General Motors (GM) is a world leader in the development of transportation innovations that include electric cars and self-driving vehicle technology. Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, GM serves six continents with 164,000 employees.

The rear wheelhouse hemming tool used on the production Chevrolet Equinox is a large device used to join the inner and outer sheet metal fender panels. The tool is traditionally machined from aluminum and requires significant manufacturing lead time (>10 weeks), which doesn’t afford any schedule flexibility in a preproduction environment. If tool changes are needed, significant delays could result. The tool is also heavy, requiring lift assistance to position it on the car. This opens the potential for damaging the sheet metal from hard contact with the tool because of its momentum when moving it into place.

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