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About Estes Design and Manufacturing

Estes is a 3-shift operation with capabilities to run lights-out to maximize throughput and increase efficiency.

Our normal office hours are from 8 AM to 5 PM EST.

Email – sales@estesdm.com
Phone – (317) 899-2203
Fax – (317) 898-2034

OR

Connect with us on social media!

 

 

We are located in the Indianapolis, Indiana area.

Our facility address is 470 S. Mitthoeffer Road, Indianapolis, IN 46229.

We offer customers a combination of product design, engineering, rapid prototyping and manufacturing services using advanced technology, including 3D laser welding. From conceptual design to full production, our staff of engineers, CAD designers, and manufacturing professionals collaborate to create an environment for rapid response manufacturing across a broad range of product and industry applications: medical equipment, appliance, HVAC, office furniture manufacturing, aerospace, and more.

 

The 4 Pillars of Our Philosophy:

  • People of High Character – Estes strives to hire individuals who care about the work they do and about the customers the company serves. Estes’ employees treat customers’ projects as their own and seek to serve customers with dedication, honesty, and integrity.
  • Creative, Innovative Thinking – With today’s mindset of “innovate or die,” Estes has assembled a core group of engineers that challenge modern methods & improve on current fabricating processes. Estes’ efforts to find the “better way” lead to reduced lead-times & lower prices for customers.
  • State-of-the-Art Technology – To improve customer responsiveness, Estes has added a number of highly or fully automated machines to its manufacturing facility. These machines greatly improve product quality and processing speed while allowing Estes to fabricate extremely complex parts at a reduced cost.
  • Continuous Improvement – Estes is constantly looking for ways to improve in all facets of the business. The company has set up measurement standards to track progress and improve customer value and satisfaction, quality, speed to market, flexibility and reduced cost. Estes will not stop until it exceeds its goals.

Estes has had great success working with companies across a wide array of industries including:

  • Medical
  • Office Furniture
  • HVAC
  • Appliance
  • Food Processing Equipment
  • Renewable Energy
  • Communications
  • Agriculture

Contact us to learn how we’ve helped other companies within your industry, or visit our website page to learn more about specific product and industry applications Estes has fabricated.

Equipment & Technology

Punching

  • CNC Shearing/Punching Cells
    • Salvagnini CNC Shear/Punch (2)
      – Max Capacity: 30 tons, 10 ga. Steel, 14 ga. Stainless Steel, .200″ Aluminum, 60″ x 120″ Sheet
  • CNC Turret Presses
    • Amada CNC Turret Punch Press (2)
      – Max Capacity: 33 tons, .125″ Material, 60″ x 98″ Sheet

Laser Cutting

  • CNC Laser Cutters
    • Salvagnini CNC Fiber Laser System (1)
      – Max Capacity: .5″ Steel, .375″ Stainless Steel, .25″ Aluminum, 60″ x 120″ Sheet
    •  Prima 3D Laser Cutting/Welding System (1)
      – Max Capacity: “.75″” Steel, .5″” Stainless Steel, .375″” Aluminum, 60”” x 120”” x 15.75”” (3D Work Envelope)”

Forming

  • CNC Forming Cells
    • Salvagnini CNC Panel Bender (4)
      – Max Capacity: 14 ga. Steel, 18 ga. Stainless Steel, .100″ Aluminum, 72.8″ Bend Length, 59.1″ Blank Width, 84.6″ Blank Diagonal, 6.5″ Bend Height
  • Press Brakes
    • Amada Hydraulic–6-Axis Gauging System (1)
      • Max Capacity: 10’ x 110 tons; automatic tool changer
    • Trumpf CNC Hydraulic–6-Axis  (1)
      – Max Capacity: 10′ x 144 tons
    • Trumpf CNC Electric–6-Axis (1)
      – Max Capacity: 40″ x 40 tons
    • Amada–6-axis Gauging System (1)
      – Max Capacity: 10′ x 138 tons
    • Mitsubishi/Toyokoki Electric–4-Axis (2)
      – Max Capacity: 8′ x 80 tons
    • Amada Hydraulic–3-Axis (4)
      – Max Capacity: 6′ x 88 tons
    • Guifil Hydaulic–2-Axis (1)
      – Max Capacity: 2′ x 16 tons
    • Diacro Hydra-Mechanical–1-Axis (2)
      – Max Capacity: 4′ x 15 tons
  • CNC Folder
    • Schechtl Spectrafold CNC Folder (1)
      – Max Capacity: 80″ x 14 ga. Steel

