A six-week tooling programme showed how Brigham Pressings combines design-for-manufacture expertise, toolmaking and high-volume presswork to help customers improve products for demanding environments.
A global supplier of hand-held chemical dispensing systems used across automotive and aerospace assembly lines commissioned the fast-track tooling and manufacturing project.
The customer approached the Birmingham-based precision metal pressings specialist to support the redesign of a chemical-compound applicator, seeking a lighter and more ergonomic assembly capable of improving change-over performance for operators.
The programme needed a solution designed from the outset for repeatable, high-volume manufacture to meet the annual production requirement of 900,000 units.
For Brigham Pressings CEO Doug Allen, the project highlights the value manufacturers can unlock by involving an experienced presswork partner during the product development process.
“The greatest value we can often bring to a customer starts well before the first component comes off the press,” said Allen. “By combining design-for-manufacture thinking with our knowledge of tooling, materials and high-volume presswork, we can help shape a component around both its end use and the way it will ultimately be manufactured.”
Working collaboratively with the customer, Brigham Pressings held a series of design-for-manufacture (DFM) workshops to translate the original CAD concept into two production-ready pressed components.
Brigham Pressings manufactured the components from DC04 mild steel in 2.3mm and 1.6mm thicknesses and used 3D modelling to refine the finger contours and improve operator ergonomics while retaining the existing mounting envelope.
Because the redesigned assembly retained compatibility with the existing mounting envelope, the customer could integrate it directly into its production environment while improving handling and servicing.
The programme also placed tooling at the centre of the manufacturing strategy. Brigham Pressings developed new wear-resistant dies and incorporated maintenance and long-term production requirements into their design.
Brigham Pressings Managing Director Allan Murray said the project reflects the company’s ability to bring together engineering knowledge and practical manufacturing experience.
“This was a great example of collaborative engineering translating directly into a production solution,” said Murray. “We were working towards very clear objectives around ergonomics, change-over performance, production volume and delivery, so every element of the tooling and presswork strategy was developed with those outcomes in mind.”
Speed was another defining feature of the programme. Brigham Pressings completed the tool build within six weeks, followed by a further week of on-site commissioning to bring both dies up to full production speed.
Brigham Pressings qualified the resulting tooling to support production volumes of 900,000 units per year and allocated manufacture across its press capability, including Chin Fong, Bruderer and S&B equipment.
On-site trials also validated the ergonomic improvements. Operators confirmed that the redesigned assembly achieved the required hand-force parameters and target change-over time, supporting smoother component changes within high-speed automotive and aerospace production environments.
“A six-week tool build requires close coordination between engineering, tooling, production and the customer,” added Murray. “That joined-up approach is one of Brigham’s strengths. We can take a project from the initial engineering discussion through tool development, trials and commissioning and then into repeat production.”
Brigham Pressings combines precision metal pressings and stampings, presswork, tooling, design-for-manufacture support and project management within a manufacturing operation equipped to support both technically demanding projects and high-volume production.
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification support its quality and environmental management systems, alongside the company’s wider experience serving demanding engineering sectors.
Allen believes that combination of engineering input and manufacturing capability is becoming increasingly valuable as customers look to move new products efficiently from concept into serial production.
“Customers want manufacturing partners who understand the complete journey,” he said. “Our role is to use our experience in pressings, tooling and production engineering to make that journey as efficient as possible. This project is a strong example: a redesigned product, new tooling delivered in six weeks and a manufacturing solution capable of supporting 900,000 units every year.”
The outcome was equally clear from the customer’s perspective. “The new tooling went in flawlessly and delivery performance has been excellent.”
For Brigham Pressings, the project provides another example of how early engineering collaboration, responsive toolmaking and established high-volume presswork capability can turn a product improvement brief into a production-ready manufacturing solution.
Photo: Doug Allen, CEO of Brigham Pressings