). Lean design and manufacturing practices,
along with new technologies in engineering and high-speed milling have greatly
increased tool and die production capacity without any increase in labor hours or facility
space.
These lean methods can be applied in North America. One North American tool
and die operation indicated that they increased their capacity from the early 1990s to
2002 by 50% without any increase in additional resources, and that they expect a 25%
increase to continue over the next few years. This result was largely attributed to
implementing lean techniques, focusing on core competencies, and setting up the
business as a production-oriented facility, rather than treating each job as a project.

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 There are several key distinctions between the Asian and North American markets
that are important to understand. The Japanese customer-supplier model is different, and
simply saying North American suppliers are not competitive is incomplete. A key aspect
of the Asian relationships is that it evolves over the long-term as a formal partnership,
and includes fine-tuning manufacturing and engineering around product expectations (we
might refer to this as product design standards). The North American business model has
evolved with suppliers competing against each other on every program, and any program
could be very different from any past one. Although tools and dies could be taken by a
North American supplier and produced by a Japanese source, it is not clear that it could
be done more cheaply. In other words, because the Japanese OEMs and their supply
network have fine-tuned their processes to be cost efficient for a specific product design
standard, a Japanese supplier might not be able to generate Honda prices for tools from a
domestic company’s part design, since their processes are not fined tuned to the domestic
company’s design standards.

Tool & Die Suppliers

North America Asia

Product Design Complex Simpler

Many presses and extensive Few presses and limited
Tryout experiences tryout

Functional Build Organizational difficulties Natural process

Few (simpler designs and
Engineering Changes Many (complex designs)
early manufacturing input)

Die Standards Unique to OEM Unique to supplier

Figure 4 – Comparison of Asian and North American Companies.

Some of the key differences that help account for the performance differences
between Asian and North American suppliers are shown in Figure 4. As illustrated in
Figure 3, there can be significant tooling cost advantages under the Asian model, and
particularly in the case of Honda, that model was developed for the purpose of
minimizing cost. However, in North America, the customer-supplier business model
evolved differently with more complex objectives than focusing primarily on cost. Few
would argue tha t in North America product design complexity for styling advantages
tends to be a priority over developing simpler designs for the purpose of manufacturing

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simplicity. Consequently, more engineering changes tend to occur, and more extensive
tryout is required. In general, the Asian supply model is not robust to implementing a
large number of engineering changes during die construction, whereas the North
American suppliers have had to learn to accommodate these disruptions. The streamlined
Asian process has also been developed around dies with a single die design standard. All
die construction processes (engineering, patterns, castings, machining, assembly and
tryout) can be developed assuming a single standard, thus greatly reducing costs. Finally,
the functional build method of accepting a die (dimensionally) provides a significant
advantage over companies trying to make every measured dimension on the part conform
to statistical criteria, e.g., Cpk > 1.33. Functional build is described later in this report
(see section IV.D Functional Build).

4.5

4.0
No. of Presses / No. of CNC

3.5

3.0
machines

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
US 2 US 1 US 4 US 3 Japan 1 Japan 2

Ratio 4.2 1.7 1.2 1.0 1.0 0.5

Figure 5 - Tryout Presses per CNC Machine Tool.

Benchmarking data collected for this report illustrates the difference in tryout
between Asian and North American shops. Figure 5 shows for the four North American
suppliers, the ratio of tryout presses per CNC machine tool varied from 4.2 to 1.0. For
the two Japanese companies the range was from 1.0 to 0.5. Japanese die suppliers
generally have less equipment to tryout at the die construction source because:
• Less tryout is needed (lower complexity parts and fewer engineering
changes require implementation at the end of the process).

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 • More tryout is performed at the customer’s location in the production
press where more accurate re-work decisions can be made, and where
other related parts can be compared for assembly using functional build.
• Tryout is not seen as a core business practice.
Related to cost is the amount of time the shops spend on creating dies (see Figure
6). Analysis of the benchmark data shows that the time it takes to complete a set of dies
differs dramatically between the Japanese and the US companies. The Japanese take
approximately 20 weeks to complete a die, whereas the US companies take
approximately 35 weeks to complete a die (44%) difference. The Japanese take about the
same amount of time to design dies and to procure castings (patterns and castings are
100% outsourced by everyone). The major differences are in the machining and
assembly and in die tryout. The Japanese suppliers are approximately 60% faster than
the US shops. The assembly speed is largely due to: elimination of assembly through die
simplification (reduction in inserts and cams), design simplification, standardized
processes, prepackaged assembly part kits (standard parts such as screws, hoses, etc. are
prepared for the specific job elsewhere and ready when the assembly process is started).
The tryout speed difference is largely due to the factors mentioned previously: lower part
complexity and functional build.

timing (weeks) US avg Japan avg % of US

Die design 4.6 5.3 -14%
patterns and castings 5.8 5.1 11%
machining and assembly 16.4 6.4 61%
tryout 7.6 2.8 64%
total 34.4 19.5 44%

Figure 6. Comparative Timing of Die Construction Steps.

There is no reason to believe that the North American tool and die technical
capability is second to general Asian or European capabilities. There is also little
question that lower cost dies can be sourced either by using the Asian model, or by
sourcing dies to countries with very low labor costs. The challenge of sourcing complex
tools and dies to low labor countries, e.g. China, is that they are just beginning to develop

11
the necessary technical expertise, and the risk of failure would be high. An allegiance
between a domestic supplier for difficult dies, and a low cost supplier in a developing
country for simpler dies certainly has potential. Or similarly, a relationship where
engineering is performed domestically and machining and assembly performed in low-
wage countries has merit. A major concern, however, with both of these options is that
over time the foreign partners will develop their own technical expertise at the expense of
the domestic company. An alternative collaborative model proposed later in this report
largely replicates the strengths of the Asian model within the constraints found in North
America.
The domestic auto companies recognize the value of sourcing tools and dies to
local companies. Cost related advantages of local suppliers include:
• Lower logistical costs (shipping, travel, communication, etc.).
• Better communication, which is especially important for complex tools
and dies.
• More familiarity by the local companies with domestic requirements
(design, tryout, die standards, etc.).
• Better able to implement engineering changes.
• Shorter lead and response time due to improved communications and
shorter shipping times.
The domestic automakers, although pressed to reduce their costs, see both a technical and
cost advantage to sourcing tools and dies locally. One industry manager indicated that
the value, or premium associated with sourcing dies overseas in Asia could be up to 30%.
In other words, everything else being equal, an automaker might be willing to pay up to
30% more to source a tool or die domestically rather than in Asia.

