Assembly Systems

Integrated Automation


Knowing how to build smart machines that integrate the right tools to create parts efficiently within spec is where Tooling Systems Group automation member company Specialty Tooling Systems (STS) does its best work. STS engineers, designs, and builds special machines for part assembly and quality inspection in manufacturing.


Assembly Systems Capabilities 


  • Integrated, automated assembly centers, and systems
  • Vision inspection and quality audit machines
  • New, re-designed, and repaired equipment
  • Control interfaces and safety systems
  • On-site support and troubleshooting
  • Designs that reduce capital equipment

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A sampling of applications that STS builds specialized solutions for


  • Laser welding (certified laser welding engineers)
  • MIG, TIG, plasma and resistance welding
  • Spot welding
  • Stud welding
  • High pressure riveting and staking
  • Heat staking
  • Robotic material handling
  • Automation assembly
  • Nut and small part feeding
  • Pierce nut assembly
  • Assembly turntables
  • Conveyor systems
  • Product testing
  • Production machining systems

Assembly Centers and Systems

From staffed assembly centers to fully automated, lights-out production systems, Tooling Systems Group member companies integrate:


  • Dies
  • Presses
  • Robotics and automation equipment
  • Welding
  • Transfer systems
  • Part feeders

Check Fixtures

We Take Pride in the Details


Whether it be from jigs and fixtures that quickly orient parts in the right position for machining and assembly, or check and inspection gages to validate that parts are within tolerance, Tooling Systems Group member companies stand behind the quality of the end product. Our team of designers, tool builders, machinists, and project managers take pride in their level of detail and customer support for every build.


Check Fixtures Capabilities


  • Assembly fixtures
  • Assembly tables
  • Attribute gages
  • Automated checking fixtures
  • CMM holding fixtures
  • CNC fixtures
  • Contour gages
  • Cooling fixtures
  • Custom variable data fixtures
  • Laser fixtures
  • SPC gages
  • Weld fixtures

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Mold Tooling

The right solution for you


Our diverse knowledge and craftsmanship in plastic injection molds, hydroform tooling, die cast tools, thermoform and vacuum form tools means we are always offering our customers better tool designs with competitive pricing.


  • Applications
    • Automotive trim
    • Appliance parts
    • Laminated panels
    • Frame rails
    • Exhaust components
    • Furniture parts

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Hydroform Tools


From the ground up, we design and build our hydroform tooling, complete with pre-form dies when needed, to provide our customers with the best quality tool to meet the job at hand. Our vast knowledge in part design, coupled with great tool design, means we are constantly pushing to pioneer our processes in building hydroform tools.

  • Metal Types
    • Steel
    • HSLA
    • Stainless
    • Aluminum
  • Part Types
    • Frame rails
    • Exhaust
    • Side members
    • Roof bows
    • Engine cradles

Die Cast Molds


Zinc and aluminum die casts are built with up front engineering to ensure first shots are always what the customer expects.

Plastic Injection Molds


We can attribute our success in building plastic injection tools to our decades of engineering and taking the time to understand our customer’s needs. Through our part design interaction with our clients, we build molds with the highest level of quality, which minimizes flow patterns, blistering, jetting, and warping.

Thermoform, Vacuum Form and Compression Molds


We have a track record of building complicated thermoform tools with excellent results. Additionally, we also build wood and plastic inlay molds, vacuum form tools and trim dies to provide the complete tooling package.

Steel Plate Processing

Building Solid Foundations


Hot rolled steel plates meet the demands for strength, durability, and a solid foundation for industrial-grade projects. Hot rolled plates speed up a project that is getting bogged down by long lines for casting and styro design at foundries. In addition, they keep costs down when a cast product is overkill.


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Flame Cut Steel Plate


Using CAD/CAM plasma and oxy-fuel cutting machines, our team burns steel plates to shape raw plates. Multiple thicknesses of hot rolled A-36, A-572 (grades 50 and 80), 1020, 1045, mild steel, and 4140 steel plate are stocked on-site for quick turnaround. In addition, we do our own annealing, cut plates up to 10′ x 40′ x 13″, and allow custom orders, all of which enables us to provide fast delivery and low prices.


  • Applications
    • Earth moving and construction equipment
    • Alternative energy structures and components
    • Oil rigs and platforms
    • Military and defense projects
    • Die sets and kits for sheet metal stamping dies
    • Concept, prototype, and private use pieces
    • Other miscellaneous, industrial grade applications

Blanchard Grinding and Machining


After burning, we machine, plane, drill and tap the raw steel shapes into functional pieces with grinding and machining.

