Metal Stampings, NEC

This fragmented industry, valued by the U.S. Census Bureau at about $8.6 billion in 2009, manufactures products for a variety of end uses. The largest portion of the industry stamps metal for motor homes, aviation, agricultural equipment, computers, electrical appliances, radios, televisions, kitchen appliances, and laundry equipment. Cooking and kitchen utensils, such as tea kettles, metal spoons, baking pans, and stainless steel mixing bowls, claim a distinct majority of the industry's product base.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, some 3,618 establishments operated in this category in 2004, comprising 1,864 for jewelry (including precious metal) manufacturing, 1,673 for metal stamping, and 81 for kitchen utensils and pan manufacturing. Industry-wide employment was 96,510 workers, who received a total payroll of nearly $3.7 billion.

By 2008 the estimated 3,654 establishments engaged in manufacturing metal stampings and spun products, not elsewhere classified, including porcelain enameled products, were valued at $9.33 billion. Industry-wide employment was 98,840 workers.

Major categories included metal stampings, not elsewhere classified included machine parts, stamped or pressed, and stamping metal for the trade. Other significant categories included electronic enclosures, produced from stamped or pressed metal; cooking ware, except porcelain enameled; spinning metal for the trade; metal kitchen fixtures and equipment, except cast aluminum; and household cooking and kitchen utensils produced from metal. Production in this industry, like many others in the United States, declined during the economic recession at the end of the first decade of the 2000s and was just starting to recover as the country entered the 2010s.

Current Conditions

According to Dun & Bradstreet, in 2010 approximately 3,258 U.S. establishments engaged in manufacturing metal stampings and spun products not elsewhere classified. Together these firms generated $8.1 billion in sales and employed 92,226 people. Although almost 82 percent of establishments employed fewer than 50 people, firms that employed more than 50 workers accounted for almost 60 percent of all industry revenues. Ohio was the leader in terms of sales in 2010, with $1.26 billion, followed by California ($938.5 million), Illinois ($862.2 million), Wisconsin ($569.4 million), and Michigan ($511.3 million). Illinois was home to the largest number of workers in the industry, accounting for about 14 percent of all employees, followed closely by Ohio with 12 percent. Other leaders in terms of employment were Michigan, Wisconsin, and New York.

Industry Leaders

Ball Corp. of Broomfield, Colorado, reported revenues of $7.6 billion in 2010 with approximately 14,000 employees. Corning Consumer Products launched World Kitchen, Inc., in 2000, followed by a name change to World Kitchen, LLC, in 2006. The company employed about 2,800 workers with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, and the Asia-Pacific region. Sales in 2010 reached $233.4 million.

Plastech Engineered Products Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on February 1, 2008, following a dispute with Chrysler, its fourth-largest customer. On July 1, 2008, 70 percent of the principal product assets were acquired by Johnson Controls Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Johnson Controls reported revenues of $34.3 billion in 2010 with 140,000 employees.

Research and Development

Although computer-aided drafting and manufacturing tools had been used to great advantage in the metal-cutting industry, the related metal-forming industries had not used available software tools. Specialized software was being developed to add precision to the stamping process. Not only does computer software design improve stamping dies, it also can be interfaced with the machinery to tell the operator when the die is beginning to dull, or when the machine itself is beginning to malfunction.

The implementation of computer technology helped manufacturers reduce costs throughout the spectrum of machining operations. For large production lines, the area of specialty tooling was gaining importance as more companies cut costs and competition grew. With specialty tooling, several operations could be combined by using unique punch dies. Louver, countersink, embossing, lettering, and lance-and-form tools gained popularity as more industry leaders sought to improve product quality and cost through process redesign.

In particular, in the middle of the first decade of the 2000s innovations to cut steps in processing through in-press assembly techniques were developed. Processes like in-die contacting and multiple coil feeding improved cost, performance, and product quality over traditional rivet contacting and different stages in production and assembly. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), for example, performed research on a metal-stamping test station that collected measurements utilizing an X-ray stress system.