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 III. What the Tool and Die Suppliers Need to Consider

A. Business Practices of “Best” Shops

A recent study in Europe (see section VIII.C) surveyed approximately 50 T&D
shops in Europe and South America to identify the characteristics associated with high
performing shops. High performing T&D shops had a long-term record of steady
workflow of profitable work. The five factors that had a high degree of correlation with
high performing shops were:
• Companies had focused processes – they had clearly defined core
competencies, out-sourced non-core services, and developed niche specialties.
This extended to equipment selection, strategic sourcing partners, and careful
commitment to strategic customers.
• A higher than average effort was extended to new jobs early in the production
cycle. A higher level of project planning and engineering attention was
applied before work made it to the shop floor.
• Companies practiced continuous improvement in planning and operations,
with an emphasis on their chosen core competencies.
• Machine tool planning (setup and machining) and programming was
rigorously developed using centralized resources. The attempt was to
minimize reliance on shop floor personnel for this activity during periods
when the CNC machines could be cutting metal (thereby increasing machine
utilization).
• Highly motivated workforce – employees that enjoyed their work and cared
about company performance.
The study found that companies that excelled at these practices experienced
superior performance and efficiency. The performance of these companies averaged 25%
shorter lead time, 35% lower labor content, up to 60% less time on the machine tools for
dies, and a much higher percent of spindle cutting time. Hence, the dies are only on the
machines while they are being cut instead of waiting on the machines while the machines
are being programmed.

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B. Lean Practices
Most T&D shops outside of Asia do not have close, dedicated, and collaborative
relationships with their principal customers. T&D shops tend to be small, independent,
and very entrepreneurial, either serving a broad customer base with multiple services, or
providing a small niche product. Since the mid-70s, the North American T&D shops
have evolved and become more sophisticated. The sophistication extends beyond
technology; however technology still plays an important role.

Positive Attributes Negative Attributes

• Effective project management • One or more operators
• “Synchronous” process flow assigned to one machine
• Process specialization • High employee turnover
• Understanding of costs • Too much time spent in final
• Reduced need for paper tooling tryout
(use of math-based tools) • Operators programming or
• High machine tool utilization re-programming machine
• Blend of older and newer technology tools when the machines
(e.g., machine centers and engineering) should be running

• Effective management of
engineering change implementation
• Identification and development of
core competencies
• Effective, centralized engineering function

Figure 7 - Factors Associated With Tool and Die Shop Performance.

The factors associated with T&D shop performance listed in Figure 7 were part of
the benchmarking effort and derived from several sources including Big-3 interviews,
Japanese and US T&D shop owner interviews, and industry research. The specific
observations noted in the sections to follow are based on actual implementations and
strategies seen at the most successful shops. Given the dynamic nature of the industry,
T&D shops today have made progress with the positive performance factors mentioned in

14
section III.A, or probably have not survived the current market pressures. All shops,
however, need to continuously work toward the implementation of these lean practices.

1. Project Management – Effective project management has been recognized as one of

the most significant developments at today’s world-class tool and die shops, because
it requires disciplines that instill a standardized managed workflow. The role of tool
and die project management is to schedule resources (engineering, machine tools,
assembly personnel, tryout presses, etc.) and plan for the timely execution of many
tasks (including purchasing parts and outsourcing services). Many companies use
software such as Microsoft Project Manager. The key to effective project
management is having predictable events that can be planned. Reducing the
uncertainty of events, like tryout or the unplanned engineering change is important, as
well as having a system that is flexible enough (robust) to adapt to unplanned
situations. Two measures of effective project management are efficient use of
company resources and reliable prediction of completion dates. A part of project
management is to effectively anticipate and manage engineering changes. The
system must be able to process engineering changes without significantly
deteriorating performance. Decisions about when to implement changes
(immediately or batch until later) are key considerations.
2. Synchronous Process Flow – Synchronous process flow is consistent with effective
project management. The term synchronous is used to suggest production- line style
manufacturing for tools and dies. Tools and dies move through the shop in a
production line fashion with all resources needed at every point in the process ready
for the job when it gets to the downstream operation. Synchronous production
requires standardized work, e.g., standardized bill of materials and resource demand
at each work center. Certain design and production aspects of construction are
standardized so that “bundles” of components are pre-packaged and ready for the
tool. This maximizes off-the-shelf supply rather than re-engineering or special
ordering parts when needed and, thereby, lowers cost. Although unplanned events,
such as machine tool breakdown, engineering change, sick employee, etc., can disrupt
synchronous flow, the manufacturing process needs to be designed to be robust to
these events, which will occur, even though their frequency and timing is uncertain.

15
 Value stream mapping is one technique that can help identify and eliminate
bottlenecks in the process flow. One technique to move an operation toward a
production orientation is to begin measuring and managing the shop floor based on
throughput of dies. The unit of production measurement is, “dies produced,” rather
than the more traditional perspective of selling hours of capacity. This significant
distinction requires die design/production standardization and will help maximize
capacity. For example, one US shop has doubled their capacity in terms of dies
produced without increasing their available labor hours. They implemented lean
practices that targeted the number of dies produced.
3. Process Specialization – Process specialization is also consistent with synchronous
flow in that different individuals in the shop become specialists in their job function.
This is again analogous to the production line where each operator has a specifically
assigned task. The old model with a craftsman toolmaker, which often was the project
manager for his/her die, is obsolete. The toolmaker skills, while still very valuable,
should be focused toward the engineering and problem solving part of the process.
Other individuals should focus on their respective specialties, such as project
management (which includes scheduling), engineering design, machining, machine
tool programming, setup, tryout, etc.
4. Understanding of Costs – Several OEMs indicated that they believe that the T&D
shops do not recognize their cost structure, leading to sub-optimal business decisions
and non-competitive quotes. A typical approach taken by a shop is to develop an
hourly rate for a collection of services and use the rate to quote a job. This rate
might, for example, aggregate several costs (including machine tools, computer
software, etc.), and assign an hourly rate based on the labor hours involved,
irrespective of the capital equipment involved. Suppliers with a broad range of
capabilities (e.g., full-service supplier) have a complex cost structure that demands
closer scrutiny. The activity-based costing (ABC) approach has been recommended
for businesses with a complex range of equipment and services. ABC is an
accounting method for allocating overhead charges based on an equipment / space /
overhead resource leasing per unit time concept. This also supports lean initiatives,
as ABC is much simpler to implement if there are standard work times and the

16
 infrastructure is in place to monitor the time of each operation. With ABC, the
company can better evaluate the economic viability of certain assets and make better
decisions regarding:
• developing quotes,
• upgrading capital equipment and technology,
• expanding capabilities (e.g., into engineering, tooling repair, prototype
development, tryout, etc.), and
• focusing on cost reduction opportunities.
5. Reduced Paper - The trend toward the paperless factory is prevalent in the T&D
business. Few, if any, shops have totally eliminated paper on the shop floor, but all
competitive shops have eliminated much of it. State-of-the art today is to have 100%
electronic data beginning from process design through cutter path generation, and
similarly for all die processes through CNC machining. Various technologies such as
SMIRT software (www.smirtware.com) have helped, which allow personnel to
interrogate design files or CNC programs directly through a computer. Perhaps more
important than eliminating paper itself, the paperless shop floor is indicative of a lean,
synchronous shop floor without the need for chronic problem solving.
6. Machine Tool Utilization – Overall manufacturing efficiency is heavily correlated
with percent of spindle cutting time on the machine tools. Unfortunately, most U. S.
T&D shops do not formally measure their machine utilization. Some companies
measure machine tool utilization by including setup, run time, etc. Estimated
machine times ranged from 60% to 85%. However, “lean” companies rigorously
measure their machine utilization emphasizing spindle cutting time. High performing
shops strive for spindle cutting time in excess of 90% of machine time (less
preventive maintenance). One Japanese shop had an average annual uptime of 87.9%
on their 3-D milling machines and 79% on their 2-D milling machines. Factors
contributing to a high spindle cutting time include standardized locators for quick
load and unload of the work piece/jig, debugged CNC machine programs prior to
changeover (e.g., using simulation or other methods for validation), preset tooling,
and load/unload pallet automation. Average die changeover times in the US range
from 0.5 to 4 hours. In lean shops they range from 18 minutes to 1 hour.

