Tooling Case Study — Acme Components' Die Upgrade

A hypothetical case study showing how a mid-sized metal parts supplier solved high scrap and downtime by redesigning stamping tooling and instituting a tooling management program, yielding measurable quality and productivity improvements.

Background and problem
Acme Components is a mid-sized supplier of stamped metal brackets for the automotive aftermarket. Production used a 15-year-old progressive die and a single press cell running two shifts. Over 12 months the plant experienced rising scrap rates (from 2.1% to 6.4%), frequent unplanned downtime due to die repairs, and inconsistent part dimensions causing customer complaints. Tooling repairs often required sending the die to an offsite toolroom, causing multi-day production halts. The company faced higher costs from scrap, expedited shipments, and overtime to meet delivery dates.

Root cause analysis
Cross-functional analysis identified several contributors: the progressive die had worn critical punches and guides; the original die design lacked easy-to-replace inserts and used a single supplier for all repairs; maintenance was reactive with no preventive schedule; and documentation for setup and adjustments was minimal. Additionally, the plant lacked a spares strategy and trained staff for rapid changeover.

Solution implemented
Acme launched a focused tooling improvement program with the following elements:

• Redesigned progressive die – The engineering team worked with a local die maker to redesign the die using modular inserts for high-wear features, hardened tool steel in critical areas, and kinematic locating points to ensure repeatable setup. The new die design simplified geometry where possible to lengthen tool life.
• On-site tryout and validation – Instead of single full-speed validation, Acme staged tryouts: low-speed runs to check servo timing and part flow, then incremental speed increases while measuring critical dimensions and gathering material force data. They performed capability studies (Cp/Cpk) on key dimensions before approving full-rate production.
• Preventive maintenance and spare strategy – A preventive maintenance schedule with digital logs was put in place. Acme purchased two critical spare insert sets and a spare pilot/bushing set to enable quick replacement on-the-floor without sending the entire die out.
• Operator and maintenance training – The company trained press operators and maintenance technicians on correct die handling, safe changeover procedures, and basic troubleshooting. Visual standard work documents were created and posted at the press cell.
• Supplier diversification and SLAs – Acme qualified a second die shop and established service-level agreements for emergency support. Tool drawings, maintenance histories, and spare specifications were shared to reduce lead time for repairs.

Measurable results
Within six months of full implementation Acme recorded the following improvements:

• Scrap reduction: Scrap attributable to tooling declined from 6.4% to 2.9% — a 54.7% reduction. This produced material savings and fewer rejected shipments.
• Uptime improvement: Press uptime increased from 82% to 96% during production shifts because of faster changeovers and fewer unplanned outages. Mean time to repair dropped from an average of 2.8 days to 0.7 days for common failures due to on-floor spares and in-house repair capability.
• Cost savings: Annualized cost savings were estimated at $235,000, combining reduced scrap, lower expedited shipping costs, and decreased overtime. The incremental investment in die redesign and spares was recovered within nine months.
• Quality stability: Key feature capability improved: Cp/Cpk for the main mounting hole increased from 1.02/0.88 to 1.65/1.48, reducing customer rejects and returns.

Lessons learned and best practices
Acme's case highlights several transferable lessons:

• Design tooling for maintainability: modular inserts and kinematic locators drastically reduce changeover time and simplify repairs.
• Validate tooling at incremental speeds and capture capability data before ramping to full production.
• Invest in a preventive maintenance program and keep critical spares on hand to avoid long downtime periods.
• Cross-train operators and maintenance staff so minor adjustments and routine servicing do not require outside intervention.
• Document tooling configurations and share information with backup suppliers to reduce single-source risks.

Conclusion
By combining tool redesign, preventive practices, and workforce development, Acme Components converted a high-cost, high-risk tooling situation into a predictable, lower-cost operation. The company achieved measurable gains in scrap reduction, uptime, and cost savings, demonstrating that targeted tooling investments and management practices yield rapid and sustainable benefits.