Thumb Tool & Engineering is a full in-house, tool and die engineering and production facility. Here is some general information about our equipment and capacities.

We have a full line of machining equipment including CNC Wire EDM with a 5-axis capability, CNC orbiters, CNC Lathes, CNC Machine Centers, and 3-D Programming.

Our Engineering department uses CAD-CAM programming to ensure our customers exact geometry when designing their profiles. Our drafting team has an impeccable reputation as effective communicators who listen to our customer's needs and fulfill those requirements.

All our tooling is made from Certified H-13 Stock and we maintain a full in-house Heat Treating facility with the added features of both Nitride and Iontride.

General machining capacities include 0-36 inch diameters up to 72 inches in length, with a turning capacity to 42 inches. Our CNC vertical lathe has a 57 inch swing, 33,000 lb. work piece capacity and a 37 inch stroke. Our cut off saws are programmable and cut diameters up to 27 inches 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We are also a major supplier of press tooling including, stems, quick-change fixed dummy block systems, shear blades, pressure Rings, pressure plates, die rings, and now containers and liners.

We have an extended line of support tooling; backers and bolsters with nitrogen grooving, as well as, feeder plates.

TTE wants to be your one-stop tool and die engineer and manufacturer for all your aluminum extruding production requirements. When you run a TTE die it works!

Company Bio

Thumb Tool & Engineering (TTE) is a world-class designer and producer of a wide range of tooling for aluminum extruders. TTE celebrated 35-years of quality production and customer satisfaction, in July of 2007. TTE is leading the industry into the new millennium with the latest technology available today.

TTE has clearly been a major pioneer in the production of aluminum extrusion dies and tooling. Founded in 1972 by Jack Rochefort TTE has grown 17 times its original size. Our 86,000 square foot facility is second-to-none. Our customers directly benefit from our goal to remain the world's leading aluminum extrusion tooling provider, with our state-of-the-art manufacturing process. TTE is ISO 9001-certified and services several of the world's major extruders both domestic and international.

TTE became part of the Gemini Group, a privately owned corporation, in 1998. Now one of the largest tool and die producers in North America, TTE remains a primary tooling authority in the aluminum extrusion industry. The Gemini Group was founded in 1976 and operates 11 other facilities, both metals and plastics, throughout Michigan, Texas, and Mexico.

Other Gemini Group metals divisions provide machining to print tools, tool holders, bushings and parts for both the Automotive Industry and Level II military manufacturers. Our plastics divisions provide plastic extrusions, blow molded, injection molded, and other molded plastic components and assemblies for the automotive and production market.

The TTE Quality Policy demonstrates our dedication to our customers. Our policy is solely based on "Customer Satisfaction" by continuously producing a world-class product at a cost competitive price. The support of this quality policy is the responsibility of every staff member and production worker at TTE.

The entire TTE Team is ensured the time and the resources to fulfill this promise to our customers. TTE is proud to report that it has established more than 2,000 total years of service from its employees. TTE has gone from five to more than 200 employees in twenty years. One third of our work force has over 10 years with the company and there are 15 employees with more than 20 years.

Our TTE Team is enthusiastically seeking new information about the industry and all of its latest advancements by actively participating in industry associations such as, AEC and NAM. Our TTE Team also attends die performance clinics to help provide the extruder with innovative solutions to difficult tooling. By attending workshops, lectures and seminars we provide our customers with a TTE Team whom has a long history of experience, skill and education.