17
7. Technology – Companies need to stay current of the latest manufacturing and
engineering technologies as appropriate. This includes the judicious use of such
manufacturing technologies as high-speed cutting tools, laser welding, CAD/CAM
technology, and engineering design and simulation tools. When effectively applied,
machining centers can achieve 24-hour operations with an operator to machine ratio
from 1:2 to 1:3. The US companies typically have 1 person per machine and are
moving towards 0.5 operators per machine. The lean shops have fewer than 1 per
machine and operate some machinery unmanned at night. Engineering design tools
are evolving where excellent product feasibility analysis is becoming standard, and
spring back prediction is improving. Simulations are extending to manufacturing
simulations of dies in the production press, taking into account material handling
automation and scrap metal removal. Automakers use this information to maximize
production speeds, and they are beginning to expect tool and die suppliers to share in
this responsibility.
8. Development of Core Competencies – Many tool and die shops actually provide a
subset of products and services from a broad range of possible ones, for example:
• Tools
• Dies
• Fixtures
• Patterns (for castings)
• Engineering design (tools and dies)
• Feasibility engineering (product design)
• Tooling tryout
• Prototype development
• Production launch support
Some “full service” suppliers provide many or all of these services along with many
more. Although the full service supplier offers many advantages in some
circumstances, particularly when fast turnaround is required or when a customer lacks
industry knowledge or ability to manage many subtasks, the concern that is raised is
whether or not a supplier can be competitive with all these services at the same time.
Without specialization, some of these capabilities may come at high costs because of

18
 sporadic utilization and experience – a further reason to consider activity based
costing analysis so as to determine the cost of non-fully utilized assets. Some
suppliers can become more competitive by developing “niche” capabilities from a
subset of this list. Although there is a clear need at times for a full service supplier,
many world class companies specialize in fewer areas so that they will always be
recognized as an industry leader with a few critical capabilities, rather than a
generally good supplier of many capabilities. Process specialization includes having
strategic suppliers that can execute operations either more efficiently than the primary
shop (perhaps with lower labor costs, etc.), or can readily handle simpler operations,
like 2-D machining, reserving the more critical operations/capacity, like 3-D
machining, where there may be a competitive advantage at the primary shop.
9. Centralized Engineering – It would be difficult today to compete in complex tool
and die construction without a major emphasis in a central engineering function.
Centralized engineering is consistent with reducing (or eliminating) the craftsmanship
approach of tool and die making on the shop floor. Although most auto companies
would like to see the need for sophisticated engineering design to decrease and let die
sourcing compete as a commodity from labor costs, the intellectual content in tool
and die is one of the unique attributes of this product; so developing this capability is
important. For example, one Japanese shop has the strategic goal to minimize the
assembly function by reducing the number of steel inserts, eliminating cams, and
utilizing standard part kits. These latter steps are all a function of the specific die
design. Hence, the strategic goal can only be accomplished by having a strong die
engineering function.

19
IV. What the Tool and Die Customers Need to Consider
The domestic auto companies wish to reduce the tooling cost disadvantage they
experience with their Asian competition (e.g., refer to Figure 3). A significant reduction
in costs will require a joint effort between the T&D shops and the auto companies.
Granted, the T&D shops can more broadly implement cost reduction initiatives that will
contribute to reducing total costs as outlined previously, but many opportunities require
joint cooperation. The requirements in terms of die standards and die components,
quality certifications (ISO and QS standards) and performance requirements including
dimensional objectives and the production validation process (such as the production part
approval process or PPAP) all contribute to higher costs, leading some to argue their
value.
Most industry experts do not refute the assertion that the product designs of the
domestic automakers are inherently more difficult to produce than those for the Asian
auto companies. Consequently, there is less carryover of design and manufacturing
knowledge, and the sourcing relationships have not encouraged the development of
standardized practices or recognized the “total system cost” in launching a new vehicle.
Total system costs in this case include tooling related performance factors such as:
• Capital tooling cost (for all dies, fixtures, assembly tools, etc.)
• Tooling design and engineering
• Tooling tryout and production validation
• Implementation of engineering changes
• Product launch effectiveness (ramp up speed and quality)
Past practices have emphasized reducing tooling costs by focusing on individual
tooling quotes (typically by bidding one supplier against another), which likely shifted
costs to other areas in the total system. There are several areas of collaborative
opportunity (between the auto companies and tool and die shops) where improvements
can greatly reduce the total system costs associated with tooling.

20
A. Collaborative Product and Process Engineering
Closer communication between product design and the tooling suppliers can
significantly reduce complex problems that do not affect the product design features
important to the final customer. Tool and die engineers have in-depth knowledge about
tooling design that can be brought to bear early in the development process. Closer
communication and earlier involvement would allow tooling engineers to identify
manufacturing concerns related to part interface features (e.g., flanges) and forming
issues that affect die lineup (number and complexity of die operations, blank die design,
and material utilization) without changing the exterior part appearance. This level of
involvement will help offset later engineering cha nges from process design, and help
prevent program delays.

B. Development of Analytical Design Methods

The auto companies and all major tool and die suppliers have a significant
investment in software and technology to support die design. Forming software to
analyze feasibility and draw die development is very effective. Many more advances are
needed in the rapidly changing field of spring back prediction, particularly given the
rapid introduction of new materials (e.g., numerous high strength steel varieties and
aluminum), which often have a higher degree of spring back compared to standard mild
steels. Most companies, both auto and supplier, consider their knowledge in these fields
proprietary and often do little to support co-development. A closer collaboration in
developing these analytical methods, and then supporting their use early in the product
development process will reduce downstream engineering changes due to product
complexities, and accelerate the tool build and tryout process, resulting in higher
manufacturing productivity.

C. Lean Die Standards

There are a number of die construction standards used by the domestic
automakers. Some standards are unique to the facility where the tools will be put into
production. Many standards are also developed that “over engineer” the dies to
compensate for manufacturing negligence, e.g., poor press maintenance or process

21
control discipline such as loading two blanks in the draw die. There are also aspects of
the die standards, which differ between auto companies that are not designed to provide
anything unique, but help contribute to higher costs. Auto companies and tool and die
suppliers have agreed that a coordinated effort could produce substantial savings by re-
evaluating the multiple die standards and rationalizing an approach to reduce the number
of standards. The number of variations of die components could be reduced, and building
dies to the required standards could be simplified. Some of the Asian lean die standards
have included:
• Reduced bearing surfaces
• Fewer wear plates
• Using smaller dies as appropriate for the part rather than for the press
• Using fewer die inserts and flame hardening surfaces
• Less finishing on non-show panel dies
Some of the lean die standards require significant internal advancements by the
automakers first. For example, lighter dies will require well- maintained presses.
“Right-sizing” dies (e.g., making the size of the die match the size of the part rather
than a press) requires an internal press replacement / adjustment / maintenance
strategy that can be expensive and long-term before implementation.

