Mike Austin

Director - Manufacturing Engineering

Diversified Tooling Group

Mike Austin is Manufacturing and Engineering Manager for Diversified Tooling Group, a privately held company with prototype, die design, foundry pattern, full service tool and die, and low volume stamping and assembly operations, located in metro Detroit and Jackson, Michigan.

His primary responsibilities include research and development of new production capabilities and capacity and new manufacturing processes. This has included a variety of different stamping and assembly processes and advanced sheet materials such as AHSS, PHS, aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber. Most recently he led the development of their Press Hardened Steel and Warm/Hot Formed Aluminum Lightweighting business.

Prior to joining DTG in 2011, Mr. Austin was with Atlas Technologies, where he manufactured stamping press automation, quick die change systems, special metal forming and fabricating machinery, and automated manufacturing systems such as Tandem Press Lines, Transfer Presses, automated heat treat lines, and other systems for the world’s automotive, appliance, steel processing, defense, and other industries.

He has been a frequent speaker to the sheet metal stamping and fabricating industry, has authored a number of technical papers on advanced metal fabrication and stamping processes, and has received domestic and foreign patents for sheet metal stamping automated processes and equipment.

Mr. Austin has actively served on the boards of professional and trade associations such as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Precision Metalforming Association, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, and the Auto Body Consortium/Near Zero Stamping. He is a past president of the Flint area manufacturers association and has served on the Board of Directors and Advisors for a number of economic development and educational organizations including Kettering University, Mott Regional Technology Center, and Baker College.