The North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, home to over 130 employees, is one of the 79 offices located in over 20 countries. The company’s parent, Marposs S.p.A. in Bologna, Italy, employs over 2,600 people in major manufacturing,sales and service centers around the globe.
Since its inception in 1963, Marposs Corp. has been a vital supplier to the auto, truck and off-road vehicle manufacturing industry, supplying gages and other apparatus for measurement and inspection of engine and transmission components. More recently, the company has expanded into applications such as ensuring the quality of windshields and other glass components. Today, the company partners closely with original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers, providing products as diverse as manual, hand-held and go/no-go fixed gages, to in-line automatic machines capable of making scores of measurements in only seconds. In some cases, the engineering for new manufacturing programs is generated by the customer and supported by Marposs locally, while the actual equipment installation may be located elsewhere in the world.
Marposs has also continued to grow into markets beyond automotive and other vehicular manufacturing. Industries such as Medical and Aerospace now account for a significant and growing portion of the company’s annual sales. Examples of the specialized technologies necessary for these manufacturing applications include a sophisticated camera-based system for detecting microscopic flaws in orthopedic parts such as shoulders, knees and hip joints, and an automated measuring machine for checking air foil components for the aerospace industry.
According to Marposs Corp. President, Ed Vella, the perception of measurement and inspection in manufacturing has undergone a dramatic shift. “Fifty years ago when Marposs Corp. was established, ‘gaging’ was an ugly word—a necessary evil,” said Vella. “Manufacturers knew they needed gaging to help monitor and control quality. But frequently they resented it and made it an after-thought. Today, the majority of our customers understand that by partnering early on with their gaging supplier, they can experience increased productivity, reduce cost in manufacturing and shorten newcomponent launch time.”
More information about Marposs can be found by visiting the company’s website at www.marposs.com or by contacting the company by telephone at 248-370-0404 or toll-free at 1-888-627-7677.