D. Functional Build
Numerous studies have been conducted at tooling tryout sources (die shops) and
stamping facilities that have shown that very few parts throughout the industry meet all of
their initial dimensional specifications set by design (see Auto/Steel Partnership for
reference reports). Larger, more complex parts tend to experience this problem more,
and the same observation is true for European and Asian auto companies as well.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have estimated that 50% of stamped parts at
domestic automakers have never passed the production part approval process (PPAP).
Further, it has been shown that most of the parts that have not passed PPAP, and
therefore are out of specification, still result in assembled bodies that are within
specification. This is an indication that the assembly process is insensitive to the
incoming part variation, and that many part tolerances are tighter than necessary.

22
 In North America, the conventional process to buyoff dies has required the
suppliers to continually rework dies to get the dies as close to design intent as possible
(Cpk > 1.33). Then when the deadline to ship the dies approaches, engineering evaluates
what else must be changed with the time that is left. In effect, the full development time
is used in an attempt to create “perfect” parts. Then the process is repeated when the
assembly process is validated (see left hand side of Figure 8). However, studies have
shown that 50% of parts are accepted as less than perfect due to deadlines. This
imprecise process is deadline driven (forcing many dies to be late) and results in the
tooling supplier making many die changes during tryout to create a perfect part that will
not necessarily improve the final quality of the assembly.

11th Hour FB Event Based FB Pure FB

Conventional Functional Build

Component: Close ?
Cpk > 1.33?
s Stabilize parts pass
Rework
Rework s Get “close” to specification
pass s Evaluate via assembly Assembly
s Identify changes if necessary: Close ?
– Part A
Rework
– Part B
– Assembly

Assembly: Assembly:
Cpk > 1.33? Cpk > 1.33?

pass Rework pass

Rework

Figure 8 – The Functional Build Continuum.

The functional build process acknowledges that stamped parts do not have to be
dimensionally “perfect,” yet can still assemble into an acceptable assembly. A
development process that recognizes this early during tryout does not wait until time runs
out to make the final buyoff decisions. Instead it creates assemblies during the pre-
launch phase to evaluate whether parts result in acceptable assemblies, even if they are
not within specification. These pre- launch assemblies are usually built on special
functional build fixtures, since the production assembly tooling is often not yet ava ilable.
Hence, there is a two phase approval process. First, the parts are checked to determine

23
whether they are close enough to specifications (often 2x or 3x the specified tolerance)
that they will result in a good assembly. If not, then the dies are reworked. Then the
functional build assembly is evaluated to determine whether the assembly is close enough
that it will result in an acceptable assembly in production.
If the functional evaluation assemblies indicate a potential problem, then a
decisio n must be made between the following options:
A. Rework the die of the part that is not within specification
B. Rework the die of the mating part (that may or may not be within
specification)
C. Adjust the assembly tooling
Traditionally, option A would be the only choice possible, since the part is not within
specification. Functional build argues to do that which is most expedient in terms of time
and cost. Often this is option C. In this manner, only those features that affect the
assembly quality are reworked, even if other features do not meet specification.
Generally, there are rigorous and statistically based acceptance criteria to ensure a
justifiable level of risk.
Since either strategy (conventional or functional build) ultimately relies on
evaluating the build-up of the assembly instead of the individual parts, both are
considered a form of functional build. However, the conventional strategy is called 11th -
hour functional build, and the former strategy just functional build or pure functional
build (see Figure 8). The 11th -hour functional build process suggests that when die
makers meet their timing deadlines (which they almost always do because achieving Cpk
is so difficult), then they revert to functional build in a desperate attempt to get things to
work (i.e., do “whatever it takes”) at the factory.
The strategy to implement functional build has been pursued to some extent by all
of the domestic auto companies, but with limited success. The major barriers to its
successful implementation tend to be more organizational than technical. The tooling
suppliers, in general, strongly support implementation of functional build. Regardless of
whether the execution is controlled by the auto companies or by the tooling suppliers,
substantial lead time and quality savings could accrue if it were more widely practiced.

24
 V. The Collaborative Business Model

A. Objective
The objective of the collaborative business model approach is to provide a more
competitive selection of tools, dies, and related services than any single tool and die
supplier could offer individually. Through collaboration, the capabilities of the suppliers
will continue to improve, perhaps evolving such that certain suppliers will develop
specialty areas of expertise where they will become recognized as world leaders. The
intent of the collaborative model is to encourage long-term relationships between a range
of suppliers (with both overlapping as well as unique capabilities) and their customers.
The principal benefits of the collaborative approach are:
• It is consistent with recent trends by the domestic automakers to outsource
large “chunks” of the body structure; an approach already used when dealing
with foreign tooling sources. A coalition of collaborating companies can
manage the full range of products and services for a new vehicle including
project management, engineering, prototype development, tooling
construction and tryout, and launch support. A tooling coalition can be
designed to manage the volume of work associated with an entire body
structure or substructure.
• The collaborative model supports the total systems approach, thus avoiding
shifting costs and problems from one part of the process to another.
• It promotes the development of niche specialties by suppliers. There are
many small shops with narrow, but deep knowledge on various aspects of tool
construction. These small suppliers have difficulty competing on large
programs where broad capabilities are needed. These niche shops can better
compete in their technical area if they are a part of a larger coalition of
companies.
• It better supports the implementation of functional build. The nature of
functional build is to identify the lowest-cost solution to quickly fix problems.

25
 Many times the best solution is in another area of the process (e.g., change a
simple part to correct a difficult problem in a complex part).
The size of the domestic tool and die supply base is likely to continue to contract
as the worldwide capacity continues to increase from new shops in developing countries
and significant productivity gains at existing shops. The collaborative coalition model
provides a mechanism where the most capable shops have a better chance of competing.
A competitive domestic tool and die supply base will enhance the competitive position of
the domestic auto companies, which is the key to sustaining the domestic business.
Since the collaborative business model advocates a total systems approach for
engineering, construction, and customer support for new tooling programs, the
performance metrics should be adjusted to recognize this broader perspective. The old
metrics were heavily skewed toward initial tooling cost, which is still understandably
important. However, companies operating under a collaborative approach should be
evaluated for additional performance measures such as:
1. Total tooling cost achievement relative to budget. The total tooling cost
should include costs due to engineering changes since the collaborative
approach should help reduc e the number of required changes and manage how
they get implemented.
2. Percent of parts that pass production validation (PPAP) according to
schedule (100% goal).
3. Launch rate, particularly for measures about body quality, such as time
required to achieve six-sigma quality for the body-in-white.
Two levels for the collaborative business model are presented below. The first
level, Tool and Die Coalition, combines the resources of several tool and die shops and
builds a collaborative model amongst the shops along with their customers. The second
model is the Integrator Coalition. The integrator approach further broadens the scope
from the tool and die shops to include complementary businesses, such as product
engineering and assembly weld tools.

