Jan 07/22

What Is Tooling? A Quick Guide

what is tooling

 

In the US a whopping 8.8 million cars were manufactured in 2020. Not only does that mean a lot of cars out to the market, it means a lot of manufacturing.

Of course, there are actual automotive makers like Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. Also, it means there must be a whole bunch of support manufacturing going on to make the parts that go into putting the cars together.

Part of this process is tooling. How does it impact the making of a car?

So, read on to learn more from this guide.

What Is Tooling?

For automotive suppliers, tooling is paramount to their success and the process of manufacturing. Tooling is the process of making the tools that are needed to make a specific part that’s being manufactured.

Therefore, in order for an automotive supplier to manufacture the parts the car companies need, they first must make the tools necessary to make the specific parts.

In the simplest form, think of a bakery making cupcakes. Of course, they have the flour, sugar, and eggs to make the cupcakes. But they couldn’t actually get cupcakes without the pan to hold the small-sized cakes. Creating the cupcake pan is the tooling for the cupcake maker.

Why Is this an Important Part of the Manufacturing Process?

In automotive manufacturing, or really any type of manufacturing, you’d be unable to make the product needed without the tooling. For automotive manufacturing, the parts associated with different makes and models are very specific. The tooling that’s done helps to accommodate those specific parts.

Quality tooling helps to ensure the parts are:

  • Finished with the required properties or specs
  • Completed with speed
  • Parts show consistent accuracy

A quality manufacturer like Mayco International will work to make certain the precision and characteristics of the process are in place before starting to make the actual parts.

The Different Types

A tooling company can work with a variety of different types. The most common types include:

  • Dies
  • Cutting tools
  • Press tools
  • Jig and fixtures for holding the workpiece
  • Gauges for measurements

Molds are common in tooling too. Some types of molds include injection molds, rotational mold, and blow mold.

Tooling for Automotive Supply

Tooling for the auto industry has evolved over time as the industry has changed too. For instance, uses are to require mass production of a part used in a variety of ways.

Now, the tooling is likely more specialized. In the past, maybe one tool that was created had the ability to help make several different types of tools. Now, the tools are likely specific to each part.

Tooling for the Auto Industry

Answering the question of what is tooling is integral to understanding how manufacturing works for the auto industry. Carmakers design models of cars to be unique in both the aesthetics and the features. Therefore, the tooling needed has to meet those needs.

At Mayco International, we pride ourselves on being a tier-one auto supplier for many different auto companies. This requires us to do all the tooling necessary to meet the needs of the specific car company. So, Contact us today to learn more about our manufacturing capabilities.