The Benefits of Materials Engineering
by Michael Pfeifer, President, Industrial Metallurgists, LLC
Published in Stamping Journal October 2005
U.S. stampers are missing an opportunity to gain a competitive edge by offering materials engineering support, which often is lacking within OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Many stampers take the position that they “just build to a print”—but so do overseas shops.
OEMs and Tier 1 manufacturers are moving business to global low-cost suppliers. As a result, U.S. stampers are trying to remain competitive by cutting costs or offering more services.
U.S. stampers are missing an opportunity to gain a competitive edge by offering materials engineering support that the OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers often lack. Instead, many stampers take the position that they just build to a print—but so do overseas shops. So how will U.S. stampers differentiate themselves?