26
B. Description of Tool and Die Coalition
The range of products and services offered by tool and die shops is widely
variable. Most shops offer a basic range of capabilities including prototype development,
prototype fabrication, die design engineering, die construction and assembly, and
preliminary tryout. On one end of the spectrum there are shops specializing in one or
more of these activities; and on the other end exist “full service shops” offering all these
capabilities and sometimes more.
The scope of capabilities of the tool and die collaborative business model exceeds
what is typically offered today, even by a single full service company. For example,
providing program management to support the development of multiple tooling projects
across several suppliers. Another critical activity is early product design support,
especially checking for product feasibility issues and identifying part design alternatives
that do not affect part appearance in the body, but improve manufacturability, can be very
important to reduce costs and head off future engineering changes. Additional services at
the end of the tool making process include support for functional build evaluation and
process launch support at the customer’s facility. Figure 9 shows this range of possible
supplier services from which a customer may choose for a given program.

s Program management
s Product design support BASIC
s Prototype
s Die design & engineering (CAD/CAE)
s Programming (CAM)
s Patterns & castings
EXPANDED
s Machining
s Construction/Assembly
s Tryout and Buyoff

s Functional build
s Launch support

Figure 9– Basic and Full Service Coalition Capabilities.

27
 The expanded capabilities that are not typically handled by full service shops are
coordinated program management responsibility and functional build. Coordinated
program management extends the shops’ reach both upstream and downstream from
tooling construction, and can often include services and tools from other tool shops.
Program management improves communication and scheduling coordination. Modular
functional build (FB) involves sourcing groups of components (e.g., all panels that go
into a single subassembly like a door or body side) and allowing the supplier to make
tryout rework decisions based on how well the panels fit together (rather than making
independent, isolated decisions panel by panel). The value of these services increases as
the coalition responsibility increases to multiple modules, and the coalition approach
expands the breadth of the group to handle multiple subassemblies on a program.

Die Engineering & Construction

BASIC COALITION INTEGRATED

s Prototypes & dies

s Tier 2 s Coordinated
(via Coalition) management s BIW FB
– Small tools s Product design (weld tool coordination)
– Special s GD&T
s Modular FB
– R&D
s Simultaneous weld tool
and stamping launch
support

Figure 10 – Evolution and Expanding Role for Tooling Coalition.

Figure 10 illustrates the evolution toward expanded collaboration beginning with

the basic tool and die supplier. The basic supplier provides dies and generally outsources
other related activities. The expanded, collaborative supplier provides dies, but also
provides coordinated management, early product design, and executes modular functional
build. The highest level of collaboration extends the tool and die supplier into body- in-
white functional build (beyond just the modular level), gets involved with product design

28
(geometric dimensioning and tolerances), and provides simultaneous launch support for
assembly processes and stamping. These capabilities are not resident at the tool and die
shops, but require an approach involving additional expertise as described in the
integrator model.
Very few, if any, single suppliers have the capacity to offer the expanded range of
products and services in Figure 9 for a major portion of a vehicle body. However, a
coalition of tool and die shops can be formed that, in aggregate, does have the capability
and capacity to handle large sections (if not an entire) vehicle. The conceptual
organization shown in Figure 11 illustrates one approach for assembling the tool and die
shops.

OEM
Tool & Die Operating
Coalition Committee

FB Tryout

Selected T&D Shops

List of T&D Shops

Figure 11– Tooling Coalition Organization.

The schematic in Figure 11 shows one possible collaborative model to support a

broad range of products and services for a major vehicle program. Although a coalition
might assemble the multiple organizations into a coalition before bidding on a project, the
customer (OEM in this case) may wish to select the specific suppliers they wish to have
included or excluded based on their past experiences or other motivations. The coalition
has to allow for the flexible entry and exit of T&D suppliers. Figure 11 shows a
candidate list of loosely aligned suppliers outside of the dotted box. From this list, the
customer chooses the specific suppliers to include in the program. The coalition may
also include a functional build tryout group that evaluates panel buyoff decisions

29
affecting everyone in the coalition. This may be part of or separate from the coalition,
depending upon the customer’s wishes.
The “operating committee” serves as the principal interface with the customer,
i.e., the single point of contact. This is viewed as one of the great advantages to the
customer, as the customer no longer has to manage multiple T&D shops with multiple
points of contact; the management function is handled by the operating committee.
Generally, the organization of the operating committee would include a senior program
manager that integrates program schedule information from the supplier shops, and
coordinates activities across the group of companies. The senior program manager may
also be involved in negotiating engineering changes that affect dies at the various shops.
Another potential member of the operating committee is an independent monitor that
helps to facilitate the coalition, monitor it for competitiveness (including benchmarking
the competition), and provide a mechanism for recommending system improvements
both to the customer and to the tool and die shops. Figure 12 summarizes the key roles
embedded in the operating committee.

Senior Program Manager Independent Monitor

§ Single point OEM contact § Functional build procedures
§ Program timing & cost reporting § Document program execution
(roll -up) (successes/failures)
§ Pre-sourcing coordination
§ Coalition die engineering
§ Develop Coalition policies and
procedures
consultant
§ Coalition BIW functional build § Manage Coalition core
coordinator competencies to effect future cost
§ Coalition issue resolution reductions and insure
competitivenes s

Coalition Management
§ Program management for each suppliers scope of
§ Functional build execution and
reporting
Figure 12 – Organization for Tooling Coalition Operating Committee.

C. Integrator Coalition
The integrator coalition model expands on the tooling coalition model to include
other complementary functions, and offers the highest collaborative capabilities shown in

30
Figure 10. These activities are often associated with Japanese techniques that focus more
attention on the manufacturability of the part designs and assessing the manufacturing
process capability during the development process, rather than relying on initial
engineering assumptions. The three key activities that the integrator model is intended to
address are:
• Body-in-white functional build. The coalition model described above
addressed the functional build benefit of evaluating parts at the subassembly
or module level. For example, the coalition would be able to make decisions
regarding changing a door inner panel, door outer panel, or reinforcement to
guarantee an acceptable door assembly. A higher level of functional build can
be achieved through the integration of modules. For example, the integrated
coalition would be able to make decisions regarding changing a door
assembly (and all its associated parts), body side, or the assembly process to
guarantee that a door fits correctly the body side opening.
The integrator model would be involved in a program pre-launch
phase further “upstream” in the development process than tool and die shops
normally participate. A product development process (timing and schedule of
events) can be designed to include body- in-white functional build with
significant improvements in lead-time, quality, and cost avoidance by
eliminating unnecessary tooling rework often performed early in the process
“just in case” it could cause a problem later downstream (see section IV.D
Functional Build).
• Product design. The traditional North American design approach assigns
numerous dimensional requirements to reduce the risk that a part meeting
those requirements will fail. The extension of this approach is to tighten these
requirements (reduce the tolerances) to further reduce the risk. Unfortunately,
as the requirements increase, the manufacturing cost and lead-time for the
associated tooling also increases. Incorporating more manufacturing
understanding into the product design phase (i.e., with T&D shop and
assembly tooling process knowledge) would improve the manufacturability of

