Extruded aluminum heatsinks are made by heating aluminum to the point of a semi-solid state. Then this aluminum is pushed (extruded) through an extrusion die. These aluminum forms have the profile of the die it was pushed through, much like …
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Category Archives: Auto Parts
Aluminum Auto Parts maker J.L. French files for bankruptcy
By JEWEL GOPWANI • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • July 13, 2009
In another example of how the auto industry’s sales drop-off has financially crippled auto suppliers, J.L. French Automotive Castings Inc., a maker of aluminum parts, filed for bankruptcy protection early today. It is the company’s second bankruptcy filing in three years.
Overburdened by debt, Wisconsin-based J.L. French, which counts on General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., the Chrysler Group and Magna International Inc. for most of its sales, said it already has negotiated a plan to cut its secured debt by 75% that includes another trip through Chapter 11.
High levels of debt could push at least two other major suppliers into Chapter 11 in the next few weeks.
Bankruptcy fears sent shares of Detroit-based American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. down 27 cents or 15% on Monday to close at $1.52.
Last week the company said it won a waiver on the terms of its loan agreement through the end of the month.
Shelly Lombard, an analyst at Gimme Credit, which rates corporate bonds, said in a note to investors that it will be difficult for American Axle to avoid bankruptcy.
American Axle spokesman Chris Son said today that the supplier continues to work with law firm Shearman & Sterling, but declined to say if the company is preparing a bankruptcy filing.
Meanwhile, Novi-based Cooper Standard faces a deadline of Wednesday to cut its debt after it put off making an interest payment last month.
The supplier’s discussions with lenders continue, said Cooper-Standard spokeswoman Sharon Wenzle.
J.L. French, which makes such aluminum parts as engine blocks, oil pans and transmission cases, said plummeting revenue made it impossible for the company to keep up with its debt payments.
In a court filing, J.L. French CEO Thomas Musgrave said in recent years that the company “invested significant amounts of capital to expand” its “die-casting and machining capacity in support of specific customer production contracts that in many cases failed to generate the expected level of sales volume.”
With the company in financial stress from being over-leveraged, it has had a tough time convincing customers to award it new business.
Contact JEWEL GOPWANI : 313-223-4550 or jgopwani@freepress.com
Kinetic Die Casting can manufacture aluminum automobile parts, heat sinks, aerospace parts and much more. If you are looking for aluminum or zinc parts, visit our website Kinetic Die Casting Company
8 Major Auto Parts Suppliers Closing
Lear Corp. (LEA) will become the eighth major auto parts supplier to file for Chapter 11 protection since 2005 as the industry has struggled amid declining sales and high costs. Since one parts maker often supplies several car companies, any trouble in shipping parts can lead to disruptions, including the shutdown of auto plants.
Lear is the No. 2 supplier worldwide for automotive seating systems and among the top five for electrical distribution systems, with net sales of $13.6 billion last year. It ranked 157 in the Fortune 500. The company, headquartered in Southfield, Mich., has 80,000 employees at 210 facilities in 36 countries. General Motors (GM) accounted for 23% of its sales in 2008; Ford Motor Co. (F) for 19%.
So, who were the seven major auto suppliers to precede Lear in bankruptcy filings?
Collins & Aikman
Collins & Aikman once made parts for just about every single U.S.-built car. The 116-year-old company closed in late 2007, after completing the sale of its last major operations to a private equity group led by billionaire Wilbur Ross. The company got into trouble under the leadership of ex-Reagan administration budget director David Stockman, who steered it toward expansion just as the U.S. auto industry began a steep downturn. The company filed for Chapter 11 in 2005.
Delphi
Delphi (DPHIQ) unveiled a plan to emerge from its nearly four-year-old Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 1. The deal calls for Delphi to sell four U.S. auto-parts plants and its steering business to former parent GM. But the bulk of Delphi’s assets would be sold to Platinum Equity, a Beverly Hills, Calif., private-equity firm in a transaction largely backed by GM. Delphi’s creditors went to federal bankruptcy court, attempting to thwart the proposed $3.6 billion acquisition, deriding it as a “sweetheart deal.” A court hearing is set for July 23.
Tower Automotive
Tower Automotive emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy nearly two years ago and sold most of its assets to the private-equity firm – and former Chrysler parent – Cerberus Capital Management. Tower, a supplier of metal structural components, filed for Chapter 11 in 2005, and subsequently undertook a restructuring that included closing 16 manufacturing facilities and selling off ancillary businesses.
Visteon
Visteon (VSTN), a former unit of Ford, filed for bankruptcy on May 28. The auto-parts maker is seeking bankruptcy-court permission to cancel its retiree health-care and life insurance obligations, a move the company says would erase $310 million in liabilities from the company’s balance sheet. It also says it has reached a deal to sell its Alabama air-conditioning subsidiary to a Korean company that Visteon also controls but that isn’t under bankruptcy protection.
Metaldyne
Metaldyne also sought Chapter 11 protection in May with deals in hand to sell its powertrain and its chassis business units. RHJ International has offered $75 million in cash and debt for the powertrain business, the offer that will set a floor price at the July 24 auction. The Carlyle Group private-equity firm had signed a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire the chassis segment, but the two parties haven’t been able to come to terms on a purchase agreement.
Dana Holding
Dana Holding (DAN) emerged from bankruptcy in February, 2008, nearly two years after filing for Chapter 11 protection. The Toledo, Ohio, maker of axles, driveshafts and structural products for auto makers emerged with $2 billion in exit financing from a consortium of investment firms – Citigroup Global Markets, Lehman Brothers, and Barclays Capital.
