The strategic importance of effective press tool management for the factory of the future

Contemporary manufacturing philosophies such as simultaneous engineering, total quality management and just-in-time production have strongly affected the relationship between automotive component suppliers and their customers. This has also increased the importance of effective press tool management for such suppliers. The combination of the listed developments in the car industry means that the tools used in a supplier´s press shop now have to be absolutely reliable in terms of delivery and quality, in order to ensure the continuity of production and hence total customer satisfaction. The authors give a discussion of these issues and a description of contemporary approaches to press tool management observed in the European automotive industry. They then present, as a case study, the press tool management system being developed for a British company as part of a teaching company project. The importance of integrating this system in the company´s computer network is emphasised-an aspect of the project which has highlighted the importance of a sophisticated and adequate information infrastructure for effective tool management. The strategic implications of the presented issues for the factory of the future are also explored