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News Release from: Forming Technologies
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 October 2004
FTI Celebrates 15th Anniversary
1 October 2004 marked the 15th Anniversary of Forming Technologies (FTI), incorporated in 1989 by Ken Jones and Dr Medhat Karima.
FTI was formed as the result of one of the largest collaborative research and development projects in metal stamping technology in the world 1 October 2004 marked the 15th Anniversary of Forming Technologies (FTI), incorporated in 1989 by Ken Jones and Dr Medhat Karima
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 12 Mar 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The mission statement of FTI is still the same as it was 15 years ago - provide state-of-the-art software solutions for the costing, design, and manufacture of stamped parts, with an emphasis on earning our customers' respect with exceptional service and support.
"We combined the technology from industries, universities, FTI's in-house scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to develop a suite of practical products, methodologies, and a comprehensive curriculum to train the industry," says FTI President and CEO Dr Karima.
"We've replaced trial and error and rule-of-thumb techniques with science and predictability by combining stamping production knowledge with the best software programmers in the industry." In addition, FTI is responsible for upgrading stamping technology skills of over 10,000 engineers and tool and die tradesmen.
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"This approach consistently puts us at the forefront of delivering new costing and formability techniques to the worldwide stamping industry," Karima says.
"From offering CAE-based blank development and nesting on a PC at a time when that was unheard of, to delivering full formability analysis to product and process design at automotive OEMs, we stick to our strategy of combining the best software programming with practical shop floor experience - experience that is only acquired on-site at automotive OEMs throughout the world." However, Karima says, pioneering software isn't the only reason for FTI's success over the past 15 years.
Teaming up with integral partners IBM and Dassault Systems has been crucial to our success at the automotive OEMs, Tier 1, and Fortune 500 companies.
But the real backbone of the thousands-strong FTI user community is our trusted global reseller network working with our dedicated professional staff.
Some of these experts have been with us since the very beginning.
They have helped build shops from the ground up, and have a true "partnership" with our customers, offering advice, strategy and experience to FTI users around the world.
"What's in store for the next 15 years? More than we can imagine," says Karima.
"Over the next few years, we will see great pressure placed on the price of components due to the ever increasing price of steel.
Knowledge-based product and process design templates will automate design for manufacturability information in a generative and associative environment.
Emphasis on costing and formability is becoming commonplace.
Software is being developed that knows all the details of the stamping process.
It's an exciting time," says Karima.
"Check back in another 15 years, and we'll see where stamping predictability, reliability, and optimization has gone," he adds.
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