OEM
Aluminum rings for machine gun turrets on Humvees.
Stainless steel bars for ADM.
Formed channels for ribs in rail cars.
Rolled tube rings to support the drum inside this agricultural equipment.
OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), such as tractor manufacturers like Case New Holland, air conditioner manufacturers like Trane Company, or generator manufacturers like G.E. turn to Chicago Metal for such things as stainless steel pipe elbows, curved tubes, and rolled angle rings.
When it comes time to manufacturing their products, such OEMs often face the decision of whether they should build a given component part in-house or whether they should outsource that item to a company that specializes in a given process. In the past many large OEMs did everything from the design and engineering of a product though producing all the component parts through final assembly, marketing and sales. They were very vertically integrated. But today many large OEMs have recognized that their core competency might be only in the design phase of the product cycle or only in the assembly of their product. Many have realized that it made more sense to outsource some parts to specialists. The benefits of outsourcing include the following:
- elimination of the need to invest in machinery, equipment, training, and valuable manufacturing space to fabricate components;
- with the right subcontractor, the ability to respond quicker and more effectively to changing demands in the marketplace;
- the ability to develop prototypes faster;
- the ability to draw on the resources of special fabricators who have the years of accumulated experience to provide the best solutions to manufacturing problems.
Specialty contract manufacturers seek such work because it is repetitive as compared to one-off items like a unique construction project designed by an elite architect such as Frank Gehry. These contract manufacturers can organize their plants to produce similar parts from several different customers and minimize costs, speed up response time, and improve quality.
The success of Just-In-Time and Lean Manufacturing in supply-chain management illustrates how specialty contract manufacturers can serve OEMs well.
OEM Capacities
Chicago Metal Rolled Products provides OEM parts daily to a wide range of industries. With its lean manufacturing processes, the company can respond almost instantly to the varying requirements of its customers. For example, it often provides next day shipment of parts if required by its customers.
OEM Value-Added Services
Chicago Metal is used to handling the services expected from the most demanding companies. We have developed special shipping bins for repeat parts, have provided the requisite documentation, and even provided green lumber frames to hold bent aluminum pipe during an annealing process.
OEM Applications
OEM applications are numerous, from small angle rings to heavy solid rounds for tractor axels to stainless steel pipe elbows. Almost every industry uses bent steel as component parts in its equipment.
Contact us for more information on our OEM applications and capabilities.