Laser Welding

  • Prima 3D Laser Cutting/Welding System (1)
     Max Capacity: 43″ x 86″ x 15″ (3D Work Envelope)

Welding

  • Robotic Welder
    • Genesis Versa 4M Robotic Welding System (1)
       Max Capacity: 225 amp., 118″ (X) 36″ (Y) 10.5″ (Z)
  • MIG Welding
    • Miller MIG Welder (3) 300 amp. Hobart MIG Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 300 amp.
  • TIG Welding
    • Miller Syncrowave TIG Welder (2)
       Max Capacity: 300 amp.
  • Spot Welding
    • Future Industrial Machines Multi-head Straight Line Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 13 heads (cascade),
    • 100 KVA Amada Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 80 KVA, 32″ Throat
    • Lors Handheld Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 18 KVA

Machining

  • CNC Mill
    • Hurco CNC 3-Axis Vertical Mill (Flowdrill adaptor) (1)
      – Max Capacity: 10 HP, 22″(X) 14″(Y) 14″(Z)
  • Lathe
    • American Machine Tool Company Lathe (1)
      – Max Capacity: 15″x 50″
  • Drill Press
    • Rockwell Drill Press (1)
      – Max Capacity: #2 Morse Taper
    • Leland-Gifford 4 Spindle (with 1 reversible tapping spindle) (1)

Grinding & Finishing

  • Deburring/Surface Finishing Equipment
    • Future Industrial Machines Multi-head Straight Line Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 13 heads (cascade),
    • 100 KVA Amada Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 80 KVA, 32″ Throat
    • Lors Handheld Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 18 KVA
  • Corner Grinder
    • Kuhlmeyer Dual-Head Corner Grinder (1)
      – Max Capacity: 59″ (X) 25.6″ (Z)
  • Polish Lathe
    • G&P Machinery Polishing Lathe (1)
  • Bead Blaster
    • Trinco Model 36 Beat Blasting Machine (1)
  • Surface Grinder
    • Max-O Hydraulic Surface Grinder (1)
      – Max Capacity: 6″ x 18″
  • Vibratory Finishers
    • Torex Vibratory Finishing Machine (1)
    • Burr King (1)
      – Max Capacity: 2 Cubic Feet
  • Belt Sanders
    • Rockwell Belt Sander (3)
      – Max Capacity: 6″
  • Graining Machine
    • G&P Machinery Stroke Sander (1)
      – Max Capacity: 60″

Download our full equipment list.

We offer both traditional MIG and TIG welding services as well as Spot Welding services.

  • MIG Welding
    • Miller MIG Welder (3) 300 amp. Hobart MIG Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 300 amp.
  • TIG Welding
    • Miller Syncrowave TIG Welder (2)
       Max Capacity: 300 amp.
  • Spot Welding
    • Future Industrial Machines Multi-head Straight Line Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 13 heads (cascade)
    • 100 KVA Amada Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 80 KVA, 32″ Throat
    • Lors Handheld Spot Welder (1)
       Max Capacity: 18 KVA

We also offer 3D Laser Welding services. Laser welding is a fast, efficient, and precise alternative to traditional welding techniques. 3D laser welding is up to 10x faster than traditional MIG welding, and up to 40x faster than traditional TIG welding. 3D laser welding can help you build a better product at a lower price! Download our FREE laser welding eBook to learn more!

  • Laser Welding
    • Prima 3D Laser Cutting/Welding System (1)
       Max Capacity: 43″ x 86″ x 15″ (3D Work Envelope)

Laser welding is a fast, efficient, and precise alternative to traditional welding techniques. During laser welding operations, the automated robot arm aims a concentrated, high-powered beam of light at the metal workpiece. This action causes a localized area of the workpiece to heat up and melt, joining the two or more separate pieces together. The resulting weld is extremely durable and attractive and is achieved without significantly distorting the surrounding metal. Due to these benefits, among others, the laser welding process is suitable for use in a wide range of welding projects.

Download our FREE laser welding eBook to learn more!