31
 the tooling and reducing cost and lead-time without any sacrifice in product
quality.
• Simultaneous tool and die and assembly tooling process validation. Just
as applying functional build at the module level reduces overall tool and die
costs, incorporating the assembly tooling into the decision process further
reduces cost and lead-time. Although it is feasible to validate the dies first
and then move on to validate the assembly tools, the process would be faster
and lower-cost (avoiding die rework) if the two processes were validated
together.
Tool and die shops would need to team with other industry partners to assemble
the collaborative integrator business model. An engineering company with product
design capability and knowledge of product launch issues and management is needed.
This company would likely be assigned as the lead organization for a program, helping to
manage the tooling suppliers (dies and assembly weld tools). The tool and die shops
would collaborate using the tool and die collaboration model described earlier. Another
coalition of companies would include one or more assembly tool shops. Similar to the
tool and die coalition, the assembly tool shops would likely form a partnership or
coalition to provide the tooling for the body shop (see Figure 13).
Product Engineering
Integrator Integration
Validation (PPAP)
Pre-launch Support

Tool & Die Coalition

Assembly
Tools

FB Tryout Advanced Product Feasibility

Prototype
Engineering
Patterns & Castings
Construction & Tryout
Tool & Die Part/PCF Fixtures
Pre-launch Support

Figure 13 – Integrator Collaborative Model.

32
D. Synergistic Benefits and Cost Impact of Collaborative Model
The general collaborative model, whether for just the tool and die shops or for the
integrator participants (engineering company and assembly tool shops), is shown in
Figure 14. This figure illustrates a “pool” of companies with complementary products
and services that can be drawn into a particular project based on the project demands
and/or based on customer requests. In this fashion, the model does not discriminate as to
who can join the coalition membership. Potential candidate companies include the die
builders, mold builders, assembly weld tool companies, part checking fixture shops, and
engineering integrators. In the event of an automaker wanting to source production as
well, a stamping company may also wish to be included in the coalition. The
organizational makeup and composition of each project team would depend on the
customer.

Potential Member Types:

• Die builders
• Mold builders Project A Customer
• Machine builders (e.g. weld
tools)
• Gages, fixturing
• Stampers
• Engineering integrators Project B Customer

Common Operating
Systems:
•Intellectual property protection
•Sales and marketing
•Bidding processes and standards OEM/Tier 1
•Product design input
•Tooling design
•Program/project management
•Die standards
•Quality control systems Coalition Staffing:
•Functional build
•Operating Systems Development
•Best Practice sharing
•Member Recruitment and
•Research and development FB Tryout
Qualification
•Supply chain management
•Fund raising
•Strategic vendor relationships
•Marketing
•Research and development Tool & Die

Figure 14 – General Collaborative Coalition Model.

33
 The cost-saving benefits of the collaborative model are significant. The
immediate short-term savings on tools approach 40%! The savings are shown
graphically in Figure 15. These savings are accrued from the following areas.
A. Manufacturing and Engineering Efficiencies – 10%
Discussions with tooling companies have indicated that efficiency savings by
implementing lean practices (discussed earlier) can save 10% (this number
varies by shop). Implementation is not necessarily tied to the collaborative
model, but implementation by working with a coalition would greatly improve
the efficiency and effectiveness of implementation through the sharing of
lessons learned and simply the understanding of how quickly others are
moving on their adoption of lean practices.
B. Coalition Efficiencies – 5%
The efficiency of coordinating work amongst the coalition of companies,
sourcing work to more efficient companies within the coalition, and balancing
workload where capacity is available will save another 5%.
C. Product Design Input – 10%
Identifying early design issues that could complicate manufacturing later on,
and proposing design changes will result in reducing die engineering effort,
tryout, and possibly engineering changes. The costs associated with these
efforts are estimated to be 10% of the tooling cost.
D. Lean Tool Standards – 5%
Current tool design standards are not as cost efficient as they could be.
Identifying tool design standards that drive up cost, and recommending
alternative approaches will reduce tooling costs by 5%.
E. Functional Build – 10%
Effective implementation of functional build will reduce tryout time and
tooling rework, thereby reducing tooling costs by about 10%. The savings
increase on larger more complex parts and is less on smaller, simpler parts.

34
 100 40% cost
80
100 reductions
90 85
60 75 70
60
40

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Figure 15 – Cost Reduction Opportunity Through Collaboration.

In addition to the purpose and benefits of the coalition discussed earlier, there are
a number of synergistic opportunities, including:
• Sales and marketing efforts.
• Development of standardized processes for bidding and resource deployment
including functional build procedures and methods.
• Development of tooling standards.
• Standardized project management methods and software.
• Improved utilization of coalition resources (e.g., engineering workstations and
personnel, machining equipment, pattern shops, tryout presses, etc.).
• Improved ability for small, niche shops to develop their expertise and still
compete successfully on larger programs that would otherwise be beyond their
ability.
• Financing resources and leverage for volume purchasing of standard component s.

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E. Implementation Issues of the Collaborative Model
There are a number of implementation steps to the collaborative business model,
some with many possible solutions. The list below, although far from exhaustive,
identifies some of the key issues in assembling the collaborative model.
• Tool and Die Collaboration - Building trust and open communication between
companies, who are otherwise industry competitors, is difficult and requires the
involvement of a neutral third party. The coalition of companies needs to agree
on a common mission, vision and operating principles. Further, the coalition
needs to develop a business plan that outlines current capabilities, needed
capabilities and growth areas, research and development, marketing, etc.
• Operational Decision Making – Many sensitive business decisions are required
including ownership structure, governance, staffing, and membership (the process
of how companies are allowed to join). The bidding process when multiple
coalition companies desire the same piece of work needs to be managed within
anti-trust regulations.
• Internal Sourcing – The process of sourcing tools and services within the
coalition is critically important to be fair, avoid anti-trust guidelines, and still
promote the development of niche players (recognizing that some companies are
superior to others in some areas.) Ideally, certain suppliers would be identified as
the preferred supplier because of their technical capability, but this is difficult and
can violate anti- trust laws. One approach is to use an independent facilitator that
can help identify appropriate sourcing, perhaps using customer input. A heuristic
(formula) that achieves the desired result fairly (strives for the lowest cost while
maintaining a profitable coalition enterprise) is one approach.
• Anti-Trust – Companies have to be concerned about sharing cost and pricing
information with companies that are otherwise competitors. The coalition can
demonstrate that their collective businesses offer a competitive product that
justifies the collaboration, but the communication of certain information must be
managed. (See Appendix for a sample Anti- trust Guideline for the coalition.)
Individual companies still retain the right to intellectual property in their field of
services.

