Reinventing the Wheel: How CEW’s Local Expertise Optimized Cost and Performance in a Reshoring Initiative

Summary: CEW delivered unparalleled value in a reshoring initiative for an OEM by locally manufacturing a wheel previously produced in Asia. Utilizing their decades of expertise, CEW not only duplicated the existing design but also introduced cost-saving design improvements. The customer benefited from a 15% cost reduction, shorter lead times, and enhanced quality control, putting the product on track for production in North America by Fall 2023.

Industry: Industrial & Commercial
Category: Reshoring Wheel Manufacturing
Processes: Local Manufacturing, Design Review and Validation

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) decided to reshore full unit production from Asia to North America to better meet market demands. For this endeavor, they approached CEW to locally manufacture a wheel previously produced in Asia. The key challenges were to duplicate the existing design and meet the OEM’s performance requirements while potentially offering additional value.

Upon receiving the initial design, CEW went to work, leveraging decades of industry experience. While quoting for an exact replication of the existing design, CEW also offered design enhancements. These improvements maintained the original aesthetics but reduced overall manufacturing costs by approximately 15%. CEW’s approach involved comprehensive design reviews and validation for the specific application. Encouraged by the performance validation provided, the customer eagerly approved the design changes, and tooling was launched.

By opting for CEW’s expertise, the customer benefitted from multiple fronts. The overall cost of production was reduced by approximately 15%, and the customer also gained in terms of lead time reduction and lower inventory levels. Additionally, the shift to local production enabled enhanced quality control and performance validation, which are strengths CEW has developed through years of experience with virtually every OEM in the space. The new wheel is slated to go into production in North America in Fall 2023.