Direct answer: Balford supplies stamped and deep drawn metal components to automotive customers - sensor housings, solenoid parts, motor housings and precision washers - in steel, stainless steel, brass and aluminium. The quality system is certified to ISO 9001:2015, with process controls aligned to the IATF 16949 requirements our automotive customers specify. Balford does not hold an IATF 16949 certificate.
What automotive buyers actually ask for
The part is rarely the hard part. What decides whether a supplier is usable is the documentation and the traceability around it:
- Material data submitted through IMDS and accepted by the customer
- PPAP documentation to the level the customer specifies, plus first article inspection
- Material certificates per lot, including EN 10204 3.1 where required
- RoHS and REACH declarations
- Change control on tooling, so a reworked die does not silently change the part
- Packaging that survives an international shipment without cosmetic rejects
Component families for automotive
- Automotive sensor housings - oxygen, NOx, coolant, ABS, EGT and pressure
- Solenoid valve housings, frames and magnetic sleeves
- Motor housings, end caps and claw poles
- Fuel and hydraulic valve housings
- Precision washers, shims and spring seats
The full sensor programme is on the automotive sensor housing page, and the solenoid side on solenoid valve housings.
Material compliance
Compliance is treated as part of the workflow rather than a document produced at the end. The reference set is IMDS compliance for stamped parts, what IMDS is, the 15-step IMDS checklist and IMDS vs RoHS vs REACH.
Choosing the supplier
For the evaluation side - what to verify before placing a programme, and which answers should worry you - see how to evaluate a metal stamping supplier in China and the RFQ checklist.
Request a quotation
Send the drawing or 3D model with material grade, annual and first-batch volumes, tolerance class, required documentation level and any customer-specific requirement revision. Use the contact form.