Helping Manufacturers Reduce Time to Market with a Smarter Manufacturing Solution

Customer Challenge: Reducing Tooling Costs and Accelerating Production

A leading electrical equipment manufacturer was looking for a manufacturing partner to produce a metal component used in an electrically sensitive, overmolded assembly. While the part had traditionally been manufactured using a stamped process, the conventional approach required a significant upfront tooling investment and an extended production timeline.

Beyond manufacturing the part, the customer faced another challenge. Many of the engineering drawings and prints no longer reflected the current production design, making it difficult to confidently transition the project to a new supplier. The company needed a manufacturing partner that could not only produce the part but also help validate the design and identify the best path forward.

The HTT Approach: Looking Beyond the Original Request

Rather than simply quoting the project as a traditional stamped part, HTT took a consultative approach.

After reviewing the annual production volume and evaluating the customer's long-term goals, HTT identified an opportunity to manufacture the component using its new high-speed laser cutting technology rather than investing in dedicated stamping tooling.

This approach significantly reduced the customer's upfront tooling investment while dramatically accelerating production.

As Bob Lischka, Director of Supply Chain and Business Development at HTT, explained, "HTT is always looking at every avenue possible to work through our customers' needs and put their best interests first."

Instead of following the customer's original assumptions, HTT evaluated all available manufacturing options to determine which solution would deliver the greatest long-term value.

Engineering a Faster, More Flexible Solution

HTT's engineering and manufacturing teams collaborated to ensure the laser-cut component would deliver the same quality and performance as a traditionally stamped part.

One important consideration was edge quality. Because laser-cut parts can produce different edge characteristics than stamped components, the teams worked together to refine the manufacturing process until the finished part met the same standards expected from conventional stamping.

The new laser also provided several additional advantages:

• Eliminated most upfront tooling costs
• Reduced setup time
• Produced competitive piece pricing
• Allowed smaller production runs without sacrificing efficiency
• Improved manufacturing flexibility as customer demand changed

The result was a solution that better aligned with the customer's production requirements while preserving product quality.

Results: Faster Production, Lower Investment, and Greater Manufacturing Flexibility

By leveraging HTT's laser cutting capabilities and collaborative engineering approach, the customer realized several immediate benefits:

• Reduced Time to Market: Production lead times decreased from approximately 14 to 16 weeks for traditional tooling to roughly two weeks, allowing the customer to launch production significantly faster.
• Lower Upfront Tooling Investment: Manufacturing the part with HTT's laser cutting technology eliminated the need for costly dedicated tooling while maintaining competitive piece pricing.
• Improved Material Utilization: Laser cutting allowed tighter nesting of parts, reducing material scrap and improving material efficiency.
• Greater Production Flexibility: Without dedicated tooling constraints, HTT could efficiently produce smaller production runs while maintaining responsiveness to changing customer demand.
• A Stronger Engineering Partnership: HTT worked alongside the customer to validate existing designs, improve manufacturability, and develop a solution focused on long-term success.
  
  

  Key Takeaways: Partnership Drives Better Manufacturing Solutions

  This project demonstrates that the best manufacturing solutions often come from challenging conventional thinking.

  Rather than defaulting to a traditional stamped process, HTT evaluated the customer's production volume, timing, and investment goals to recommend a solution that better fit the application.

  As Bob Lischka shared, "A typical supplier would have manufactured the part exactly as requested. HTT looked at every available manufacturing option to eliminate unnecessary tooling costs and deliver a better overall solution."

  The result was a faster product launch, lower upfront investment, and a manufacturing process designed around the customer's needs rather than the limitations of a single manufacturing method.

Solving Manufacturing Challenges Through Partnership

At HTT, every project begins with understanding the customer's goals, not simply producing a part.

By combining expertise in metal stamping, laser cutting, fabrication, welding, and engineering, HTT helps manufacturers reduce costs, accelerate product launches, and simplify manufacturing decisions. Whether the right solution is laser cutting, metal stamping, or a combination of both, HTT works collaboratively with customers to deliver the best outcome for their application.

If your team is looking for ways to reduce tooling costs, improve production flexibility, or bring products to market faster, HTT is ready to partner with you to find the right solution.