NN Inc. is a precision component manufacturer with extensive experience in machining, stamping and welding for a range of markets, including electrical switching, electrical power steering, high-voltage connectors and general industrial sectors. With locations in six countries, the company is a global enterprise that serves the world with its extensive industry experience.
As global demand increased, especially in the automotive sector, high-performance stamping became a focus. NN Inc. began looking to Seyi presses in 2017 due to its reputation for supplying and servicing metal stamping equipment. What initially began as a single press project has grown to six Seyi presses, and counting, in the United States. The benefits of working with Seyi have been substantial.
“We’ve seen increased output,” says Eric Hauser, plant manager at the Massachusetts facility, “more flexibility in the types of parts we can run, reduced downtime and simpler day-to-day operations.”
The transition to Seyi equipment has not only streamlined production but also positioned the company for new opportunities, especially in the fast-growing EV market.
Servo integration
NN Inc. first partnered with Seyi to supply two SN2-220 gap-frame mechanical presses. The reliability of the equipment and ease of service quickly earned the trust of Hauser and the production team. Those initial presses made a good impression.
“I can’t even remember any major repairs we’ve had,” Hauser says. “So that obviously laid the groundwork for who we wanted to consider for our servo press.”
While mechanical presses had long been the backbone of NN Inc.’s stamping operations, the company was eager to begin EV component manufacturing. After extensive research, they identified that a servo press with a larger bed size could open the door to producing higher precision, more complex formed components. These often require greater forming flexibility, which servo presses are uniquely equipped to handle thanks to their programmable stroke profiles.
Following years of evaluation, the company decided to purchase a Seyi SD2-330 servo press. The advantages quickly became clear.
“The challenges we faced prior to servo technology – many of them weren’t even realized by us until we began using the equipment,” Hauser notes.
The impact was substantial. NN Inc. achieved up to 30 percent higher output on the servo press, along with noticeably improved part quality. The success of the integration was so compelling that its Illinois plant has since invested in its own SD2-176 servo press, leading to greater efficiency and expanded capabilities in high-value manufacturing markets.
New possibilities
After becoming accustomed to servo technology in the facility, NN Inc. began seeing its investment pay off in preparation for EV component manufacturing.
“In the EV market, there’s a lot of complex forming that really lends itself to servo technology,” Hauser says. “We’re working with parts that form in multiple directions, then come together into rigid, box-type structures through staking. Some of the pieces coming out of that servo press make you stop and say, ‘This came out of a press?’ Additionally, these parts require extremely tight tolerances.”
With the ability to customize the press stroke to meet precise die specifications, eliminate the need for multiple presses in a production line and fine-tune performance for optimal part quality, the servo press has enabled NN Inc. to do what was not possible with traditional mechanical presses. Today, with these advanced capabilities, the company produces thousands of EV components for manufacturers across the United States through its servo press.
With EV components come more sophisticated dies, which bring their own challenges. One key feature that equips the servo press to handle this level of manufacturing is the handy pulsar wheel. This tool allows NN Inc.’s tooling engineers to completely transform the approach to R&D and setup with complex dies.
“The handy pulsar wheel is light-years ahead of any mechanical press,” Hauser says.
The wheel allows the servo press to do things that mechanical presses simply cannot, such as move to any angle of the stroke while maintaining full energy. In practice, this allows the engineers to precisely control the position of the slide and slowly move through the motion of the stroke in 1-mm increments.
“We can start squeezing the material a bit and then bring it back up to see how it’s forming,” Hauser says.
This level of control enables NN Inc.’s toolmakers to identify and correct issues such as misfeeds, dull or uneven cutting edges, and interference during progressive forming stages. Before adopting servo technology, such issues were often difficult to detect due to the fixed motion of mechanical presses.
It further reinforces Hauser’s earlier point – that many of the challenges NN Inc. faced were not even visible until they began working with servo technology. Today, the handy pulsar wheel is an essential tool for NN Inc.’s tooling team and stands as another reason the company confidently delivers high-quality EV components to manufacturers across the United States.
Required expertise
Given the complexity of many of NN Inc.’s EV components, equipment efficiency and personnel expertise are critical to its operation. With a large portion of the workforce approaching retirement, one of the company’s biggest challenges is maintaining a pool of experienced press operators.
“Setting up presses can sometimes take a ‘MacGyver,’” Hauser says, emphasizing how much of the work relies on the operator’s skill and intuition, which typically only come with years of hands-on experience.
“But here’s the kicker with the Seyi servo press – it’s user friendly,” he says, specifically referring to the SD2-330. “It’s phenomenal. Mechanical presses are much more difficult to set up and operate.”
This enables NN Inc. to train newer operators on the servo press much more easily. Because all EV components are manufactured on the servo press, operators need less experience – the press is simpler to run day to day.
NN Inc.’s investment in Seyi servo technology has proven to be more than just an equipment upgrade – it has reshaped the entire approach to stamping, tooling and training. With improved production flexibility, higher part quality and simplified press operation, the servo press has empowered NN Inc. to confidently enter the EV market and meet the growing demands of high-precision manufacturing. As the company continues to evolve, the partnership with Seyi remains a key driver in its ability to innovate, adapt and lead in an increasingly complex and competitive industry.
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