Choosing a Mil-Spec Supplier: Criteria, Questions & Pitfalls

Here is an amazing statistic: In 2012, world military expenditures hit a huge number
—$1.7 trillion. North America alone made up 40% of that spending with $691.22 billion. To put these numbers into perspective, Russia’s entire GNP in 2012 was $1.8 trillion.

To manufacture trillions of dollars of military equipment, there are more military and defense suppliers than ever before. If you are thinking about getting into the lucrative military and defense manufacturing field, you need to learn how to select a military supplier that is experienced, respected and ultimately trustworthy.

Becoming a military supplier, especially in the U.S., is not easy. Suppliers must meet a complex set of exacting demands, referred to as Mil-Spec. At Keats, we know how challenging it can be to choose the right military supplier for your needs. That's why we developed our new eBook, Choosing a Mil-Spec Supplier: Criteria, Questions & Pitfalls.

This eBook provides a starting point for Mil-Spec contractors when selecting a Mil-Spec supplier, and gives readers a framework to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of Mil-Spec suppliers.

At Keats Manufacturing Company, we believe that when assessing potential Mil-Spec suppliers, there are 10 critical questions the supplier must answer correctly:

1. Has the company manufactured for Mil-Spec before? Experience is a must in Mil-Spec work.
   


2. Which Mil-Specs can the company meet? There are over 30,000 different Mil-Spec standards, so simply saying you are a Mil-Spec manufacturer is not enough.
   


3. Does the company have the proper facilities and environment regulation? Thanks to painstaking levels of standardization, your supplier must be incredibly detailed-oriented.
   


4. Do they track their supply chain? The Mil-Spec rules for procurement are vast and complex so you need a high level of tracking.
   


5. Is the company prepared for the reading and research involved in Mil-Spec documents? There is no room for skimming in the Mil-Spec world. You need to do the work.
   


6. Will they automatically provide you with the proper Mil-Spec documentation? Having to request documents after delivery causes delays across the board.
   


7. Does the company have the volume capabilities- at both ends of the range? Your supplier needs to be able to handle orders as big as 50,000,000 pieces or as small as one.
   


8. Do they have the right tolerance capabilities? Military equipment demands nothing less than the highest precision and the tightest tolerances.
   


9. Does your manufacturer exceed, or merely meet, Mil-Spec standards? Just good enough won’t cut it, you need best.
   


10. What technology and processes is the company using? If they are using out of date equipment, odds are good you are getting out of date products.

If a Mil-Spec supplier cannot give you an acceptable answer to these questions, then you need to continue looking. 

We wrote Choosing a Mil-Spec Supplier: Criteria, Questions & Pitfalls because we have successfully fulfilled countless Mil-Spec orders throughout the years and we understand what it takes to get the job done right.

If you want to learn more about choosing the perfect Mil-Spec supplier, simply download your free copy of the e-book Choosing a Mil-Spec Supplier: Criteria, Questions & Pitfalls.

To discover why Keats just might be the perfect choice for all your Mil-Spec needs, contact us or give us a call at 800.KEATS.MFG. We look forward to working with you.

The Many Benefits of Just in Time Inventory

Today’s manufacturing is touted for its innovation, efficiency, and adherence to quality. It is this successful emphasis on these values that has helped American manufacturing not only recover, but prove to be a competitive, global force to be reckoned with.

One of the most effective business philosophies most successful manufacturers have relied on is Just in Time (JIT) inventory. When employed by manufacturers and relied upon by procurement professionals, JIT inventory means reduced costs, increased customer service, and unparalleled quality.

So what exactly is Just in Time? At its most basic, JIT inventory is exactly as the name implies; goods are made available to clients just as they need them. The supplier keeps the exact right amount of products on hand—without excess—and keeps them readily available. This management system ensures enough is kept in stock, but never too much, and demand is always met. Some of the many benefits of a JIT strategy include:

Meeting Procurement Professionals’ Needs: Through a highly organized and well honed system, customers are able to receive what they need when they need it. Due to the level of inventory knowledge and understanding, the company is able to always have ready what their client requires. Companies who are experienced in the strategy are able to add to some product categories while diminishing others as necessary.

