Stamp Source

StampSource Helped Prevent Theft This Holiday Season

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

According to conservative estimates, a probable $1.8 billion was shoplifted from U.S. retailers in the four weeks leading up to Christmas of 2011 alone. Money that deserved rightfully to be earned by brick-and-mortar stores was instead siphoned away by thieves.

The problem is shoplifting – endemic amounts of it. While there are many possible solutions to this problem, one of the newer and more cost-effective methods of resolution has been in the development and implementation of loss prevention hardware for merchant retailers.

StampSource was contacted by InVue Security Products to help them manufacture one such anti-shoplifting bracket. The idea behind the bracket is as simple as it is elegant: if a would-be thief tries to slide a piece of merchandise from off its metal display bar, the secure hook firmly blocks the attempt. The bracket can be used for a number of high profile items: cell phones, cameras, e-books, etc.

While there is no question that some on the “naughty” list this Christmas were up to no good….rest assured the products protected by StampSource and InVue wound up in the hands that they should…

5 Key Factors: Metal Stamping Considerations

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

When selecting a metal stamping vendor, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. Over the years, we’ve spent a considerable amount of time responding to client needs and requirements. We have found the following five considerations to be quite helpful, and we hope they prove helpful for you.

1. In-House Work. A vendor that builds dies in-house is much more likely to meet your needs than a vendor that contracts out the work. Design disagreements that often arise when working with a contractor can be avoided, granting you more control over the final product. In addition to achieving high-quality work, these stamping vendors can work with you to develop the most cost-effective solution.

2. Honesty and Integrity. An ideal stamping vendor should be upright and honest with its quotes. When it comes to die maintenance and other charges, check that these are included in the total price. At StampSource, we pride ourselves on transparency: “no hidden costs” means exactly that.

3. Industry Certification. ISO-certification speaks volumes about a stamping vendor’s commitment. Product consistency and cost control are essential. For sensitive jobs in particular, an ISO-certification can make a huge difference.

4. Responsiveness. Customer service should be at the heart of any company. Beyond high-quality products and superior stamping ability, a vendor that prioritizes fast turnaround time and attention to individual needs can ensure you receive what you pay for. Listening, responding, and adapting to clients is a central part of business at StampSource.

5. Production Capacity. Another factor that is sometimes overlooked when selecting a metal stamping vendor is production capacity. Are you looking for a metal stamping company to help you build a highly specific prototype, or are you looking for a mid-range to full-volume production run? StampSource is a high-capacity company, well equipped to handle a variety of needs—it is important to select a vendor that is suited to your particular production requirements.

As is true in many other industries, proper vendor selection is different for everyone. Through careful consideration of your unique requirements, in conjunction with the above factors, we hope you arrive at the right solution for you. If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact StampSource today.

M1: the Integrated Manufacturing Software that We Love Best

2011-12-01T13:38:00.001-08:00

Recently, we told you about the ECi Connect Conference we attended down in Fort Worth, TX. One of the best things about the Conference was getting to retrain ourselves in using our M1 software, which is one of the principle computer software programs that ECi has designed for manufacturers. It’s also one of the most essential tools of our business here at StampSource.

A little bit about M1 and how it relates to our company: basically, it helps us organize and streamline our manufacturing processes from A to Z. Whatever the task, whatever the product, whatever the problem, M1 has a ready solution if you program it right (and believe us, we have). M1 is spookily meticulous as only a piece of cyber-ware can be. When a project order comes into our shop, M1’s fully integrated manufacturing software tells us exactly what materials we need to make it. That’s just for starters. It plays a crucial role in organizing the rest of the manufacturing process, including payroll and fixed assets accounting

M1 lets us focus on doing what we do best – actual hands-on manufacture – and saves us from all the busy-work and paper-trails that would otherwise be piling on our desks. It keeps track of everything: from how many parts we’ve made of a certain item to how many more we need to make. It prints out the shipping papers once the part is made, and even sends an email to the client letting them know their job order has been shipped.

In short, it’s a life-saver; what we once might have named an employee of the month if we were still manufacturing back in the 50s or 60s. We’d recommend it to anyone in our line of work – want to learn more? You can read more about how we use this software at www.stampsource.com or at www.ecisolutions.com.

ECI Conference: We Had a Blast

2011-11-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

We had a blast attending this year’s ECI Connect Conference at the beautiful Renaissance Worthington in downtown Forth Worth, Texas. Not only did we make some new friends and exchange ideas about the latest trends in our line of work, but we received an inspirational talk from Jim Morris, the major league pitcher whose actual life-story served as inspiration for the 2002 Hollywood movie, The Rookie. It’s always good to be reminded that one’s biggest dreams are always worth pursuing, no matter what the odds or opposition.

We also got ourselves re-acquainted with an old friend of ours, M1. M1 is the fully integrated manufacturing software program that we use here at StampSource to streamline our manufacturing process from A to Z. It was a full two days’ boot-camp! ECi got our company up to steam on the latest and greatest ways of implementing their product: everything from CRM, to effective quoting, to customization workshops and the latest M1 tips and tricks. In the meantime we re-familiarized ourselves with M1’s business analysis tools, and M1’s integration potential with Avalara and Acsellerate.

All in all, the conference was a massive success. Not only did we come out of ECi Connect fully re-inspired as far as pursuing our dreams, but we left it with the actual hands-on means of making it happen.

And that’s exactly what we plan on doing this next year.

