Tooling Dynamics
Blending Quality With Precision at Scale

Today’s big thinking lies in engineering small—exceptionally small.

Think of connectors for smart devices, micro-screws holding intricate machinery together, pins for chip carriers, and tiny medical implant components.

The surging demand for these micro-miniature metal parts across diverse sectors is elevating precision metal stamping to new heights.

While thin gauge metals enable the production of such small parts, working with them in precision metal stamping is challenging due to deformation risks. Pair this with consistently maintaining hairline precision, and it’s a recipe for complexities many shy away from.

Tooling Dynamics turns these challenges into opportunities.

A one-stop manufacturing partner to the precision stamping industry, and a part of Sigma Engineered Solutions, Tooling Dynamics specializes in high-volume, precision micro-miniature metal stamping and Swiss screw machining. It effortlessly handles very thin gauge metals under the strictest tolerances, giving companies a competitive edge with quality and consistency.

For manufacturers seeking efficiency and precision, the modular design of Tooling Dynamics’ stamping dies is a game-changer. It reduces design and maintenance time while ensuring precise blanking and forming. This design delivers excellent performance, especially in high-volume production scenarios, accentuating the value of precision and efficiency in tandem.

Its vertically integrated approach brings end-to-end solutions to customers, from design to final product delivery, and combines the competitiveness of global manufacturing with the responsiveness of a local enterprise, guaranteeing the lowest total cost of ownership for clients.

The company also provides in-house component assembly services. This involves combining stamped parts with other necessary components, ensuring they fit and function seamlessly. By delivering these semi-assembled products, Tooling Dynamics significantly shortens the subsequent assembly stages for its clients.

Durability with Excellent Craftsmanship

Tooling Dynamics works with a wide variety of materials. It follows a creative packaging approach, where it stamps parts onto stainless steel reels and proceeds with heat treating in-house or through external channels.

Whether reel-to-reel or loose parts stamping, the high-volume precision metal stampings leverage high-speed presses to convert metal strips into custom products and meet the rigorous demands of aerospace, automotive, solar, and medical applications.

With more than 80 presses, Tooling Dynamics is well-equipped to handle large-scale production. These presses can manufacture products down to 0.001-inch thickness and minimum tolerance, so customers receive components of the utmost precision and reliability.

For many in the industry, consistently maintaining tight tolerances can be challenging due to factors like machine calibration, material inconsistencies, or even ambient conditions like temperature and humidity. Tooling Dynamics leverages the expertise of more than 40 in-house journeyman tool and die makers and die repairmen, resulting in products that withstand extreme conditions, from high temperatures in engines to the intense pressures of high-altitude flights.

Prioritizing Quality Assurance

Quality is part of every aspect of Tooling Dynamics’ operations, underscored by its ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certifications.

Recognizing that even slight deviations in material thickness can affect the final product’s performance, its quality control department employs advanced machine vision systems. The capabilities of the Keyence Vision systems allow Tooling Dynamics to guarantee real-time inspection, which is crucial given the rapid pace of presses, particularly those that reach up to 900 strokes per minute.

Given this high-speed production, it is essential to continuously monitor quality to catch potential issues quickly rather than discovering them after a large batch is produced. The camera systems capture detailed images of every component to confirm they align perfectly with the specified criteria. This continuous monitoring ensures anomalies are spotted and instantly rectified, maximizing efficiency and product integrity.

Apart from these inspections, the company employs advanced metrology tools. Its lab is equipped with cutting-edge instruments, including microscopes and programmable optical gaging products that autonomously assess components and provide instant feedback on quality.

Immediate assessment means potential discrepancies are detected and corrected on the fly, eliminating the chance for errors to escalate down the production line. The result is a streamlined production process that consistently produces components of superior quality.

“With a legacy built on dedication to quality and technological acumen, we are not just meeting the requirements of today but shaping the very framework of tomorrow’s interconnected ecosystem,” says Mark Moline, general manager, Tooling Dynamics.

Driving Innovation in Diverse Sectors

Within the electric vehicle (EV) market, Tooling Dynamics has witnessed substantial growth by producing thicker materials used in shields and tabs for battery charging modules.

These components are integral to the handheld parts plugged into charging stations. They create busbars and brackets that underpin the efficient functionality of EVs, which often have an intricate module of connectors. Components for sophisticated connectors equip clients with superior technology and design, positioning them at the forefront of the EV technology landscape.

