Colorado-based Durango Driveshaft and Machine Uses OpenBOM To Organize Part Numbers and Manage Cut Lists For Custom Products

Colorado-based Durango Driveshaft and Machine
Colorado-based Durango Driveshaft and Machine

Colorado-based Durango Driveshaft and Machine is a bespoke manufacturer of highly custom, high-performance, automotive and marine driveline components, primarily for racing applications.  While their products are, for the most part, one of a kind, Durango Driveshaft and Machine, Bill of Materials needs are no less important than the high-volume manufacturers we often see using OpenBOM.

How to simplify the software? 

Mike Whitcomb is president of Colorado-based Durango Driveshaft and Machine and finds himself in front of a CNC lathe or mill more often than a computer, but the computer is nonetheless equally important to his success.

“I like the simplicity of OpenBOM as a product and a service” explains Mike,” we have come to regard software installation as a real nuisance, to be honest, we don’t have an IT person, so all the computer hardware and software support are done by us.  I really like the no-install aspect of OpenBOM!”

How to support 1000 horsepower cars?

But Mike mostly likes to talk about Cars!

“Our customers are running 1000 horsepower or more through our products,” says Mike. “Each and every part number is vital to winning or losing on the weekend so we take great care to get it right.”

Durango Driveshaft has hundreds of off-the-shelf components, many of which require some unique machine or fabrication to become part of the driveline system. They also cut and size each piece of tubing material specific to each application.  The tolerances are very small and accuracy is very important.

Durango Driveshaft keeps every item, even cut lists, in OpenBOM, and uses a variety of CAD tools for design and machining,they like the flexibility OpenBOM offers with multiple integrations included in the basic product.

Managing Part Numbers and Cut Lists 

“Lately we started using the OpenBOM feature to automatically create a cut list sub-assembly from our design and just made our first BOM with the new option to use the length of a part as its quantity in the BOM. My shop floor folks really like that feature!”

Mike says that even keeping track of a few hundred parts and part numbers can be hard.

“We use OpenBOM to easily keep track of part numbers,” says Mike.  “For new designs, we pull a number using OpenBOM automatic part number generation, then bring the design together with our off-the-shelf items in CAD to create the entire customer-specific driveline BOM in OpenBOM”.

“From there, it’s out to the shop floor where a technician machines and assembles the system based on the BOM requirements”.

To learn more about Durango Driveshaft and Machine please visit Facebook page

To learn more about OpenBOM please visit www.openbom.com

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