Healthy Home System Provides Your Family a Breath of Fresh Air

2011-11-08T15:02:00.000-08:00

Guarding your household from airborne intruders, such as mold, dust, pollen, pet dander, and germs, is essential to the well-being of your family. Field Controls is a leading worldwide supplier of draft, venting, and combustion air technology, and specializes in manufacturing draft controls for oil, gas, and solid fuel applications. This company builds and markets a Healthy Home System, which consists of an air-quality control box that manages various components that, when combined, work 24 hours a day to create a fresh, clean, and pure home atmosphere.

These air-quality components include:

1. A Fresh Air System, which brings clean air into your HVAC system, where it is combined with conditioned air before being discharged throughout your house.
2. A Media Air Cleaner, which traps particles as small as 1.0 micron.
3. UV-Air®, which uses ultraviolet light to zap various aerial invaders.

Field Controls’s Healthy Home System resolves many of the problems associated with most clean-air devices, which only work when the furnace or air conditioning is running. Because Field Controls’s fresh- air system connects with the central system fan, which operates on a fixed schedule, this control box maintains a clean home atmosphere, even when you aren’t heating or cooling your home.

StampSource supplies many of the precision, metal-stamped components that go into this air-quality control box. So, next time you go home, take a deep breath and know that Field Controls, with the help of StampSource, is there to keep your air pure and your family healthy.

ECO-MAX Adsorption Chillers Lead the Way for Green Cooling

2011-10-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

One of the 10 largest female-owned companies in the United States, Power Partners is an affiliate of the Green Suppliers Network (GSN), which was established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce, to help manufacturers pair lean fabrication practices with sound environmental strategies. Power Partners markets and produces energy-efficient, ECO-MAX adsorption chillers as part of their line of green products. These chillers use excess heat to provide cooling and other process capabilities.

Unlike conventional air conditioners, which require large amounts of electricity to run properly, ECO-MAX adsorption chillers are driven by hot water. This hot water may come from any number of industrial sources, including:

Excess heat generated from industrial processes
Prime heat generated from solar thermal installations
Exhaust or water jacket heat generated from piston engines or turbines

ECO-MAX adsorption chillers require very little electricity to operate, and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, this renewable energy system helps to prevent carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

StampSource supplies key components for Power Partners’s line of environmentally-friendly adsorption chillers, which are now being used by retail stores, hospitals, universities, office complexes, government facilities, and manufacturing plants all over the globe.

StampSource Helps Make Your Home Beautiful

2011-10-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Fall is a perfect time of year to spruce up your living quarters and finish those small, do-it-yourself projects around the house that were overlooked during the hot summer days. In fact, the warm, vibrant colors often associated with this time of year can inspire folks to repaint their homes to complement the season’s beautiful hues. Many home owners choose unique color palettes to meet their specific decorative visions, and major hardware stores, such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, use automatic paint mixing machinery to help their customers create the perfect custom colors to suit their needs.

StampSource produces and assembles many of the components that go into this innovative paint mixing machinery, manufactured and supplied by CPS Color. These components include:

The conveyor in front of the mixing machine that the one gallon or five gallon can rests on during filling
The inner frame of the machine
The decorative outside covers of the mixing unit

Our automatic paint mixing machine components are not only designed to look good, they are also precisely planned, measured, and fabricated to create a cohesive fit that ensures a completely streamlined paint mixing process.

So, next time you visit Lowe’s or Home Depot to create the right custom paint to meet your unique color requirements, remember that StampSource builds parts that help you obtain the perfect shade.

StampSource Introduces New High-Power Laser

2011-10-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

As part of StampSource’s ongoing commitment to providing customers with the most innovative metal stamping and fabrication machinery for precision parts manufacturing, our company proudly announces our latest technology acquisition: the Bystronic Bysoft 4400 watt laser. Our new, high-power laser can cut 1" thick carbon steel, 3/4" thick stainless steel, and 1/2" thick aluminum.

The Bystronic Bysoft laser improves power efficiency and reduces electrical consumption for the production of sheet metal and plates. This new technology is also equipped with Bysoft software, a user-friendly program package that has been specifically optimized for all bending and cutting processes. As a company spokesperson for Bystronic states, "With Byspeed's combination of power, acceleration, and control technology, this laser cutting system out-produces 5,000 and 6,000 watt machines, as well as high-speed turret punch presses in most hole-intensive applications."

Contact StampSource today to learn more about our Bystronic Bysoft 4400 watt laser, and how this new technology may be applied to your next metal fabrication project.

School Bus Crossing Arm Enclosures Help Ensure Our Children’s Safety

2011-10-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing is more important than the safety of our children. Now that summer is over, thousands of school buses throughout the country are securely transporting our kids to and from school with the help of such critical safety devices as school bus crossing arms. These life-saving mechanisms are mounted to the exterior (driver side) of a bus and consist of a mechanical arm that is connected to a series of controllers. Once the bus stops to unload passengers and the overhead warning lights are activated, these controls automate the crossing arm to extend away from the bus, signaling any oncoming traffic to yield to passengers who are exiting the vehicle and crossing the street.

Due to the critical nature of these devices, school bus crossing arms must perform accurately and consistently over extended periods of time and meet or exceed OEM, North American federal and state specifications for performance and functionality. Yet, in order to ensure the crossing arms work as required, the controllers that manipulate the arm need to be well-protected from any outdoor conditions that could negatively affect proper functioning. StampSource has been entrusted by the maker of this device to manufacture a series of enclosure boxes specifically designed for these types of specialized controls. Our enclosure boxes are made from ultra-durable, weather-resistant galvanealled steel to ensure long, reliable service life. StampSource also e-coats all boxes for superior corrosion resistance.

With the precision parts made by our company, parents can remain rest-assured that their children are in safe-keeping when riding the bus to and from school. Now, what's more important than that?