The medical industry is another prominent sector significantly benefiting from Tooling Dynamics’ offerings. Precision components are made for devices like insulin pumps, ensuring accurate dosage delivery for patients.

New market opportunities are emerging for Tooling Dynamics, with rapid advancements in data communication. Faster speeds necessitate superior shielding, enabling the company to cater to the demand for shields and various connectors designed to handle multiple connections.

Comprehensive Die Management to Meet Client Needs

Tooling Dynamics showcases excellent adaptability, with the expertise to refine existing dies for peak performance and design from clients’ blueprints.

“Even when tool fabrication is outsourced overseas, the final assembly of the die is executed locally to ensure quality control,” says Moline.

The readiness to address unforeseen challenges is a key differentiator of Tooling Dynamics. Should a die require immediate attention, whether for sharpening or due to a malfunction, die engineers on staff are able to address. Clients are spared the delay and uncertainty of external repairs, as the company is equipped with cutting-edge machinery, including wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) machines, to promptly craft new tooling components or even replace them using robust materials, like metals with carbide coatings.

Its facility is also equipped with all the necessary grinders and equipment for part fabrication or replacement. With the primary emphasis on prompt repair, preventative maintenance, and the assembly of dies, Tooling Dynamics minimizes production disruptions and ensures clients can focus on their core operations.

Tooling Dynamics recently managed a die transfer process. However, upon receipt of the transferred dies, the team encountered a significant hurdle. It couldn’t obtain the retains, which are parts that were produced using the die before the termination of operations. This presented an alignment challenge as the retains provide a reference point, ensuring that the production aligns with the original specifications and meets the customer’s expectations. Besides, the design blueprints do not always match the end product the client has grown accustomed to receiving.

To address this, Tooling Dynamics worked intensively on refining the dies. An impactful decision was made by transitioning from a 60-ton to a 30-ton press, significantly improving the quality of the parts produced. Throughout this adjustment phase, close communication was maintained with the client’s quality team and project engineer. Tooling Dynamics is now approaching the conclusion of its three-tiered approval process with end customers, aiming to achieve full alignment and satisfaction.

Innovation in Training through an Apprenticeship Program

With many veterans of the tool and die industry nearing retirement, Tooling Dynamics has created a robust apprenticeship program endorsed and certified by the state of Pennsylvania, making sure the next generation inherits the knowledge and skills to maintain high industry standards. By supplementing seasoned experts with fresh talent, it is preserving expertise and injecting new perspectives into its workflow. With a comprehensive span of five years and 10,000 hours, this program enables apprentices to acquire the diverse skills vital to their profession.

Tooling Dynamics has also rolled out a novel Tool and Die Repairman initiative. This 4,000-hour program, distributed over two years, focuses on nurturing promising operators. It transitions them into roles that enable them to maintain presses, oversee changeovers, and perform related duties.

While it doesn’t equate to the role of a master tool and die maker, it acts as an initial phase. Those showcasing talent and enthusiasm can progress to the extensive apprenticeship, crediting their initial 4,000 hours toward the mandated 10,000.

Leading Ahead with Proven Expertise

Various businesses have made strides with the firm’s support, including a product engineer who faced issues with tools procured from an external vendor that didn’t yield the expected components. It led to setbacks in both product testing and subsequent launch. Tooling Dynamics’ senior tool designer stepped in, taking charge of the tools received from the foreign supplier.

The primary challenge was to ensure perfect preload and retention for the clips holding the fuse. Through a joint effort with the product engineer, the company successfully revamped and adjusted the tools. Subsequent tests spanning environmental, electrical, and cycling evaluations were flawlessly executed. The engineer expressed deep appreciation for the outcome and honored the tool designer with a commemorative plaque.

Many similar success stories can be attributed to Tooling Dynamics’ strength, which lies in the wealth of experience and knowledge it has amassed over the years. From its humble beginnings as a tool and die enterprise, the company has seen substantial growth, marked by its facility undergoing four expansions and a significant increase in annual sales.

Also noteworthy is the exceptional cleanliness of its facilities. Renowned for top-notch quality standards, it stands as a premier choice for those prioritizing expertise and attention to detail.

Over the next few years, Tooling Dynamics aspires to move toward enhanced standardization and efficiency, along with refining process engineering. The ultimate goal is to increase speed, improve quality and reduce costs. Yet integral to its mission is the commitment to remain a full-service provider, adept at overseeing every phase of the production cycle in-house, underscoring its capability to meet diverse market needs.