  1. Laser welding is fast and efficient
  2. Laser welding minimizes the need for post-welding grinding or finishing
  3. Laser welding is cost-effective
  4. Laser welding uses focused, high-intensity heat transfer application
  5. Laser welding creates strong joints comparable to those produced by manual welding

For any questions regarding laser welding, contact our experts today or download our free laser welding eBook to learn more.

Estes Accelerator

Absolutely! Estes’ team of engineers bring years of sheet metal fabricating experience to bear on even the most complex problems, and we ensure the development of products that can be manufactured easily and cost-effectively. We have a dedicated team of engineers who specialize in product design and development, and our Estes Accelerator department can help you make your design come to life. During the product development cycle, our engineers will collaborate with you and be there to help every step of the way from product designing, to prototyping, and manufacturing.

Let us help you take your product design to the next level and contact us today!

Estes Accelerator can:

  • Manage the complete product design and development process
  • Produce and refine prototypes from customer’s existing designs
  • Optimize designs for manufacturability and assembly
  • Value engineer products to ensure cost-effective manufacturing
  • Transition products into full production
  • Provide short-run manufacturing for quantities less than 50

No matter where you are in the process and no matter how much experience you have with sheet metal, working with a dedicated prototyping shop is valuable. A prototype gives you a tangible object that you can hold in your hands, inspect and test in the real world. It’s also a chance to see exactly how a part comes together during assembly and catch errors or omissions before final production. Read more about the importance of prototyping.

Estes Accelerator is a dedicated product development and prototype department designed to respond to customers’ product development and speed-to-market needs quickly. Most typical prototype projects have an average lead time of one week or less.

Metal Finishing Services

We are happy to try and accommodate whatever finishing processes you might need for your project. While we don’t offer any of these services in house, we have an extensive list of trusted and quality subcontractors we partner with on a regular basis. We guarantee the quality of all our subcontractors work and perform thorough quality inspections on all outside work.

Some include:

  • Powder Coating
  • Painting
  • Silk Screening
  • Anodizing
  • Electropolishing
  • Laser Scribing

General Manufacturing

Sheet Metal Fabrication

  • Over four decades of experience
  • Latest equipment
  • Specialization in light-gauge sheet metal fabrication for:
    • Carbon steel
    • Stainless steel
    • Aluminum
  • Estes can process:
    • Plate up to 0.375″ thick
    • Bar and tube stock
    • Other types and alloys as needed by our customers

3D Laser Welding

  • Decreased production time
    • Up to 10x faster than traditional MIG welding
    • Up to 40x faster than traditional TIG welding
  • Results in cost saving due to minimal post-weld grinding or finishing

Estes Accelerator – Product Development & Prototyping

  • Dedicated, state-of-the-art equipment
  • Latest programming software
  • Experienced project mangers and engineers run the entire operation
  • Results in reduced product development time and increases speed to market
  • Collaboration with customers during product development cycle:
    • Product design
    • Rapid prototyping
    • Manufacturing
  • Serve a a resource to our customers’ design staffs
  • Help to improve speed to market
  • Use DFMA (Design for Manufacturability and Assembly) principles throughout the development process
  • Efficient manufacturing with maintained aesthetics and functionality

Cost Reduction Process

  • We understand that OEMs want a product produced at a competitive price
  • We employ value engineering with the goal of:
    • Reducing the manufacturing costs
    • Simplifying assembly (DFMA)

Inventory Management

  • We have years of experience with Kanban and JIT inventory systems
  • Formulation of stocking levels using
    • Customer’s forecast
    • Customer’s lead-time requirements
    • Estes’ internal capacity levels
  • Results in product being ready at the precise time it is needed by the customer

 

Yes! All fabricated parts are processed at our Indianapolis facility, and all of our raw materials are provided by suppliers within the USA.

Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is a system of processes or activities for running a manufacturing or service operation. The main focus of lean manufacturing is the elimination of all non-value-added processes or activities and removing waste from business procedures.

  • One-piece flow
  • Machines in order of process
  • Small, inexpensive and dedicated equipment
  • Multi-process handling workers
  • Easy moving/standing operations
  • Production paced to task time
  • Pull production
  • Standard operations defined
  • Short lead time
  • High ration of VA (value-added) to NVA (non-value-added)

Learn more about Lean Manufacturing.

