Collaborative engineering that goes beyond automation with Wes-Tech

Challenge

A manufacturer of industrial wash systems was looking for a way to gain a competitive advantage over another manufacturer that was using the same process to produce a very 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. But the company that had created the initial design for both manufacturers had gone out of business. The manufacturer was looking for a new group with strong engineering capabilities to gain outside expertise on some of these issues.

Solution

The Wes-Tech team began by completing a finite analysis on the framework, with the goal to help the manufacturer design the issues out of the product for the future. We were able to solve the issue with the welds, and even to go beyond that initial ask to complete related tasks. For example, once they had built the new design, we came back to help them deploy the updated product for one of their customers. We also converted their legacy CAD data into an updated 3D model, which they could then leverage for manufacturing, maintenance, operating manuals, and more.

Results

Working within a time-and-materials model allowed the Wes-Tech team to behave as a true extension of the client’s engineering team, going above and beyond client expectations without scope creep. Consistent transparency around hours spent ensured we stayed within budget, and the collaborative nature of the process ensured the client got results, including:

• Reduced downtime of the equipment
• Increased end-user satisfaction with lower maintenance costs
• Gained help on issues they had not asked for but did need
• Gained a competitive advantage by improving the product design over what their competitors were using
• Created a partnership that has lasted, with more projects in the works