36
 • Finance (internal and external) – Internal financing decisions and identifying
the control and flow of capital is important. Many shops would prefer to have a
purchase order directly with the customer. But this would result in multiple
purchase orders and tend to weaken the single-point-of-contact management. A
mechanism is needed that allows for coalition- level decision making when a
decision is best for the whole, but perhaps not for an individual company. One
such possibility is a central pool of funds to support cost and revenue sharing.
Lastly, most companies have their own external financing relationships, but the
coalition might consider developing a coalition-specific source for capital.

F. Recent Experiences with the Collaborative Model

The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) at Altarum has been working on the
collaborative model for the past year. Many of the observations in this report were
developed through experiences gained in developing the model in close cooperation with
several die shops and with the input of the domestic OEMs. CAR was chosen as the
independent facilitator because of its knowledge of the industry, its reputation in the
industry, and its access to OEM management for seeking guidance.
The coalition calls itself the US Tooling Coalition (USTC), and the member
companies are:
• American Tooling Center
• Atlas Tool, Inc.
• Autodie International
• Hercules
• QMC Die Tech.
• Riviera Tool Company
• Ronart Industries, Inc.
• Sekely Industries
• Thunder Bay
Besides the comments made in previous sections, the basic necessary elements for
creating a collaborative organization were present amongst this group from the
beginning. First, the die shops had already communicated with one another prior to

37
approaching CAR for help in forming the coalition. Hence, they had the understanding
that cooperation was necessary for survival, and the desire to cooperate. Second, with the
addition of CAR to the group, the intellectual capital necessary for the coalition to work,
i.e., functional build, digital technologies, lean manufacturing, tooling know-how, etc.
fell into place. Third, the coalition concept was consistent with the customers’ business
direction of working with fewer companies and developing the so-called tier 0.5:
engineering through turn-key startup (launch support). Lastly, the coalition was able to
identify the initiatives necessary to reduce costs and make the coalition cost competitive
(see section V.D. Synergistic Benefits and Cost Impact of Collaborative Model).
Once the coalition had developed a workable plan, several other companies, such
as product engineering and assembly tooling suppliers, approached the USTC indicating
that they were willing and eager to work with the coalition in preparing competitive bids
to the OEMs.
CAR’s primary role has been to act as a neutral, independent participant, helping
to create a dialog between competitors, technology partners, and their customers.
Through interviews with the OEMs and the die shops, CAR identified several critical
areas for improvement, including communication between the customers and the
suppliers, antagonistic relationships that had developed, in part, due to the poor
communication, and cost reduction opportunities.
Another major responsibility for CAR was the creation of the quote to a customer.
The reason was the sensitive nature of individual shop quotes used to create the coalition
quote revealing the cost structure of the companies. Hence, CAR was the neutral entity
to collect the various cost information and develop a heuristic on how the overall
coalition quote would be established, and how the various dies would be distributed
amongst the various coalition members. The process did raise concerns over the
members’ varied pricing strategies, and the heuristic was adjusted several times to
accommodate those differences.
The response by the OEMs has been varied, but generally positive. One of the
OEMs is very supportive, entertaining a coalition bid on a vehicle program, and working
with the coalition on developing a program of long term cost reduction initiatives.
Another OEM is very interested in the coalition concept, especially if the coalition can

38
demonstrate immediate cost reductions, as opposed to long term cost reductions. They
are also willing to consider the broader integrator coalition approach. The third OEM is
supportive of any new strategic concepts and has shared various experiences and
suggested new business opportunities it would be willing to entertain, if presented by the
coalition. Hence, each OEM sees the benefits of the coalition and is willing to enter into
a collaborative relationship, albeit of a varied nature, to reduce costs. This is an
indication that the coalition can provide the lower tooling cost of the Asian model, while
maintaining the flexibility of US model, namely the ability to work with the different
engineering and business systems of the US OEMs.
There are still challenges remaining. For example, it takes extra time and effort to
coordinate and balance the multiple priorities of the coalition. This becomes especially
critical near the submission deadline of a quote, because the OEM can add or change
demands on the format and content of the quote. Under such tight time restrictions it
becomes difficult to communicate with everyone and obtain a consensus decision.
The ultimate question will be: was it worth it? In the coalitions view, there are
not many other options. The business climate is changing, and the industry is
consolidating. Customers expect a lower-cost supply chain, which can only occur
through cooperation both up and down the supply chain as well as across the supply
chain. In other words, suppliers must cooperate with their customers, suppliers, and
competitors. The impact of this effort will be long term and will change the way
automobiles are built.

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 VI. Conclusions and Recommendations
The current economic problems facing the tool and die industry are significant,
and are considered to be different from previous economic downturns, because there is a
fundamental change in the manner in which the automotive industry operates. Some of
the causes of the downturn are overcapacity, foreign competition, lower demand for dies,
technology improvements, and an increased demand for a greater variety of services.
These factors are permanent and not going to disappear; hence the restructuring of the
industry.
Benchmark data shows the foreign competition can make dies at one-third the
cost in approximately one-half the time. These differences can be attributed to three
basic reasons: lean operations, simpler part designs from their customers, and closer
supplier-customer relationships. This latter factor is particularly important as it drives, in
part, the simpler part designs, and because it enables both parties to identify system level
cost reduction opportunities, such as functional build.
There are three basic recommendations: T&D shops must adopt lean practices,
T&D shops must form strategic partnerships / coalitions between T&D shops as well as
their customers, and government must support the industry during this transition period.

A. Adopting Lean Practices

It is imperative that T&D shops adopt lean practices. These practices have been
shown to result in lower cost and improved manufacturing performance. The benchmark
data clearly shows lower time and cost in manufacturing, assembly, and tryout, which are
all manufacturing functions, as opposed to die design and castings. Further, the data
show greater efficiencies in machine utilization, fewer labor hours per machine, and
shorter machine setup times. Lastly, the data show that the lean shops have not only
synchronous production, but also the infrastructure and internal metrics that enable
further identification of bottlenecks and cost reduction opportunities. This is driven by a
measure of production capacity other than number of labor hours, namely: number of dies
produced. Other related initiatives include adoption of ABC accounting, improving
CAD/CAM systems to move towards the paperless T&D shop, investing in high speed

40
milling machines to eliminate benchwork, standardizing workflow, standardizing
common parts, and prepackaging parts in quantities and types needed to assemble a
single die.
Although these are specific suggestions, each T&D shop should conduct an
analysis to determine the most cost effective method to transition to a lean manufacturing
system. Within Michigan, the state funded Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center
(www.mmtc.org) offers numerous training classes and implementation support for lean.

