106 Business View - October 2015
MANUFACTURING
just taking metal and doing CNC (Computer Numerical
Control) work or cutting it to a certain length. We have
to stretch form it to fit the profile of the roof line of the
vehicle.” Cavalier maintains that creating the perfect
roof rack is not the typical X-Y arrangement. The shaping
of the rail, and forming it, can be complex: “The stack-
up and tolerances of the rail arrangement is defined by
tenths and hundredths of a millimeter. That is something
that makes us stand out above the rest.”
Cavalier continues: “Manufacturing practices are chal-
lenged on every program by multiple areas of responsi-
bilities. The effect of deliverables for our product is very
important. From the manufacturing process being re-
peatable to the support from the material management
group, we have to be effective to support the production
areas. Customer satisfaction is our business. Production
units do that with a quality part delivered on time. From
new products to continuous improvement activities, we
push to be better for our customers.”
JAC’s Cargo Management Systems for the trucking in-
dustry include side rails, header bars, bed dividers, load
bars, lockable storage bins, and other storage options.
“Some of our innovations with racking systems for work
trucks, I think are top-notch and world-class,” says Cava-
lier. “We’re proud of that and we’re going to see more of
those types of innovations we put out for cargo manage-
ment systems. We’re broadening our expertise on how to
do complex step rails. Our customers are giving us oppor-
tunities and all we can ask for are opportunities. And if
we performwell, then we can maintain a strong business
at that point.”
In addition to its roof rack business, JAC Products also
supports the aluminum substructure within the automo-
tive industry, as the auto companies continue to make
the switch from steel to aluminum in order to make cars
lighter. That often requires JAC to make certain changes
to the aluminum alloys that it provides to the car manu-
facturers since they are also moving rapidly to the robotic
welding of parts, rather than bolting them together. It’s
another reason why the company’s development group
in Michigan stays closely involved with the car manufac-
