Stellantis, a leading global multinational automotive corporation, recently strengthened its North American manufacturing operations by expanding its stamping capabilities at Warren Stamping Plant (WSP), one of its two plants in Michigan.
Stellantis’s two plants, WSP and Sterling Stamping Plant (SSP), are central to the company’s North American manufacturing operations, supplying critical components for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicle production. The addition of a blanking press at WSP has further strengthened that production by increasing in-house capability and supporting key vehicle programs.
The two stamping plants, only miles apart in metro Detroit, produce the hoods, doors, liftgates and other structural components that supply assembly plants across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“When people think about vehicle manufacturing, they usually picture the assembly line,” said Ed Daniels Jr., vice president of North America injection and stamping operations at Stellantis, in a press release. “But stamping is where that work begins. Sterling and Warren give our North America operations the scale, speed and flexibility needed to deliver precision parts on time, support key vehicle programs and help drive sustainable, profitable growth. As Stellantis executes its $13 billion U.S. investment plans, these plants and the people behind them are critical to strengthening our manufacturing foundation and keeping assembly operations moving.”
Gaining speed
At SSP and WSP, large metal coils are fed into high-speed presses where the material is formed into precise components. The operation is a tightly coordinated process but carried out with enough force that the vibration can be “felt through the floor beneath your feet,” according to a press release. The journey begins with material that becomes recognizable, “taking shape to exact specifications before moving downstream.”
SSP and WSP operate with three shifts per day at each facility. And with six coordinated shifts, they work steadily to create a reliable workflow of parts. It is this kind of structure that offers crews the ability to service equipment and complete maintenance so the lines are ready for the next production run.
SSP, with more than 2.7 million sq. ft., is one of the largest stamping facilities in the world, allowing it to support multiple vehicle programs at the same time. Millions of components are produced with the consistency needed to keep assembly operations running smoothly across Stellantis assembly operations in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
At WSP, the key advantage is speed. It houses one of the fastest high-speed transfer press lines globally.
“Known internally as ‘Hellcat,’ it can move up to 15 pieces per min. through the press while maintaining the tight tolerances required for modern vehicle design,” the release said. “Adding the blanking press allows for flat metal blanks to be produced in-house before being formed into vehicle components.”
Hellcat productivity
Curtis Booth, vice president and plant manager at WSP, said the new blanking press has the capacity to produce between 4.5 and 6 million parts annually for vehicles, including the Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator and Grand Cherokee models.
“Together, the Hellcat line and the new blanking press give WSP the ability to prepare and form critical vehicle components within a highly integrated manufacturing operation,” he said.
These blanks will be fed into other press machines and shaped i nto body components.
Throughout the stamping process, teams are focused on efficiency from the moment the metal coils enter the plants. Thanks to operator hands-on expertise and advanced inspection technology, quality is checked throughout the process and small variations are spotted before parts advance to the assembly process.
The Automated Body Inspection System (ABIS) is another advanced piece of technology Stellantis utilizes. It captures images and analyzes part geometry to validate precision throughout the production process. The system is a critical quality checkpoint inside central stamping operations and assists teams in identifying and resolving potential issues before parts reach assembly.
“Our workforce is what makes an operation like this possible,” said Greg “Butch” Bauer, vice president and plant manager at SSP, in a release. “There’s a level of ownership and pride across every shift that ensures we’re delivering the same quality and performance at all times.”
The work that goes into these parts might not be seen by the public, but it is a vital part of what brings Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles to the roadway. From the introduction of raw material to the stamping machines to the final vehicle assembly, the work at SSP and WSP supports the precision and craftsmanship customers expect.
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