Wes-Tech’s customer leveraged our process automation expertise and proven experience with their end-customer to reduce the overall project risk
When your client needs you to prove your capability before they sign on the dotted line, you must ensure anyone you contract with will live up to your – and your client’s – high expectations. This case study is an example of one client that was able to satisfy their customer and gain more business by leveraging Wes-Tech’s expertise.
Challenge
Wes-Tech was approached by a potential new client whose end-customer directed them to us because of the many successful projects we have executed with the end-customer. The end-customer had confidence in us to deliver a world-class automated solution within a very aggressive time frame.Solution
This was an extremely technically complex line, and the fully assembled unit was 80 lbs, making it difficult and dangerous to move around by hand. Working from these constraints, and drawing on our extensive and wide-ranging experience, Wes-Tech was able to invert our thinking by combining conveyors, robotics, and operators into an unusual solution. The part-handling robot delivered the part from one manual lean cell to the next. Component kits for assembly were delivered by conveyor at each location as needed. This allowed the company to use the human operators to do the complex tactile and critical assembly work that is expensive to automate, and the robots to complete the heavy, repetitive work. The line took advantage of human capital in the place where it would get the most return while reducing the risk of employee injury by leaving the heavy lifting to the robots.
Results
The successful design allowed our client to leverage Wes-Tech’s experience to lend them credibility with their end-user customer. By collaborating together, we were able to create an entire lifecycle solution for the product line, including design and manufacturing, which the client was able to deliver to their end-user as proof of manufacturability. The engagement resulted in:
- A scalable and flexible solution that allowed the client to meet uncertain volume demands during initial production ramp-up, and spread capital expenses over the 2-3 year launch window
- Reduction of health and safety risks by automating tasks with ergonomic concerns
- A complete solution with a product design and manufacturing capability, including assembly and testing
- Confidence from, and preferred supplier status with, their end-user client
Experience the Wes-Tech difference.
With decades of expertise solving complex manufacturing challenges, we will leverage more than 4,200 custom-engineered automation solutions to design the perfect one just for you.