Principal Manufacturing Corporation

Companies worldwide rely on our design, engineering, and manufacturing solutions, including precision fineblanking. Our experienced technicians and state-of-the-art equipment were put to the test when we were approached by a customer in the automotive industry. This client was developing a highly precise armature; with our top level engineers, designers, and personnel, we were pleased to accept the contract. Our design team developed a procedure that eliminated the need to machine the grooves. We employed our most precise metalworking capabilities for this component, as it needed to measure 157.88 mm in diameter by 5.35 mm thick, with tightest tolerances of ±0.05 mm for flatness and parallelism. The process we developed to eliminate the machining of the grooves on both sides of the part ended up saving our customer over $800, 000. Our client greatly appreciated these substantial cost savings and our highly precise, accurate work. For more information about the design

We are proud of our position as an industry leader in fineblanking and other precision fabrication processes at Principal Manufacturing Corporation. In addition to manufacturing, our full service operation also offers engineering and design assistance that helps customers solve production problems and reduce costs. In the project illustrated here, we were able to assist a customer in the truckingautomotive industry to revise the design of a large sprocket, greatly increasing the quality of the product while simultaneously providing the customer with substantial cost savings. As originally designed, this part was constructed with powdered steel. This material was causing some serious issues in the areas of integrity and quality, creating die breaks and fractures in the peaks and valleys of the sprocket. Our customer agreed to the change, and we manufactured the sprockets using our fineblanking and deburring capabilities. Not only did the new material create better quality sprockets, but also created a total cost saving of $100, 000 compared to the old material. For more information about the design and manufacturing of this project, please contact us directly.

At Principal Manufacturing Corporation, we are not just well-known for precision manufacturing, prototyping, and product development. We also regularly assist customers whose current fabrication providers are not meeting their expectations. In the project illustrated here, a client in the automotive industry was having difficulty with a supplier of stamped parts. The stamping process they were using during the construction of the disc was creating inconsistent torque readings during end of line testing. With our deep background in engineering and precision fabrication, we gladly accepted the contract to find a solution for this quality issue. After investigation and analysis, our team found an alternative to the stamping process. We proposed fineblanking and in house value added operations to complete this critical component. Our long history of expertise with this process came into play, allowing us to fineblank countersinks that allowed for a far more robust timing disc, and eliminate previous quality inconsistencies. Our client was very pleased with the solution we provided and the exceptional quality of their finished variable CAM timing disc.

At Principal Manufacturing Corporation, we have a long track record of helping customers solve their most challenging design and manufacturing problems. We maintain TS 16949 and ISO 14001 certifications, reflecting our commitment to finding creative, cost-effective, and high-quality solutions for our customers. In the project illustrated here, a client was having production problems with a motorcycle intake flange. We were contracted to investigate the source of their problem and search for a solution, employing our highly experienced staff and complete array of state-of-the-art equipment. The motorcycle company was using a flange with powdered metal that was cracking. To attempt to solve the problem without disrupting production, they used an offline operation to test the flanges for breakage. They assembled the motorcycle engine with the flanges that didn’t break, but this still didn’t solve the problem; end-of-the-line engine tests still produced a substantial number of broken flanges, resulting in disassembly and rework. To solve this problem, we developed a prototype tool that enabled us to discover a better method for constructing the thin wall required. The fineblanking process eliminated our customer’s breakage problem, making their offline operation and rework processes unnecessary. This not only resulted in the best quality flanges but also offered significant cost savings.

We may be best known for precision fabrication, but at Principal Manufacturing Corporation, our capabilities stretch far beyond just that. Our facility is designed to provide solutions for a wide scope of customer requirements, including high capacity jobs that many shops cannot accommodate. For example, we recently assisted a company in the automotive industry with a particularly large production order. They had already contracted us for fineblanks for their part, but needed additional assistance in completing the manufacturing process. With our extensive history of working with large production runs, we were readily able to assist this customer. The part in question was a self-cinching automotive trunk latch. Our customer had reached their full capacity at their plastic injection molding facility in Wisconsin, and was looking at shipping all of their parts to Tennessee to finish the job. We were able to offer a better solution; with our deep level of experience in fineblanking and molding, we used our equipment and facilities to take over the entire job. All of the work was shipped to us, and we were able to complete the job, including final revisions, in a single Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). Our expert staff provided complete manufacturing, which includes molding of a magnet into the latch.

Our expertise in precision manufacturing extends back generations at Principal Manufacturing Corporation. Over the years, we have satisfied a broad range of the most demanding customers, including working with many challenging applications for the automotive industry. In the project illustrated here, an automotive customer required a highly accurate head rest support. With our deep level of knowledge, experience, and expertise, we were perfectly suited for this project. We manufactured this head rest support with high strength steel. Working closely with our customer to perfect the part, we overmolded the head rest support using a glass-filled nylon. This process allowed us to hold the tight tapered diameter tolerance required by our customer’s specifications. The close tolerances we were able to achieve on the overmolded part is just one example of the high-precision, custom manufacturing we perform every day. To learn more about this project or to find out how we can put our work to use for your project

Fast turnaround times and complete in-house resources are major priorities for customers who require high volume orders. At Principal Manufacturing Corporation, we employ experienced and knowledgeable personnel along with a fleet of state-of-the-art equipment, able to achieve virtually any volume request with the industry's fastest turnaround times. These capabilities were well exemplified when a customer in the automotive industry contacted us to help them with a high volume run. They were not receiving the adequate quality from their current fabricator and were facing a significant volume increase. With our expert staff and a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment, we were a perfect match to take on the project. This customer had a current order in progress for an automotive Oil Pump Cover that included 15, 000 pieces delivered per week. Their fabricator at the time needed to subcontract the machining and grinding processes which lead to increased lead times and sometimes compromised the quality and consistency. On top of this, their order was about to increase to 25, 000 pieces a week. They needed a manufacturer who could guarantee the highest quality while completing the work in the required time frame. As we have a complete range of metalworking capabilities available under one roof, we were able to take this contract and perform all the necessary manufacturing in-house.

Since 1939 at Principal Manufacturing Corporation, we have helped customers in a wide range of industries with engineering solutions and precision fabrication, including some of the most popular and innovative products on the market. A perfect example of this is the Keysmart commercial key organizer. Invented and designed by one of our former engineers, this key organizer began its life with funding from Kickstarter and went on to be an incredibly popular product. At Principal, we provide all the precision manufacturing necessary to produce the Keysmart product, which is now a hit product across the country and around the world. We worked closely with the creator of this item to optimize its design and patents while discovering the best possible manufacturing methods. With our assistance in design and full production capabilities, we helped ensure the availability and popularity of this product. We have manufactured over 1, 000, 000 of these products for customers in over 120 countries.

Customers who require volume production runs for precise, close-tolerance components rely on us at Principal Manufacturing Corporation. We have a deep level of experience in precision manufacturing, backed up by some of the best quality equipment in the industry. Nearly all of our capabilities were employed to fabricate the component illustrated here. A high level customer in the automotive industry needed a large quantity of assembled parts for automobile transmissions. This project was unique in that it required eight different operations in order to manufacture each assembly, all while maintaining the highest levels of accuracy.