Automation isn’t optional for most manufacturing businesses; it’s the only way to move forward in competitive markets. Between shifting supply chains and growing labor shortages, automation and robotics are central to long-term success.
The roadblock occurs when leaders attempt to bring their vision to reality, as the path to execution isn’t always a straight line. Engineering consulting can make a substantial difference for organizations that have the ideas and goals but need to design and align systems to get there.
Designing with Automation in Mind
At Wes-Tech, consulting has become one of the most valuable services we offer. We have the expertise to design for automation, anticipate integration challenges, and align the process with production goals.
Most businesses don’t have a team of automation engineering consultants at their disposal. Scalable engineering consultants are critical in providing the specialized talent needed to build smarter automation systems and production lines that can keep pace with evolving demands.
Engineering consultants help manufacturers avoid costly setbacks, futureproofing operations to support their big ideas.
One of the most common issues our engineers see is product designs that haven’t been built with automation in mind. Unfortunately, by the time the design reaches production, it’s locked in. Integration costs quickly escalate as manufacturers reroute in an attempt to adapt workarounds.
Through design-for-automation consulting, Wes-Tech engineers lower the risk and close that gap. Our team works directly with our clients’ design teams to evaluate the parts and processes long before production takes off. With a clear view of the road ahead, they recommend changes to simplify and ease the assembly process and to make systems integration a smooth process.
In manufacturing, the proactive approach saves significant time and cost. Not only because the project starts out on sound footing, but because it can prevent the disruption of redesigns down the road.
Design engineers often don’t consider production needs, so collaborating with production engineers can help them anticipate and address challenges. Long before ramp-up, they can confirm that designs and automation systems are compatible.
Deep Experience Across Engineering Disciplines
At Wes-Tech, our consulting strength comes from the range of talent and experience on our team. Our bench runs deep with mechanical, electrical control, and production engineers and design experts. Each member contributes their perspectives where needed to make a comprehensive solution possible.
We’ve built that depth over decades. As we come up on our 50th anniversary, many of our engineers have been with us for the majority of their careers. Low turnover has created an environment where collective experience adds to hundreds of years of engineering knowledge and decades of expertise. In practice, that means you can’t throw much at our team that they haven’t seen before.
Our level of institutional knowledge translates to faster problem-solving and insightful recommendations. Should a challenge arise, chances are high that someone on our team has encountered it (or something similar) and knows how to address the issue.
For our customers, this means that even if they don’t have the automation expertise internally, they get the benefits of a diverse team, always up on the latest industry trends and innovations. We provide the institutional knowledge for technology, so your team can focus on their manufacturing expertise.
Scaling Resources to Meet an OEM Challenge
Every project requires different levels of support. In some cases, a manufacturer may need a small handful of engineers to validate a system. Other projects may call for dozens of automation experts. Fortunately, at Wes-Tech, we have the flexibility to scale resources quickly to meet our clients’ needs.
On one recent project, we worked with a Big Three U.S. automotive OEM. Our team was brought in to facilitate a sudden and significant shift in their manufacturing strategy. The customer faced a challenge: adapting product lines to meet new market demands in electric vehicle production.
To make the project successful, the OEM needed additional engineering expertise.
Ultimately, it required a flexible automation solution that could be deployed quickly (without overextending capital investments).
Wes-Tech met the moment with a scalable approach. Over 50 engineers, versed in disciplines from mechanical and electrical to production and design, were quickly mobilized to meet the surge in demand.
We were able to combine our in-house talent with specialized contract engineers to make sure that the project had the right expertise at every stage. Accountability and quality were paramount. The flexible workforce model gave the OEM confidence that Wes-Tech could scale with them for projects of any size.
The solution was centered around the redeployment of our Tech-Trak™ single-strand pallet conveyors. Because Tech-Trak is a modular solution, it could be retooled, allowing the OEM to reconfigure existing equipment to serve a new purpose. The project was on time and on budget.
Wes-Tech engineers optimized the layout and integrated robotics to accommodate new part variants. Our engineering consulting role looked beyond the singular installation to consider and facilitate future scalability.
The outcome for this project offered a seamless integration of conveyors, robotics, and assembly automation to support the OEM’s production goals and scale them to accommodate long-term growth.
Wes-Tech’s two-fold strength in this project demonstrated how we pair engineering consulting with scalable resources and modular equipment. Our experts identify inefficiencies and gaps, designing them out of the process, while our equipment allows customers to easily pivot as needed, without reinventing the wheel. The project reinforced our long-standing relationship with the OEM and demonstrated how we can deliver innovative solutions that evolve with the industry.
Preparing for the Future Beyond Installation
Often, manufacturers may view automation as a collection of equipment purchases—robots here, conveyors there, with little attention to how the pieces can come together to optimize future efficiency.
While the solution to scale-small can lower upfront costs, the failure to subcontract critical functions like installation and engineering creates an incohesive solution that isn’t futureproof.
Wes-Tech takes a forward-thinking approach. Automation isn’t static. Products evolve and change, customer demands shift, and new technologies emerge constantly. Because we keep dedicated engineering expertise in-house and scalable, we can meet the requirements at every stage. From consulting on design to implementation and installation, our team oversees quality and takes accountability. That level of ownership protects your investment in automation.
We’re helping manufacturers go beyond solving the problems of today, and examining how their systems will adapt to the needs of tomorrow and beyond.
We focus on recommendations that support system flexibility. How can a design accommodate multiple product variations? How does this allow for future capacity expansion? How could we adjust the layout or approach to reduce long-term costs?
Even if our customers choose not to adopt all recommendations immediately, our consultation offers guidance for future growth and improvement. At Wes-Tech, our strength lies with our people. Our team has the focus, creativity, problem-solving, and hard-earned expertise for every project.
Our customers reap the benefits of working with engineers who understand the latest technology and stay up on innovation and trends. Yet, they also bring the historical perspective to recognize patterns and gaps, so they can anticipate issues long before they arise and become costly.
At Wes-Tech, we help our customers design for automation, optimize their integrations, and futureproof their operations. We deliver on confidence, scalability, and long-term value.
If you’re planning to expand automation now or in the next few years, make engineering consulting part of the conversation. Bring experts in early to prevent complications and save costs. If you’re ready to make sure your product line is ready for whatever comes next, connect with Wes-Tech’s engineering team today.