Cracking Welds and Collaboration

Cracking Welds and Collaboration Case Study

How a collaborative approach solved legacy product issues with improved product design and assembly automation.

Customer

Industrial Wash Systems Manufacturer

Automation Solution

Engineering Collaboration

How Wes-Tech Did It

Time-and-Materials Model

Value

Improved Product Quality
Reduced Downtime

Wes-Tech acted as an extension of their team and worked closely with the engineering lead on the customer side.

Engineering teams can sometimes benefit from outside collaborators to address troublesome manufacturing issues. In these situations, engineers often seek out a partner they can trust, who will be an extension of their engineering team and offer new solutions to improve operations and the bottom line. Here is how one engineering team found a strategic and innovative collaborator with Wes-Tech.

the challenge

A manufacturer of industrial wash systems was looking for a way to gain a competitive advantage over another manufacturer using the same process to produce a similar product. There were legacy issues with the product, including cracking and deforming welds due to vibration, that caused increased operating costs for the end user. The manufacturer sought a new group with strong engineering capabilities to gain outside expertise on some of these issues.

Wes-Tech offered collaborative engineering services, including discovery, advisement, and defining ways to streamline the product for manufacturability while improving the system's capabilities. Rather than a defined scope of work, Wes-Tech was willing to partner with the customer on a time-and-materials basis. Wes-Tech acted as an extension of their team and worked closely with the engineering lead on the customer side.

the solution

The Wes-Tech team began by completing a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on the framework, with the goal of helping the manufacturer design the issues out of the product for the future. The time-and-material basis allowed Wes-Tech to collaborate on any needs, even if they went beyond the specific issue of cracking welds.

Wes-Tech met regularly with the customer—at a daily or weekly cadence, depending on needs—for updates, had frequent calls and discussions, and kept the customer in the loop at every step of the process. Transparency was a big part of making this consulting model work. The customer always knew how hours were being managed, and the Wes-Tech team made sure to stay on time and within budget.

Wes-Tech solved the issue with the welds and went beyond the initial request to complete related tasks. For example, once the manufacturer had built the new design, Wes-Tech returned to help them deploy the updated product for one of their customers. Wes-Tech also converted the customer's legacy CAD data into an updated 3D model, which the customer could then leverage for manufacturing, maintenance, operating manuals, and more.

THE RESULTS / RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Working within a time-and-materials model allowed the Wes-Tech team to behave as a true extension of the manufacturer’s engineering team. Consistent transparency around hours spent ensured Wes-Tech stayed within budget, and the collaborative nature of the process ensured the customer got results, including:

Reduced downtime of the equipment, leading to uninterrupted production and higher throughput.

Help on issues they had not asked for but did need, showcasing Wes-Tech’s proactive approach and deep understanding of their customer’s operations.

A partnership that translated to more projects in the works, indicating a mutual trust and shared vision for future success.

Increased end-user satisfaction with lower maintenance costs, reflecting the direct benefits passed on to the consumers.

A competitive advantage was achieved by improving the product design over what their competitors were using, ensuring the manufacturer remains at the forefront of innovation.

This collaborative project exemplifies how Wes-Tech’s dedication to their craft and their customer’s success has delivered immediate benefits and laid the groundwork for enduring growth and innovation. It is a clear demonstration of how strategic partnerships can lead to breakthroughs that drive collective advancement.

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