VMI CLEARS ANODIZING BACKLOG, HELPS ANODIZING WORKFLOWS

Shasta GMI Alliance Partners Seco and SAF West collaborate on VMI process for anodizing aluminum tubing

The Business Challenge for Seco – In 2017, Seco, a manufacturer of surveying equipment and accessories, was at full anodizing capacity for aluminum tubing used in the making of bipods, creating an production bottleneck. Adding anodizing capacity was not an option due to factory floor space, and regulatory constraints.

The VMI Solution

To solve the problem, Seco looked at logistics and lead-time issues that made using an out-of-area supplier to take up the slack unfeasible. The solution came in the form of an SAF West VMI arrangement that augmented Seco’s anodizing capacity constraints.

SAF West brings capacity & proven VMI Experience, Seco supplies steady anodizing work

For both companies it’s a win/win. SAF West is a specialist in anodizing aluminum metals and has a far greater anodizing capacity. Additionally, SAF West has proven VMI experience, serving notable clients that include large automotive manufacturers who depend on them to manage a stable source of supply for processed aluminum.
For SAF West, the Seco VMI collaboration provides a steady and predictable volume of parts for its anodizing processing, allowing SAF West to set-up work cells to maximize lean manufacturing principles. The addition of an SAF customer with repeatable demand helps smooth overall production, allowing orders-to-shipment cycle times within 1-2 days.

For Seco, SAF West VMI Results Include:

Re-usable totes at Seco help to manage the replenishment cycle just-in-time, based on calculated weekly production demand. Seco has seen a 10% improvement in anodizing capacity while allowing for smoother production throughput and greater product mix flexibility. They have also more than doubled output of aluminum tubing from 300 to 700 per week.
Back orders for Seco bipods using aluminum tubing has decreased from 2,500 units to zero since November 2017. Product is now in stock and shipping customer orders is back to standard lead-time.