Poor tools make poor die casting parts. Poor die casting parts make unsatisfied customers and create cost overruns due to inefficiencies and production errors. Two company-owned tool shops offer expertise to help shorten lead times for tool development, produce multiple grades of tools to fit customers’ budgets and make tools that last longer. Once production begins, Pace's Die Maintenance Order Systems assure continued tool quality and readiness.

Hands-on project management is a big deal. It’s essential to completing jobs on time and avoiding missed new market opportunities and customer orders. Pace offers managers dedicated to each project that use best-in-class Advance Product Quality Planning. This structured APQP management process involves intensive upfront planning and communication between the customer, design teams and suppliers to ensure successful launches and overall customer satisfaction.

Early design support is crucial. Skipping this step can lead to inferior products, which don’t conform to requirements resulting in die casting defects. This delays launches and increases both costs and recalls. Pace offers a diverse tooling procurement strategy, embedded engineering services, three integrated tool shops with simultaneous 5-axis machining and in-house flow simulation, thermal Analysis, 3-D laser scanning and FEA. These reduce cost overruns, improve speed to market and increase redundancy in tool production to minimize customer risk.

Engineering impacts everything. A lack of consistent engineering support increases the likelihood of producing poor quality products, die casting defects and experiencing increased production downtime – all things that impact the bottom line. Pace has more than 20 years of proven engineering expertise, in-house 24/7 analysis and more than 100 engineers who support customers when the need arises. Our engineers are dedicated to constantly improving die casting processes to ensure better products are moving through the supply chain.

The finishing touches are everything. Poor product finishes don’t meet customer expectations, so Pace offers extensive in-house finishing capabilities as part of our end-to-end solutions for manufacturing both functional and sensitive cosmetic parts. Our expertise in powder coating, painting, chromating, impregnating, polishing and shot blasting ensures that products look as good as they function and simplifies the supply chain.

Customers need assurance that products will be built correctly, efficiently and to exceed industry standards to avoid cost overruns and non-compliant parts. That’s why Pace invests in obtaining third-party industry certifications that measure supply chain efficiency, quality, speed of delivery and customer focus for improved financial performance and productivity. Certified quality systems in place at several Pace facilities include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, AS 9100 and TS 16949.

Pace knows parts. Unfamiliarity can lead to end user returns and non-conforming products that impact inventory and profit. Familiarity working with diverse parts saves time and costs while ensuring better quality. Pace facilities have a combined 450-plus years of experience working in more than 20 industries including: automotive, aerospace, lighting, telecommunications and more. Additionally, Pace-owned tool and die shops offer design expertise for thousands of tools to reduce defects and increase productivity.

Pace keeps costs grounded. High start-up costs can prevent innovative products from ever launching and are usually the result of inadequate planning, tooling and experience. Pace’s expertise extends throughout more than 20 industry areas with multiple divisions across North America. In-house tool and die shops and quality control systems ensure product repeatability and longevity of tool use. These all minimize required capital and time it takes to get products to market.

Defects are the enemy. Product recalls and end user returns stem from non-conforming, defective products. So do increased legal risks and reputation damage. Pace’s 100-plus in-house engineers, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and industry-leading quality certifications including ISO, AS and TS help reduce defects. This mitigates product liability risk and improves customer reputation among end users.

Inventory management is everything. It’s central to managing product supply and demand, reducing working capital and improving cash flow and profit. Pace offers flexible services and expertise across diverse parts, proven project management processes and diverse locations to help reduce excess inventory and use resources efficiently.

Pace views machining as an extension of tool and die product design. Without solid machining, products simply won’t perform as intended. Pace's machining capabilities start with quality die cast tools built in our tool shops and supported by extensive product design engineering. Proprietary monitoring systems reduce machining problems, and when problems do arise, our on-site support teams address them. Pace reinvests about $15 million annually in new equipment to deliver better quality products.

Managing product delivery boils down to the supply chain. Line shutdowns, supply failures and problem parts often take a toll on the overall delivery timeline. More than 100 engineers along with internal rebuild teams, preventative maintenance and internal SWAT teams focus on solving the problems that hold up delivery to meet deadlines. That improves overall time-to-market. Pace’s thermal control systems such as thermal imaging and jet cooling also create a more stable and streamlined die casting production process.

It’s all in the timing. When product launches are delayed, credibility, new market opportunities and end-user satisfaction are all at risk. Pace’s focus on early supplier involvement, 24/7 in-house predictive analysis and a robust die maintenance order system ensure a strong planning process. Proprietary shot control and monitoring systems improve die casting process repeatability and smoothness of production runs. This helps customers meet deadlines and increase their overall market share.

Markets change every day. Quickly reacting to market demands reduces business interruption, helps maintain adequate inventory and ensures that when customers need products they have them. To help avoid downtime and adjust to the market quickly before and after launch, Pace takes a preemptive, proactive, responsive approach. Our dedicated project managers keep projects on track and our structured Die Maintenance Order Systems ensure that tools are maintained and ready to help customers stay ahead of production runs and shifting needs.

For companies operating in high stakes industries, one non-conforming product or missed delivery would mean interrupted supply chains, product recalls, injuries or possible legal action. Pace's superior footprint provides redundancies in die casting and machining operations so we are able to help customers develop contingency plans which mitigate their risk.

Solid businesses are built on strong supply chains. Inefficient supply chains cause less-than-optimal inventory levels while increasing costs and waste. Following an integrated services model, Pace manages customers’ supply chains like other die casting companies won’t…taking ownership and providing a single point of contact from design concept to delivery. This reduces supply chain management costs, increases productivity and creates a strong product knowledge that encourages success in all stages of design, development and delivery.