Rousseau Metal

Rousseau Metal Inc. is a company operating in metal stamping and sheet metal transformation. It was founded in 1950 by André Rousseau in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec, situated on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Canada. Mr. Rousseau was President of Rousseau Metal inc., until his retirement in 1985 and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Mr. Simon-Pierre Paré.
History
In the early days, Rousseau named by this time Métal Rousseau Metal Inc. manufactured the ironwork used for furniture, tables and chairs, contract bridge tables, locks, postal boxes, mail chutes, wire netting, items used for the planning of public buildings, sheds, boxes for electricity meters, laboratory and multi-purpose cabinets, workstations for technical workshops and stores, nickel tokens for public transport companies and snowmobiles.
Right from the start, Rousseau Metal Inc. was a company that responded to the specific needs of its clients. Initially, its main clients were the Government and the private industry, but in 1975 the company took advantage of the economic growth in the economy and added a new product line designed for the growing industrial market. Rousseau now specializes in the fabrication of modular storage systems such as equipment for sorting and distributing mail, modular drawers and cabinets, shelving, work centers, storage for numerical control tools and specialized racks for the automotive sector. These products are used in industries such as manufacturing, automotive, wholesalers, and the Government. Rousseau products are available in Canada through a network of distributors, and since 1989 in the United States through Distributors who are supported by manufacturers agents.
In July 2004, independent tests were carried out on the Rousseau drawer by the department of Mechanical Engineering at Laval University. Cyclical tests were carried out on the Rousseau drawer loaded at 400 lbs. and repeatedly opened and closed. Rousseau also holds Canadian and American patents on the following: True One-Drawer-at-a-Time System, NC Tool Rack, layout connection system (snap-on) for dividers, Integrated Lock-In Mechanism, plastic bins and fixing system for shelving accessories. Rousseau also holds a patent protecting the distinctive look of the heavy-duty drawer.
Fabrication of components
The fabrication of the majority of the components is done by steel cold rolling (see ) using galvanized and stainless steel. The steel is received in rolls that are straightened and cut with shears. Once cut, the parts are stamped on presses or Folding machines and then folded on bending machines. When the parts are folded, they are ready to be assembled in the welding department. Depending on the part, they may be subject to TIG welding, MIG welding or electric-resistance welding. The next step is preparation for painting (degreasing, phosphating and sealing). Two types of industrial paint are apply : powder paint and liquid (alkyd) painting. The powder paint is baked at a high temperature in an industrial convection oven, whereas the liquid paint is speed-dried first by radiant heat followed by a convection oven. These procedures are carried out manually or by robots.
Methodology
Rousseau uses a process for new product development and integration according to the Phase-gate model in Project Management from Robert G. Cooper. The different steps are :
# preliminary and detailed study: market research, focus group, survey;
# conception: ideation, prototype, test bed, Computer-Aided Design (CAD);
# validation: audit 0, extern validation;
# launching: marketing, spec sheets, assembly guides, promotional literature, product specifications, and a production file that includes a technology roadmap;
# training: internal and external;
# post-mortem : statistics, customer information.
In 1997, Rousseau first obtained ISO standards 9002-1994 certification and in November 2003, they received ISO standards 9001-2000 (now 9001-2008). Rousseau strives to continuously make improvements and depends on its employees to play an important role in this endeavor. Different departments use Kaizen to apply the Toyota Production System methods. These methods include : 5S, the Poka-yoke, work cells, reducing batch sizes, Just-in-time, Kanban, the Andon system, cartography, etc. Also, Rousseau received the price Lachance-Morin in 2007, which is given every year by the board of directors of ASP Métal Électrique to companies committed to accident prevention.
Associations and partnerships
Rousseau is a member of many different associations : MHIA (Material Handling Industry of America), C-TPAT (Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism), SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) and CADSI (Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries).
It is also an official partner of the Rahal Letterman Racing, an auto racing Team renowned in Indianapolis and races in the IndyCar Series, the American Le Mans Series and leads the Formula BMW Americas Series. It was founded and is now managed by former Indy 500 champion Bobby Rahal and co-owned by talk show host and comedian David Letterman.

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