Stecker Machine Blog

When industrial OEMs face challenges with machined castings, the issue sometimes isn’t with the casting or the machining alone. It’s with the disconnect between the two.

That’s why leading manufacturers need to consider how a CNC machining company and the foundry will partner together to achieve their goals. Early collaboration leads to better part quality, faster launches, and fewer supply chain issues.

A great example is the partnership between Stecker Machine Company and Bremer Manufacturing, a foundry specializing in aluminum casting. Together, we deliver high-quality machined castings through shared design input, fast problem-solving, and aligned processes.

This article explores how this collaboration:

• Streamlines production and delivery
• Improves design for manufacturability (DfM)
• Delivers better results for industrial OEMs

It was a Friday afternoon when the call came in. Before we knew it, we were headed out on an urgent mission across state lines. SMC responded urgently, because we knew we had to do what it took to salvage a CNC project.

We had quoted the project for large military vehicle parts a year earlier, only to learn that another CNC machining company was awarded the contract. Now, the CNC company was in financial distress, and the purchasing manager for the military vehicle parts called us in a panic. 

“The CNC shop is going into receivership. They’re being shut down on Monday,” he said. “We need your help.”

So, a team from SMC hit the road Monday morning at 2:30 AM to review their fixtures and see if there was anything we could use to pick up where the other CNC company left off.

It wasn’t that simple…

Disruption. It’s become a familiar word in the manufacturing industry. Whether it’s lingering effects of the pandemic or looming threats of tariffs and political uncertainty, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are looking in their own backyards to mitigate risks.

The world of quality assurance is an alphabet soup of abbreviations: QA, PPAP, APQP, CMM, PSW, etc. 

When a customer brought us a new 13.6-liter diesel engine design for high-horsepower agricultural and construction equipment, they didn’t just need a machining vendor — they needed a partner who could help them bring it to the finish line. This was a critical engine platform, and at the heart of it was a complex ladder frame housing.

When a leading manufacturer and supplier to global off-highway equipment brands needed complex machined components, they turned to Stecker Machine Company. Known for our precision CNC machining technology, skilled workmanship, and engineering expertise, Stecker was tasked with delivering a solution that met extremely tight tolerances and ensured repeatable quality at scale. 

When a CNC project seems too complex, that’s when OEMs and parts designers know to call on Stecker Machine. And it’s not just because our team can figure out how to get it done, but because we know how to get it done in collaboration with the customer.

Complex parts for industrial applications often feature intricate geometries, tight tolerances, and demanding machining requirements. Not all CNC shops are equipped to tackle that kind of complexity nor have a skilled workforce capable of bringing a product engineer’s design to production manufacturing. 

While Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) design their own custom parts for a product, they can be manufactured in-house or manufactured to specifications by a contracted supplier. This is especially true for precision CNC machined parts. 

New technological innovations are introduced every year, but if you keep your eyes open, you’ll see shifts that can turn into trends in the CNC machining industry.