Reduced Costs: JIT inventory means reduced waste. This keeps inventory costs down and storage space open, creating a well-balanced, efficient management system through which investments are always smart. The company saves significant money in the process, which is directly passed down to the customer.

Continuous Improvement: When a business knows the ins and outs of their inventory and their customers’ needs, they are able to meet demands, quickly solve problems, and make continuous improvement a natural occurrence. This, too, translates to higher quality and more cost savings.

Increased Return on Investment (ROI): Because only the essential products are stocked, out of date products and waste are eliminated, and stock holding costs are at a minimum. This all makes for a greater ROI—another factor that trickles down to customer savings.

What does it take to truly be successful in business these days, consistently delivering high quality at lower costs to clients? It takes lean, effective, reliable strategies based on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and proven results. When procurement professionals work with a company that’s truly experienced in the JIT method, they’re getting all of this—and the assurance that they’re working with a company who can meet their demands without exception.

Contact us to learn more about how Keats Manufacturing can support your Just in Time strategy.

       

The Growing Role of Machine Vision in Manufacturing

According to an AIA Vision Online article, machine vision is playing an ever-growing role in the electronics industry, especially as components continue to get smaller and smaller. Machine vision allows manufacturers to monitor and measure the parts being produced to ensure accuracy while maintaining peak productivity.

At Keats Manufacturing Co., our role as a small parts metal stamping company makes us the perfect fit for machine vision integration. As such, we’ve recently incorporated a Keyence Image Dimension Measurement System. We purchased the system back in December, and spent the next three months training for optimal use. The Keyence system allows us to perform inspection of several dimensions of each part at the press of a button, providing automatic part processing and measuring. We are now able to measure small metal stampings quickly, accurately, and easily without any conventional variation results. Since most of our parts are less than 2 inches long, the system is ideal for our small parts manufacturing operations.

When looking for our first dedicated system operator, Keats had to look no further than our own staff members. We began the selection process by identifying some of our top machine operators, and putting them through rigorous testing that included blueprint reading, measuring tests, and interviews. Machine operator Josh Moreno led the pack, and was ultimately chosen for the job. His responsibilities now include writing programs for each part we produce using the Keyence system. Josh is one of the younger members of our team, with about 2 years of experience at Keats, but already has set himself apart as one of our best machine operators on the floor. We are pleased to be able to promote from within, and are proud of Josh’s accomplishments at Keats thus far. We look forward to seeing the results of his work with the new machine vision system.

Trends to Watch in the Automotive Industry

The automotive sector appears to experiencing a peak in innovation, with numerous advancements and trends gaining popularity. Not least of which is the surge of electric vehicle manufacturing. According to IHS Automotive, electric vehicle and hybrid production is expected to rise 67% in 2014. This can be attributed to tightening emissions standards worldwide, as well as price reductions for many models. For example, the report notes that the Nissan Leaf is $6,000 cheaper this year than it was just two years ago. Since price was a prohibitory factor for many consumers previously, it opens the door to greater accessibility for electric vehicles.

Another trend in the auto industry is the growing popularity of clean diesel vehicles, especially for heavy duty and fleet applications. Clean diesel has been shown to reduce 99% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 98% of particulate emissions from heavy duty vehicles over the past decade.

But construction and fleet vehicles aren’t the only ones benefiting from clean diesel. The fuel is also entering the consumer market, with myriad automakers coming out with diesel-powered options. Volkswagen, for example, offers 7 diesel engine cars, which made up 23.5% of sales last year.

The crossover utility vehicle market has also seen more diesel options popping up lately. Jeep, Audi, and Mercedes have all unveiled new turbodiesel models in the United States.

And, perhaps one of the most widely talked about automotive trend is the expansion of aluminum in automotive manufacturing. Because the metal is much lighter than traditional steel, incorporating aluminum in the body of an automobile helps to improve fuel economy. The metal is also revered for its corrosion resistance and overall durability, which are necessary traits in the auto sector.

As we continue to watch these trends take off, we’re interested in seeing what other new automotive developments take shape. If there’s anything you feel we’ve missed, let us know on Twitter. We always look forward to reading about progress in the field.