Estes is committed to producing better, more cost-effective products. Below are examples of the steps Estes has taken to focus on lean initiatives:

    • Contracted a company, Ro12 Enterprises, to create a strategy focused on lean initiatives and cellular manufacturing
    • Provide ongoing training to over 40 employees focused on waste versus value-added activities in our manufacturing processes
    • Host Kaizen events on a recurring basis to drive continuous improvement
    • Redesigning manufacturing layouts and processes toward lean manufacturing principles
  • It places an emphasis on the product (or service) Estes provides to the customer as the purpose of the company. All other activities are not the purpose.
  • It sets a mindset that a perfect product is possible.
  • It focuses on the fact that customers can have exactly what they want, when they want it, at competitive prices.
  • It emphasizes that all buffers are waste – extra time, space, inventory, people, tools, etc.
  • It stresses that indirect activities should be eliminated as they do not add value to the part, for which the customer is paying.
  • It dictates that improvement is always both possible and necessary, through Kaizen.
  • It empowers and challenges employees to continuously improve and eliminate waste rather than just put in their time.
  • It underscores that all relationships are long term – employee, supplier, distributor, owner and especially customer.
  • Reduced lead-times
  • Improved quality
  • Competitive pricing
  • Consistent, on-time delivery

Quality

We are Quality ISO 9001 certified by SAI Global.

 

 

We are also ISO 13485 certified by SAI Global for medical devices.

 

 

Estes is a precision fabricator and our state of the art equipment and creative and innovative thinking allow us to perform to most tolerances. Our general operating tolerances are +/-.005” for a cut/punch feature size, +/-.010”  cut feature to feature, +/-.015” feature to formed edge, and +/-.030” form edge to form edge.

Our inspection process begins with our experienced setup personnel. With each process setup the part is first verified by the setup operator against the prescribed inspection instruction. Once the setup operator has a part believed to be within specification, the setup part is taken to the inspection area where a dedicated shift Inspector checks the part for setup approval. In process inspections are sampled through the run, and Final Inspection and a Visual Audit takes place once all operations are complete.

Quality begins in planning, our estimators and project managers review customer prints and specifications to assure product requirements are understood. From there that team designs a process flow capable of meeting the customer product requirements. Utilizing controlled programs, routings and inspection plans, the front end creates the documentation and instruction necessary to translate customer requirements to the manufacturing process. From there our experienced production and inspection teams execute the established process flow, using the prescribed programs and inspections in order to assure compliance and satisfaction of the customer requirements. Along the way, team members at every level offer suggestions for correction and improvement of process performance in the fabrication of customers’ product.

Quotes and Pricing

Go to our Request a Quote Form. Fill in the required information and upload your project files. We will respond to your RFQ within 2 to 3 business days.

You can upload your project files in any of the following file formats:

    • Pro E
    • SolidWorks
    • AutoCad Inventor
    • iges
    • Step
    • DXF
    • DWG
    • PDF

If at all possible, we recommend that all CAD files be zipped before being uploaded.

All pricing is custom to your specific project and varies depending on the requirements and  specifications needed to complete your project. Factors that will influence the price of your project include services and machines required, quantities, and complexity. Go to our Request a Quote form to get a free estimate!

Yes, you can. Simply upload your confidentiality agreement with the rest of your project files.

Renewable Energy

Yes, we do, outsourced through our trusted and certified partners.

Yes, we can. We employ a staff of more than 100 associates and have 85,000 square feet of manufacturing space that includes multiple robotic welding centers, MIG welding, cobot welding, 3D laser welding, and an automated sheet metal fabrication cell.

Yes, we can. At Estes, we see each project as a partnership. Our team is focused on delivering the highest level of quality and service to all of our customers.

We are ISO 9001 certified and are diligent about precision and quality, especially with tight tolerances and special finishing requirements. Also, we conduct quality inspections at each step of the process. A part or component only moves to the next step once it meets quality standards.

Shipping & Delivery

Lead times will vary and are dependent on numerous factors such as material availability, the complexity of your project, machine availability, and shop and personnel capacity. After you submit an RFQ, your project due date will be communicated to you on your quoting documentation. We will also update you with any changes that may impact your project due date.

If you have any scheduling questions or concerns about the delivery of your project, feel free to contact us.

Most parts are shipped on a banded and wrapped skid with corner protectors or with parts wrapped in a standard shipping box. We can ship LTL, on a dedicated truck, or through your preferred carrier.

If you have specific packaging or shipping requirements, please outline those in your request for a quote.

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