Along with standard CNC milling and machining, we can improve the raw steel’s flatness and parallelism with our Blanchard Grinders. Our five machine grinders are capable of grinding up to 128″ diagonally and to customer specified thicknesses.

Welding and Fabrication


To improve accuracy, we use our Arc Writer during the burning process to plot out the exact position for details from the CAD data before we weld with sub-merged Arc or MIG.

Using our heat treating and stress relieving oven, we preheat steel before the weld process. This allows the weld to penetrate deep into the product and not be shocked by the ambient temperature of cold steel, resulting in a slower set for a stronger weld.

Steel Stress Relieving, Annealing, and Media Blasting


Once our assemblies are welded, we can properly heat treat and anneal the steel and weldments with our in-house oven. The oven is capable of handling pieces 8′ x 10′ x 24′, and temperatures up to 1,500°F. In addition, we use our oven to preheat steel before welding for more durable applications.

After stress relieving and annealing, we can also treat steel plate products with our media shot blasting booth. Clearing away sediment and slag, the media blast treatment will leave the piece with a clean surface that is suitable for painting and further processing.

Low Volume Parts

The same TSG Quality, Regardless of Volume


When end users run into the problem of finding manufacturers to produce parts that have become obsolete by their OEM, or the OEM no longer exist, it can be frustrating to get back on track and keep moving.

When a manufacturer needs a short run of sheet metal stamped parts, it does not make sense to invest in a full die due to potential part changes or just a low-volume of quantities needed. Tooling Systems Group member companies can provide a solution for both of these problems

Given the flexibility of modular tooling, Tooling Systems Group can run low volume production up to 20,000 units annually.

Best of all, the customer is not required to buy or store the tooling since it is already factored into the price and can be shelved at one of the member companies for future production.

Making the parts you need

Whether it is through our modular tooling or competitively priced contract machining, we can create:


  • Prototypes
  • Early parts
  • Short run and low-volume manufacturing (under 20,000 units)
  • Non-current production parts
  • Re-engineered parts

Even in the absence of data, Tooling Systems Group member companies can bring some parts back to life and re-create them using their CMM equipment and engineering experience.

Modular Tooling

Using their knowledge for die tooling, Tooling Systems Group pushes to create a tool that could be available for short run and prototype stamping, as well as being reusable for different applications and future re-runs.

The result from this push is our modular stamping die. Modular tooling gives Tooling Systems Group a great advantage for:


  • Testing out complex draws and forms without investing in a complete tool. This allows for details from the tool to be transferred to final stamping die tool for mass production
  • Creating prototype parts efficiently
  • Producing early parts quickly to aid in part development and engineering with physical parts
  • Reusability for future demand of low volume production


Stamping Dies

QUALITY SHEET METAL STAMPING DIES AND TOOLING


Building sheet metal stamping dies and tooling has been the heart of Tooling Systems Group since the first member company, Advanced Tooling Systems (ATS) began in 1983 as a tool and die shop. Tooling Systems Group has gained worldwide recognition for building dies that meet stringent OEM and supplier standards.

Using lean manufacturing, continuous evaluation of our process and best practices learned throughout the member stamping die companies, we have decreased our costs and delivery time, giving you the tools you need for less.

DIE TOOLING CAPABILITIES

With thousands of cast and steel plate stamping dies under Tooling Systems Group, tooling can be built from simple to complicated:


  • Progressive dies
  • Transfer dies
  • Line dies

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Our engineers and tool and die makers have experience in building, integrating engineering changes, and repairing tooling for:


  • Automotive components
    • Brackets, reinforcements, and supports
    • A, B, and C pillars
    • Cross members
    • Heat shields
    • Extrusions
    • Fuel doors
    • Seat frames
    • Floor pans
    • Truck and car frame rails (up to 90ksi)
    • Body in white parts
  • Vehicle frame rails (up to 90ksi)
  • Appliance panels, brackets, and supports
  • Office furniture walling, floors, and components

SERVICE, REPAIR, MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS

Properly maintaining, servicing, and repairing your tooling insures that it will run for longer and give you more life time, which means savings to your bottom line.


  • We can create a service and maintenance program for domestic for domestic and international tooling style tooling with:
    • Diagnostic review of dies and tooling
    • Inspection and sharpening of tooling
    • Quick repair of broken parts and dies
    • 24/7 emergency service

TRYOUT AND RUNOFF CAPABILITIES

With 20 presses (up to 2,500 tons and 108″ x 200″ bed) and a variety of heavy-duty equipment, we can keep die builds moving without having to wait for tryout presses to be available. Working together, our die shops can utilize each other’s equipment, as well as the Tooling Systems Group tryout facility when their own capacity becomes full.