Material Considerations: Copper Alloys and Applications

For many of our stampings, different types of copper are used.  There are hundreds of different alloys all engineered for different grades of quality in several areas; conductivity, machinability, and strength, and corrosion resistance.  As copper is the most conductive non-precious metal, each alloy is an attempt to improve other characteristics of the material without compromising the quality of the connection beyond what is required  by the application.

Often the factors come down to price and availability, as many different alloys and materials will fit the bill for different kinds of applications.  The three we see most often here at Keats Manufacturing are straight coppers, beryllium coppers, and brasses.

Straight copper, again, is the most conductive non-precious metal, making it ideal for electrical conductivity.  However, most applications do not require the conductivity that pure copper provides, and so other alloying metals are introduced to lower cost, improve workability, and maintain conductivity.

Brasses offer the lowest cost, and increased malleability.  Brasses are zinc and copper alloys, and the quality of conductivity is determined by zinc content.  Brass is used in many applications because of its affordability and ease of machining.  However, its susceptibility to corrosion limits its use to controlled or closed environments, often in electronics and enclosed home and commercial wiring applications.  Beryllium coppers on the other hand have superior corrosion resistance, and higher strength than their brass counterparts.  Consequently, they are used in locations either more susceptible to corrosion, or in settings where quality of contact is of utmost importance, like communication or aerospace industries. 

We’re sure as time goes on, more and more effective materials will be engineered for ever more specific applications – and we’re also sure our stamping expertise and experience will continue to serve our customers, whatever materials they choose to use.

Perspectives on Plating and the Metal Stamping Process

For many of our jobs, the question of plating comes into play – there are a variety of different options out there in terms of specific techniques or metals that correspond to different desired outcomes for the final product.  As a custom metal stamping business, we don’t do plating ourselves, but we often do jobs that either require post-plating or stamp pre-plated pieces, and we’ve identified some key issues to be concerned about when considering when in the process to plate your piece, and thought we’d share what we’ve observed. 

As we mentioned earlier, the two options we come across most are stamping pre-plated material, or sending off the stamped piece to then be plated.   There does exist a third option called partial plating, presumably a cost saving measure designed to be compromise between the advantages of the two.

The advantages of pre-plating are pretty straightforward – the cost tends to be lower, and there is less opportunity for dimensional issues in the finished product.  Plating is of course adding a layer of another type of metal onto the work piece for either corrosion resistance, conductivity, aesthetic or other purposes, but as a function of the process, it can create dimensional issues that need to be taken into account, depending on the tolerances desired for the part.  This is where using pre-plated material can be an advantage, as that process has already been performed, and won’t factor into the final stamped dimension. 

However, as a function of the stamping process, a pre-plated part won’t be 100% plated after stamping, so for applications where perhaps there is exposure to a harsh environment, or the part is visible and a seamless finish is preferable, post plating may be desirable.  Again, this is typically the more expensive option, and with the added handling of the pieces, there is an increased possibility for dimensional concerns to arise. 

As with many design and manufacturing considerations, the key is to identify which factors most affect the characteristics of the final product that are most important, and make the decision based on those variables.  The benefit (and we would say the beauty) of being a custom manufacturer is that we have the experience and capability to cater to whatever peculiarities the job requires.

Manufacturing in the Global Environment

We’ve talked much about the American manufacturing industry here on our blog, but one thing that transcends national borders is environmental consciousness.  Within manufacturing, and on a global scale, a key concern for many responsible businesses is the objective to operate in a way that impacts our environment the least, and demonstrate an awareness and attentiveness to how the processes of production are regulated and managed, to optimize efficiency and minimize waste.

The organization that provides the global standards and certifications is ISO, and the particular series of certifications concerning the environment is the 14000 series.  Last month, Keats again passed our ISO 14001 inspection and received our certification, something we’re quite happy about and proud of.   This certification covers many responsible business practices throughout our facilities, from the offices to the factory floor.  With considerations as broad as light-bulb types to spill-containment procedures, the certification ensures that energy management and environmentally sound practices are employed. 

As awareness and concern for proper environmental practices grows, we at Keats want to be on the leading edge of reform, implementing and encouraging realistic approaches to energy management and environmental responsibility.  We hope you agree, and will continue with us on the road to an eco-friendly future.