When a long-standing Ajax HVACR customer modified a large component to improve their product performance, they came to Ajax for help with sheet metal fabrication. A critical link in a very long supply chain for an expensive and complex product, the 43-inch precision part includes five compound bends.  

Sheet Metal Fabrication Project Specifications:

• Product Name: HVACR Header Plate
• Project Scope: Manufacture 43-inch long part that includes five compound bends
• Product Description: Mass volume header plate for commercial/industrial heating/cooling unit
• Capabilities and Processes: Turret Press Blanking; Compound Forming; Prototyping; PPAP; SVPP; Custom Kit Packaging
• Tightest Tolerance: .003 inch hole diameter; one degree of forming
• Material Thickness .080
• Material Used: 5052 H32 Aluminum
• Volume: 20,000 parts annually
• Lead Time: KANBAN
• Delivery Location: Offshore
• Standards Met: RoHS; REACH

A 43-inch precision HVACR part that includes five compound bends.

Radius Track develops framing systems for complex building designs with stringent requirements. Applications include roofs, facades, walls, ceilings, domes, and any other type of curved surface.  These framing solutions help address skilled labor shortage issues and bring material savings with simpler installation via pre-curved framing systems that often allow displacement of structural steel.  Radius Track selected Ajax to assist with their product production needs.

This project called for precision metal stamping. By applying Lean Principles to Radius Track’s precision stamping challenge, Ajax reduced production time from a month to a single day. Orders placed by 11:00 a.m. are manufactured, packaged, and shipped by 5:00 p.m. While the quantity of production for the progressive die stamping has grown to meet the customer’s increasing market share, quality has remained at 99.9%.

Radius Track Says:

“Ajax starts to manufacture product when they get the order. All non-value-added lead time and inventory have been completely eliminated,” said the president of Radius Track. “It has helped us to manage business issues like capacity, storage, and human resources. Our cash flow is not tied up storing finished goods. That’s a huge business advantage.”

Stamping Project Specifications:

• Product Name: Curved Large Component Architectural Framing
• Project Scope: Redesign Process Flow to Reduce Production Time; Labor and Inventory
• Product Description: Precision Progressive Die Architectural Component
• Tooling Design: Prototyping; Progressive Stamping; Custom Packaging
• Tightest Tolerance: .005-inch Hole Diameter
• Material Thickness: 20 GA (.036 inch)
• Material Used: G60 Galvanized
• Material Finish: Unfinished
• Industry for Use: Architectural Construction
• Volume: 30K annually
• Lead Time: Same Day
• Delivery Location: USA (multiple destinations)
• Standards Met: LEED

View Radius Track stamped product applications

Hardware from a vibrating bowl feeds the hardware insertion arm.

The insertion arm loads hardware from the bowl and sets the hardware into the part before forming.

The finished clip nut with hardware.

Solenoid Shell Progressive Stamping

 Our client relies on Ajax to provide just-in-time inventory to its offshore manufacturing facility, without resorting to expensive air shipments or jeopardizing a complex supply chain. In addition to providing cost-effective inventory management, we devised a three-hit punch press operation to replace the drawn-over mandrel (DOM) tubing the client previously used. The redesign saved more than $1.00 per part.

• Product Name, Solenoid Shell Progressive Stamping
• Project Scope, Re-engineered from DOM to progressive stamping. Custom cell packaging.
• Product Description,  Electric Motor Solenoid Casing
• Capabilities Applied/Processes, Progressive stamping, custom packaging
• Tightest Tolerance, .005 inch (Hole Diameter)
• Material Thickness, 10 GA (.134″)
• Material Used, HRPO Steel
• Material Finish, Zinc and yellow plating
• Industry for Use, Refrigeration
• Volume,75K annually
• Lead Time, Kanban
• Delivery Location, Offshore/Caribbean
• Standards Met, Customer supplied print and solid model