B. Creating Collaborative Relationships

A significant opportunity exists for the domestic tool and die (and related industry
sectors, such as product engineering and assembly tool companies) if they can pool their
resources and work to the competitive benefit of their principal customers – the auto
companies. The current competitive bid process is antagonistic, short-term and non-
collaborative. The complexities in launching a new vehicle require collaboration
between the customer and the many suppliers providing products and services that all
interact with each other. The bidding process and physical demands expected of the
suppliers to support their customers are not compatible.
The collaborative model outlined in this study is an attempt to overcome this
incongruence. There are many challenges in the development and implementation of the
collaborative model. The facilitation effort to bring many suppliers together is
significant. One of the keys to keeping the effort together is finding a customer (e.g.,
automotive OEM or Tier One) that is willing to entertain the concept. Of course the
customer’s fear is that they will experience higher costs without competit ive bidding, so
attention to cost is critical. This places a significant burden on achieving success with the
coalition quickly – beginning with the first job. The lead-time and costs to develop a
basic operating structure for the coalition, negotiating and marketing the coalition with
potential customers, and identifying appropriate member companies is a significant
undertaking. Support from industry (both customers and suppliers) and government
organizations would greatly increase the likelihood of success. For example, the
following actions will help the collaborative model develop and succeed:

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1. Tool and Die and Related Industry Companies
Entertain cooperating together and pursuing joint initiatives to improve individual
and industry competitiveness. This requires consideration of core competencies and
the movement toward niche specialization. The coalition approach allows one to
offer a greater range of services to the customer, as well as the opportunity to practice
functional build at the modular or BIW level; a practice that the benchmark data
clearly showed reduced tryout time and cost.
The coalition approach also requires a progressive mindset to look beyond lean
manufacturing techniques into innovative ways to increase customer value through
adding, subtracting, or changing processes and technologies on a continual basis.
Simply adapting once will not suffice. A mindset of continuous improvement in both
everyday business and the collaborative model will be essential to become a state-of-
the art T&D shop. Meanwhile, being able to maintain other parts of the business
separate from the coalition initiatives to protect the business from anti-trust concerns
will also be paramount. The collaborative efforts may drive major shifts in the
business, but they cannot drive competitive interactions outside of the collaborative
context.
2. Automotive OEMs and Tier One Customers
Entertain the coalition as a viable option – perhaps allowing it to compete against
other competitive options and recognize that the potential of the collaborative model
will increase in its competitive performance over time. Provide direction to the
coalition in terms of cost reducing initiatives that are priority to the customer. Make
the internal organizational changes required to support a collaborative model. Along
those same lines, recognizing that the most powerful cost saving and quality-
improvement activities require collaboration between the OEM and the suppliers. For
example, the benchmark data showed a significant cost reduction from more efficient
die standards and the right sizing of dies, which both require stronger communication
between the customer and the supplier. Therefore, allowing the coalition access to
critical resources (personnel, design, facilities) to enable true implementation of cost
saving initiatives is a crucial step. Tool and die suppliers equipped with in-depth

42
 knowledge about their tools can be invaluable to the customer experiencing
integration issues related to other parts of the vehicle assembly.

C. Government Support
Financial and intellectual support is required to move the collaboration
development forward. A more in-depth model needs to be developed to serve as a
framework to guide companies in forming collaborative relationships. Academic and
research & development organizations can work together to refine the collaborative
relationships, and facilitation is needed to negotiate operating issues between
organizations. It is also likely that the coalition model could be generalized for use in
other industries.
Local, state, and federal economic development organizations can assist in the
implementation and adaptation of the coalition model to fit specific group needs. In
addition, state and federal institutions could provide financial support in the form of
• Investment tax credits and faster depreciation schedules to enable T&D shops to
keep pace with the changes in technology,
• Change laws to allow coalitions to purchase group healthcare coverage,
• Provide more funds for the education and adoption of lean manufacturing
methods, and
• Provide funds to help the initiation of coalitions and support coalition cost
reduction initiatives.
Ultimately, without government support, current market forces and social and
organizational obstacles to collaboration will drive the industry overseas.

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 VII. References
1. The Right Place Program, “A competitive Assessment of the Die and Mold Building
Sector, A West Michigan Perspective,” by IRN, Inc., 550 Three Mile Road, Suite A,
Grand Rapids, MI., May 2002.
2. Coalition for the Advancement of Michigan Tooling Industries, www.camti.org.
3. Eversheim, W., and Deckert, C., “Future Strategies for the Tool and Die Industry”,
2nd Annual Conference with International Participation on Rapid Techno logies,
Global Alliance of Rapid Prototyping Associations (GARPA), Frankfurt, Germany,
November 30, 2001.
4. Auto/Steel Partnership, www.a-sp.org.

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 VIII. Coalition Appendix

A. Coalition for the Advancement of Michigan Tooling Industries

(CAMTI)

B. Michigan Tooling Act (from www.camti.org)

C. Fraunhofer Tool and Die Paper on Performance

D. U.S. Tooling Coalition (USTC) Antitrust Policy (Draft

Guidelines)

45
 APPENDIX A
Coalition for the Advancement of Michigan’s Tooling industries

Acrobat Document

46
 APPENDIX B
Special Tools Lien Act

Acrobat Document

47
 APPENDIX C
Fraunhofer Tool and Die Paper on Performance

Acrobat Document

48
 APPENDIX D
U.S. Tooling Coalition (USTC)
Antitrust Policy (Draft Guidelines)
State and Federal antitrust laws are intended to protect the public from agreements
between competitors that affect the price or distribution of products. USTC member
companies are competitors in the market and it is understood that they will always act in
their individual and competitive best interests.

USTC member companies and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) sha ll
comply with the letter and spirit of antitrust laws on all activities that are within the scope
of their participation in the USTC. The general requirements of the antitrust laws
prohibit any agreement that restrains trade. Specifically, USTC members and CAR shall
strictly avoid any of the following activities or discussions relating to them:

1. agreeing to establish geographic trading areas, allocate markets or customers, or

classify certain customers as being entitled to preferential treatment;
2. participating in any plan designed to induce any manufacturer or distributor to sell
or refrain from selling, or discriminate in favor of or against any particular
customer or class of customers;
3. agreeing to limit or restrict the quantity of supplier products;
4. participating in any plan that has the purpose or effect of discriminating against or
excluding competitors;
5. agreeing or participating in any plan to refuse to deal with potential customers or
suppliers without a sound business justification.

USTC member companies have agreed to cooperate as a group to provide tools,

dies, fixtures, and related services (USTC Product) that no one individual company in
USTC could provide alone. CAR and USTC member companies will collectively
assemble a single, combined proposal for USTC Product. CAR will act independently
from the USTC member companies, and collect and manage individual member quotes
for the purpose of developing an aggregate quotation. The following steps will be
followed.

1. The USTC and CAR will collectively define the specific scope of tools, dies,
fixtures, and related services (USTC Product) that will be offered to a potential
customer for a single, USTC price. The USTC Product will be partitioned into
Product components.
2. USTC member companies will deve lop independent and individual quotations for
Product components. All USTC members are invited to develop a quotation for
the Product components that they wish to pursue for their business.
3. Individual component quotes from USTC member companies will be submitted
directly to CAR for consideration in developing an aggregated USTC quote.
4. A heuristic will be developed by CAR and USTC that interprets individual USTC
member quotes and generates an aggregate quotation. Individual USTC member

49
 quotes are not disclosed to the USTC member companies. (See attachment
describing heuristic methodology.)

At USTC meetings and functions, members are generally free to discuss

collective USTC capabilities, marketing strategies, and general approaches for improving
engineering and manufacturing efficiencies.

At USTC meetings and functions, members shall stay within the formal agenda,
including any additions to that agenda, and avoid any informal or formal discussion
relating to specific company plans.

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