When a local foundry announced its imminent closing, it created a major headache for a large forestry equipment manufacturer. For more than a decade, the OEM had relied on a single domestic foundry for the production of the feed wheels needed for its signature forestry heads. The manufacturer bought a stockpile of parts, and based on a recommendation from its parent company (a Fortune 500, U.S.-based OEM and long-time EQI customer), contacted EQI to take over the program.
Over the years, the manufacturer’s long-time supplier had developed a proprietary material for the parts and changed the product specifications, so the original product drawings provided to EQI were no longer accurate.
EQI needed to develop an entire start-to-finish program for the new customer quickly.. EQI professionals went to work applying its 360º Approach.
With no time to spare, EQI staff metallurgists successfully analyzed the product material characteristics. They identified what material would meet the exact high-strength and wear-resistance requirements of the part. EQI engineers completed process solidification modeling to design a robust production process. Drawings were updated to reflect the actual materials and specifications needed to replicate the parts the customer had received.
EQI looked to its one-of-a-kind global foundry network, determining the most capable and competitive fit within its network, and then assured product conformance with our team on the ground at the foundry.
EQI not only restored the OEM’s supply of critical parts after the closing of its long-time supplier, but the new program has saved the customer approximately 30% in total landed costs in the first year.
With an unparalleled global foundry network, EQI provides dual-source risk mitigation the OEM had previously lacked. EQI is also able to expedite shipping as necessary to manage an unprecedented post-pandemic increase in demand for the customer’s products.