Heim 80-ton stamping press at Ultratech
Heim 500-ton and 600-ton presses at Ultratech
Ultratech produces all of its own tooling, from design through assembly.
Deep draw gear cover entirely produced by Ultratech, ready to assemble at Amarillo Gear
Covers for Corvette brake assemblies made by Brembo
GM Sierra dust shields
Galvanized stakes for hold downs on a satellite receiver
Welding operations at Ultratech
PEM riveting operations at Ultratech
Quality testing at Ultratech
Bill Melang, President of Ultratech Tool & Design
Ultratech Tool & Design Inc. began as a tool shop in 1990 serving the small engine manufacturing sector. For the past seven to 10 years, the company has been supplying stampings from its 32-ton to 600-ton presses, with products ranging from simple washers to complex automotive and aerospace components. President Bill Melang noted, "We took the tooling expertise we had from the start and built the business around it. This approach gives us the ability to see our customers' challenges from the inside and helps them find better solutions for their own production." Ultratech's North American customer base includes major manufacturers in industries such as automotive, consumer goods, electrical products and aerospace.
All jobs begin with the tool design. Ultratech uses Solidworks and Logopress software to produce its designs, and then works with its customers to fine-tune the finished product. The products are made entirely in-house at Ultratech on the latest CNC machines and CMM test equipment. "We try our best to stay ahead of the competition with our machine tools and design protocols by using the best technology available in the market," said Melang. Sensor selection on the dies, for example, is performed in the shop's sensor lab, where simulation of the die-in-press scenario translates into a tool that is less likely to crash. In addition, Ultratech produces dies with complex in-die tapping and nut/stud insertion capabilities, as well as lamination dies.
In 2002, the company formed a working relationship with The Heim Group when it bought its first Heim press. Today, there is an 80-ton Heim OBS with 5,000 lb. feed line, a 500-ton Heim Maxi-Stamper with 10,000 lb. feed and a 600-ton Heim Maxi-Stamper with 20,000 lb. feed. Complementing this equipment is a full resistance welding, heat treating and assembly cell operation. Ultratech also supplies its customers a range of finishing and part coating options to facilitate ready-to-assemble requirements.
Describing his company's partnership with Heim, Melang said, "Our first Heim press was an older machine and Heim helped us with a rebuild. Since then, we have developed a value-added relationship with Heim because they have provided us considerable assistance with press utilization and maintenance advice. We have also been helpful to them with die design ideas."
Heim President Katie Heim said, "Our relationship with Ultratech has benefited both our companies over the years. As our industry knows, the die dictates the press. We have worked closely with Bill and his team because this particular customer's knowledge of die design and performance characteristics in the press has created a real synergy with our engineers, who bring decades of press design and die handling mechanics to the task. The fact that Ultratech also has some of the nicest people in the industry, starting with Bill, is the icing on the cake, so to speak."
This American-made press builder, Heim noted, is quite often asked for a turnkey system of press, die and coil handling equipment, including complex die and part handling mechanisms, in a single package. "The knowledge we have shared with and acquired from Ultratech has made us both stronger players in the market today," she said. "The decline in the workforce numbers and equipment manufacturers based in America has created the need for companies such as Heim to be more proactive in the turnkey area, as customers today seek this assistance on a much more frequent basis than they did previously."
Heim produces presses up to 1,000 tons and also supplies coil handling, part transfer mechanisms and complete die systems in turnkey packages for customers worldwide. Katie Heim is third generation owner of the business, which has built presses in Chicago for nearly 70 years and today has over 55,000 machines in the global stamping market.
Ultratech is an ISO 9001:2008 certified supplier and is currently advancing to the TS automotive specification that will enhance the company's involvement as a supplier to that industry. The shop employs 25 people, including the next generation. Bill Melang's son is in the business and recently completed a plant expansion of 30,000 sq. ft.
Lastly, Bill Melang mentioned the assistance he has received from Jack Best and Tony Mase at Heim. "There has not been a single question we have thrown their way that has gone unanswered," he said. "They do what they say they will do, and that gives us great confidence in their abilities to handle our very fast-paced variety of needs for presses and support engineering."
For more information contact:
Ultratech Tool & Design Inc.
1210 Scott Street
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0548
920-922-0257
www.ultratechtooldesign.com
The Heim Group
6360 W. 73rd St.
Chicago, IL 60638
708-496-7400
sales@theheimgroup.com
www.theheimgroup.com