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feature QFS certainly fits this model. Founded with five employees in 1997, the prototype shop can't be called a startup. However, its "growth spurt" in recent years is a response to the needs of its thriving customers. These include not only vehicle manufacturers, but also well-known names in aerospace (such as GKN and Rolls Royce) and railcars (such as Thyssen- Krupp). The company now has around 30 employ- ees and occupies five spacious units in a subur- ban industrial park on the outskirts of Birmingham. (Plans to relocate and consolidate these facilities under one roof are currently in the discussion phase.) In addition to two three-axis machining centers and a five-a xis gantr y mill, the company has s eve ra l t wo -a x is a nd f i ve -a x is l a s e r cu t tin g m a c h i n e s, p l u s a h a l f d oze n hyd r a u l i c a n d mechanical presses ranging to 250-ton capacity. A variety of welding, measuring and scanning equipment rounds out its equipment list. In short, QFS has all it needs on site to start with sheets of steel or aluminum, and deliver complete auto- motive body panels, subassemblies and press- formed components. These are provided as prototypes or as short-run production pieces that fill the gap while high-volume production tooling is completed. PrototyPe Production A typical press-formed prototype might follow this path: QFS accepts a digital file of the part geometry or, in some cases, starts with paper prints—whatever the customer has at the ready. Design engineers working in Catia and AutoForm create and refine the part model and press dies to form it. To substitute for complex trimming dies or piercing tools, laser cutters are programmed to do these operations instead. To machine the press die surfaces, the CAD models are turned over to the CNC department, where geometr y is oriented in PowerShape to best suit the configuration of the machining cen- ters. For example, the five-axis Correa Anayak 0614_MMS_QFS.indd 75 5/14/2014 9:52:47 AM