The history of Die-Tech reveals clues of what’s to come for the company. Richard K. Dennis, the company’s founder, is a visionary who has applied futuristic thinking to proven industrial practices during his more than 50 years experience in manufacturing.
Die-Tech’s initial products were connectors for
the budding ceramic based, printed, resister and capacitor network
industry. Dennis acknowledges that although Die-Tech’s clip-style
technology continues to be a strong performer for the company, their products and processes have evolved to keep pace in a global marketplace.
The company’s business philosophy has endured since its formation in
1974. It is a simple three-pronged approach: stay close to the customer, strive for continuous improvement and utilize the latest technology. See our .
The management is proud of its ability to meet or exceed its customers’ specifications and expectations in a consistent and well-planned manner. Customer requirements are translated from research and product development stage right through to manufacturing and distribution, making recommendations along the way to save money and reduce lead time.
Dennis reveals that the continuous improvement approach has been
pervasive throughout the plant since its inception. “We have always
looked for ways to control costs and produce a finished product in a
shorter time frame.” In the last two years, lead time from design to finished product has been reduced by more than 50%. Products which previously took 16-24 weeks to manufacture are now finished and shipped within 7 weeks. The company’s research and development team is currently finalizing a process which will reduce that time frame to less than four weeks.
In 1998 the company’s was ISO certified, and then upgraded to QS 9000 when they began stamping for the automotive industry in 2000. By 2004, the company was applying lean manufacturing principles in all its die maintenance procedures, sales procedures, information systems, engineering processes, purchasing sophistication and general management. The newest certification for the automotive industry, TS 16949, was obtained in November of 2006.
One important event in the evolution of the company was the development of the die in 2001, which started as an experimental press. With this process, the company was able to design and build permanent dies in less time and for less money. By 2004, the was a major success. The low cost and high tolerance of these dies brought the first stamping job back home from a third world country. Dennis explained, “Customers are eager to come back. We have been able to reduce tooling costs. A tooling design, which cost our customer $20,000 to build, was sent to China to manufacture. With we can produce a similar design for $6,000 -- and it can be produced in seven weeks. We beat what the Chinese can offer.”
The third prong in the formula for Die-Tech’s success is its commitment to utilize the latest technology. The first Wire EDM machine was purchased in 2002. Tooling costs and cycle time were immediately and significantly reduced. The newest computer driven machine tools reduce to 8 hours what it used to take a tool and die maker 24 hours to complete. Die-Tech currently uses the latest 3-D CAD design software --electronic files, not blueprints, are sent to production.
Die-Tech is family-owned. Richard’s son Richard W. is President, and
daughter PK Dennis is the Marketing Director. “When my children joined, I told them that I don’t pay their salary,” relates Dennis. “I told them, you pay yourself. You have to make a profit. They have never disappointed me.”
The direction of the company remains unchanged under the management of Richard W. and PK who continue their father’s sound and proven business practices. But they have also stretched beyond his operational philosophy. PK has initiated a more sophisticated marketing and communications program. Richard has identified new, challenging markets as well as areas for greater efficiency within the markets served. Today the company is characterized as an innovative, solution driven manufacturer of precision metal stampings and custom automated assembly of miniature connector components.
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