There are not many processes in the automotive supply chain where accuracy and precision are more fundamentally important than in toolmaking. However, the dimensional and geometric assessment of tools, be they for pressing or moulding operations, is far from straightforward due to features such as complex freeform curvature, blended radii and meticulously applied draft angles.

This point has not eluded Tianjin Motor Dies, where quality control throughout the die production process is paramount to ongoing success. Founded in 1995, Tianjin Motor Dies operates ten die shops, nine of which are located in China and one in Germany. The company serves nearly all of the former country’s automotive sector’s major domestic and international OEMs. 

Tianjin Motor Dies’ partnership with Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence and its forerunner businesses began over 20 years ago, when the company was still a state-owned enterprise. At the plant in Tianjin alone, five of the company’s die shop measuring rooms have been equipped with DEA gantry CMMs, mainly for inspecting dies, fixtures and other die-making equipment…