340 exhaust heat shield needed for Van's to repop.
It doesn't cost much to keep a die set that has already been made on the shelf until the next production run is needed. One of these suppliers probably still has a die set sitting with cobwebs on it in a corner. This part looks like it could be strip fed on a continuous mode of operation stamping press as long as the forming was done on the last progression right before the cutoff. How long is it? 2 feet or so? 120 strokes per minute...do the math. 3 strokes and feeds per part=40 parts per minute. 2,400 parts per hour! Even if you were forming it in a slow single stroke press you could probably make 3 a minute. In one day you could make enough to satisfy the market for a while and store the die again. The die would be modular to make this part so the die would be made up of several blocks that are bolted in. These dies are much cheaper to maintain as the cutting edges can be tig welded and ground or the individual blocks remade heat treated and bolted in. It's all a sham. The suppliers that own the dies just need to find a small job shop that does multiple set up orders. These shops are already hungry for work.