Client Need: One of the country's largest original equipment manufacturers of food service equipment commissioned Estes to design a new rotisserie that was engineered around Estes' superior laser welding capabilities.
Estes Solution: Estes worked with the client to redesign a rotisserie that was engineered around Estes' superior laser welding capabilities.
The Results: By utilizing a team with more than 20 years of design and engineering experience, Estes produced a commercial-grade rotisserie design that yields a 20 percent cost reduction for the entire assembly.
Client Need: A client recently revealed to Estes that with their old fabricator, they were managing the production process themselves – taking three weeks to shuttle parts from one subcontractor to another, wasting precious time that could have been spent on revenue-generating business operations. Raw materials alone cost more than $24 per product produced. Continuing to manage production in this manner would prohibit the client's growth.
Estes Solution: The client visited the Estes prototype shop and watched as their design was brought to life by the automated cell. The result was a new prototype for the client that was cheaper ($24 finished product cost) to produce and provided the same quality as the traditional product. The client was blown away by the time saved with the new design – from a production time of three weeks to a production time of three days – and, the final product looked better than the previous design.
The Results: The client now produces a better product at a lower cost, and all without having to lift a finger during the production process. Now, with less time spent managing the production process, the client is able to grow his business while Estes produces quality products for his customers.
Client Need: A longtime client needed a cabinet door assembly that was nearly five feet long by nine inches wide, and it needed to be rigid. The original plan called for two fabricated stiffeners to be glued to the doors to provide the necessary support. The three-piece assembly cost $29.00 and required eleven operations to manufacture.
Estes Solution: The Estes design team, using the Salvagnini forming cell, was able to create a single-piece door with the necessary rigidity.
The Results: The new design was manufactured in three operations, and costs were reduced by more than two-thirds.
Client Need: The original design of a client's steel pan used in a medical application was a three-piece, spot welded assembly that cost $29.65.
Estes Solution: To increase the manufacturing efficiencies, the Estes team moved the production from the press brake equipment to their Salvagnini forming cell. The three components were consolidated into one complex part that had twelve bends.
The Results: The redesign eliminated several secondary operations and reduced the overall production cost to $18.82, a 37% savings.
Client Need: The design for a client's stainless steel box consisted of four pieces formed in a Z-shape at the press brake. These four pieces were then welded at the corners, which caused the stainless steel to warp slightly. The assembly had a brushed, cosmetic flange around the perimeter that would remain visible to the end user. To maintain an appealing look, the welds had to be ground, and then the flange had to be brushed.
Estes Solution: This finishing process was very labor-intensive and costly, so Estes proposed a redesign to the customer. Utilizing their Salvagnini forming cell's cabability to form complex, tight-tolerance bends, they formed the part from one blank instead of four. The edges were brought together so precisely they could be laser welded at the seams. The laser welding eliminated the warping and the secondary finishing.
The Results: The reduction of components and of finishing and assembly time dropped the cost of production from $43.73 to $38.73, while improving the quality of the part.
