Manufacturing Case Study

Overview

Trico Machine was contracted by a customer to join a contract to produce components for a data center installation company. Our customer bid out and won a contract to provide various components over the course of several months. Trico provided a portion of the components while the customer supported the remainder of the contract. Together, Trico and its customer were able to fill a high volume contract that required maintaining tight tolerances over the course of long production runs. Trico’s portion of the contract required manufacturing components out of aluminum, stainless steel, and plastic.

The Challenge

Many manufacturers can either keep tight tolerances or fulfill high volume contracts. Few manufactures have the personnel, experience, and equipment to manufacture tight tolerance products and maintain those tolerances over large volumes. Adding to the complexity, the contract called for various different products manufactured out of a diversity of materials. Some manufacturers could keep tight tolerances out of a single material, Trico was asked to maintain tolerances, keep the production levels high, and manufacture different components out of aluminum, stainless steel, and plastic. 

Trico's Rsponsive Solution

This type of contract is Trico’s specialty. Trico has been manufacturing components for aerospace, pharmaceutical, and the manufacturing industries since 1953. This long history, and the institutional knowledge that comes with it, pays dividends when faced with complicated and novel manufacturing contracts. Maintaining tolerances requires an understanding of the material, the manufacturing conditions, the machine capabilities, and how those elements interact. Working with our customer, Trico was able to select the appropriate grades and alloys of steel, aluminum, and plastic to meet the operating conditions and machining requirements for each component. Each material required different cutting tools, processes, coolant requirements, and finishing steps so that the process was repeatable and consistent. Because Trico has this knowledge at its disposal, the customer’s contract was filled on time with each component meeting the tolerance requirements.

Outcome

The project was completed successfully, with Trico delivering all components on time and in strict compliance with the required tolerances. This achievement demonstrated the effectiveness of Trico’s material expertise and tailored manufacturing processes in meeting the high-volume demands of the contract.