Dura Automotive Systems
Dura Automotive Systems filed for Chapter 11 protections in October 2006, and emerged from bankruptcy a year ago. In January, it took initial steps toward becoming a private company. The company is the largest independent designer and maker of driver control systems, and a leading supplier of door modules, glass systems and seat mechanisms.
Kinetic Die Casting manufactures die casting metal parts creating products like roofing tile molds, lighting parts, and military parts. If you would like more information about Kinetic Die Casting, visit our website:Kinetic Die Casting Company
Aluminum Auto Parts – Durability at Lower Costs
Aluminum Auto Parts –
Durability at Lower Costs. Aluminum auto parts are essential devices when it comes to die casting. Aside from their lightweight and durable features, these are also very essential and handy when constructing automobiles and doing other automotive tasks. A lot of manufacturers of different auto equipment are a big fan of aluminum auto parts as they present a wide collection of materials to choose from when creating the perfect car. Such parts are also sold in very cheap and reasonable prices so as to accommodate the needs of manufacturers, both low-end and high-end. Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEM has also established their very own plants catering to die casting and manufacturing new aluminum car parts. There are also companies who create a bond with well known die casters to have a constant supply of these types of auto parts. Nowadays, these materials can be found in a vast majority of local and online stores.
Some of the most widely used aluminum auto parts include the die casting handles, valve covers, wheels and brackets. The handles make great use in constructing car doors and trunks. Handles are used as hardware to make car containers and openers sturdier and more responsive to a variety of movements. Valve covers, on the other hand, are perfect for chrome plating. These covers are useful in concentrating hear for complex thermal transfer. Aluminum brackets and wheels are used primarily as essential engine components for different automobiles. Since aluminum material provides optimum strength, wheels are more receptive towards speed maximization and robustness.
Kinetic Die Casting manufactures aluminum die castings creating aluminum die casting boxes, aluminum handle hardware, and aerospace die casting. If you would like to get a quote, please visit our website: Kinetic Die Casting Company
Posted in Auto Parts, Die Casting Parts
Tagged Aluminum Auto Parts, Aluminum Brackets, auto parts, car parts
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Ford Motor Company Cuts Suppliers
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford Motor Co.’s top executive for auto parts purchasing said Wednesday the number of the automaker’s suppliers that are under distress, bankruptcy protection or under observation has more than doubled in the last year.
Tony Brown, Ford’s vice president for global purchasing, declined to give an exact number of distressed suppliers, but said in a briefing that more suppliers are in the category of being monitored as slumping auto sales force automakers to slow production and order fewer parts.
Brown said he had several teams of people looking at ways to aid distressed suppliers operationally, as Ford has limited funds to financially support the ailing companies.
“You could expect Ford to take the appropriate action given the situation and it could include providing financing,” he said. “And it could include simply having an engineer go in and clean up their process.”
The Dearborn-based automaker has pledged to provide at least $125 million in debtor-in-possession financing to its former subsidiary, Visteon Corp., which is under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Ford said it is accelerating its plans to consolidate the number of suppliers it uses. The company said 850, or 48 percent, of its suppliers will be eligible for future work at the end of the year, down from the 1,683 eligible at the end of 2008.
“We don’t need that capacity,” he said. “We need a stronger, healthier, profitable supply base. This is our strategy to make that happen.”
Ford will have 1,650 total suppliers at the end of 2009, compared with 2,198 at end of last year. Its goal is to eliminate short-term suppliers, with a target of 750 total suppliers in the coming years. Ford purchases about $90 billion in parts annually.
Brown said the reduction of its suppliers would be “orderly” and not disruptive to the other automakers that may do business with the companies.
Ford also said it has added 16 companies to its key group of component and service suppliers, including BorgWarner Inc. and Denso Corp. There are now 82 suppliers in the company’s Aligned Business Framework, which increases the automaker’s collaboration with the companies.
Kinetic Die Casting manufactures a lot of aluminum rooftile plates , trim tile molds, and military die casting. If you would like a quote, please visit our website: Kinetic Die Casting Company
Aluminum Die Cast Auto Parts
Aluminum Die Cast Auto Parts include radiators, carburetors, gas tanks, valve covers, mirrors, air filter adapters, exhaust systems, body and closure panels, door and trunk handles, auto lamp parts, engine brackets, wheels, master cylinders, ornaments and logos among others.
Aluminum die casting is an incredible way of manufacturing aluminum parts. Die casting is the manufacturing procedure of forcefully inserting molten metal, in this case aluminum, into a steel mold or die and making it solidify to form metal parts. Aluminum is one of the top choices in die casting because it is lightweight, malleable or flexible, and has a high electrical and thermal conductivity. Aluminum has a fatigue or endurance limit that is not yet defined as compared to steel. It surely has very high fatigue strength, perfect for constructing materials that will last for long periods of time.
The Aluminum Die Cast Auto Parts, also called aluminum castings, are exceptionally durable and highly resistant to corrosion. Thus aluminum castings are even utilized in military equipment and automotive parts. In the military, aircrafts, missiles, torpedo boats, and armored vehicles such as tanks all contain aluminum castings. Aluminum is also used in lighting fixtures, lawnmowers, heat sinks, medical and dental equipment, roofing tile molds, golfing products, amplifiers, hand tools, typewriter frames, and even kitchen paraphernalia.
Everybody knows what aluminum is since it is used in countless materials and products. Aluminum, known for its low density and ductility as well as its durability and corrosion resistance, has become a wonder metal that can be used in so many ways.
Kinetic Die Casting is a die casting company specializing in aluminum and zinc parts. If you would like to request a quote, please visit our website:Kinetic Die Casting Company
