SMALL QUANTITY PRODUCTION OF PRECISION STAMPINGS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THE METALWORKING INDUSTRY. PROTOTYPES CAN BE MADE USING CUSTOM SOFT TOOLING, WIRE-CUT, LASER, OR CONVENTIONAL TOOLROOM METHODS, BUT THIS PROCESS CAN BE SLOW. MANY TIMES, AFTER A PROTOTYPE IS MADE, SMALL QUANTITIES MUST BE MADE FOR TESTING. IN ADDITION, MANUFACTURING BATCHES ARE BECOMING SMALLER DUE TO MORE EXTENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF JUST-IN-TIME AND A DEMAND FOR SMALLER INVENTORIES. THIS, COMBINED WITH MORE FREQUENT PRODUCT INNOVATIONS, DEMANDS NEW THINKING IN RELATION TO TOOL COSTS, TOOL DESIGN, AND PRODUCTION COSTS. IN THE PAST, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO OFFSET RELATIVELY HIGH TOOL COSTS AGAINST LARGE QUANTITIES AND LONG PRODUCT LIFE. THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE. THE TREND IS A DEMAND FOR SMALLER QUANTITIES, COUPLED WITH THE HIGHEST PRODUCT QUALITY. HOWEVER, STAMPING SUPPLIERS ARE EXPECTED TO DELIVER A PRODUCT MORE QUICK