Fiber Laser cutting technology such as the Salvagnini L5 (featured in our October 2013 blog post) employed by Estes represents a significant leap in technology, productivity and quality in the laser cutting industry. As with many new technologies, it was not without its own learning curve, but with industry support and the strong knowledge base and…
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As we mentioned in our earlier Material Requirements posts on aluminum and stainless steel, Estes focuses on identifying which material to use from the beginning. Often, customers have already clearly documented their material needs, but there are times when the material needed is uncommon, unclear, or absent from our customer’s request. In the rare case…
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As we mentioned in our Material Requirements: Part 1 post on aluminum, identifying what material to use from the beginning is extremely important to Estes. We know in many cases that customers have already clearly documented their material needs, but there are times when the material is uncommon, unclear, or even absent from our customer’s…
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Estes knows that it is important to identify from the beginning what material for which the part will run. In most cases, our customers know clearly which type of material they would like us to use. However, there are times when we can assist a customer with identifying what material will be best to use. …
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In light of new medical industry opportunities, Estes is using laser technologies to adapt fabricated sheet metal products to hospital standards. Outside of cutting and marking, laser welding is one of the many ways in which manufacturers can utilize such technology for alternative operations. Laser welding can be used in place of more standard welding…
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At Estes, we are focused on continuous improvement and lean initiatives. Lean initiatives opt to improve production, quality, and lead-time of operations in hopes of improving overall manufacturing. The end goal is to provide the highest quality product while continuing to meet demand and reducing waste in the process. Several lean tools are available to…
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The 4Q 2013 Middle Market Indicator, a recent study performed by The National Center for the Middle Market in collaboration with Ohio State University, found good news at the end of 2013 for many industries across America, especially manufacturing. The research shows that manufacturing and construction sectors within the middle market ended 2013 on a…
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Estes Design & Manufacturing will be hosting an event for the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME) titled The Cellular Approach: The Latest Excellence in Manufacturing on February 24th. At Estes continuous improvement is a top priority. The company is in the process of changing over its facility from a traditional job shop to a cellular…
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Estes Design and Manufacturing is going through an exciting leadership transition. We are pleased to announce that Tim Estes has taken over as President of our company, while Larry Estes who founded the business in 1976, remains involved day-to-day as an owner and mentor to support the company through this transition. This leadership change became…
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At Estes Design and Manufacturing, we use Salvagnini Panel Benders (see image) to provide lean and flexible production capabilities. When our customers allow us to utilize value engineering practices and tools it results in cost savings and value for the customer. Below are some of the benefits our customers receive based on our use of…
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Check out the Salvagnini L5 Fiber Optic Laser cutting .048” Carbon Steel at 1,251 inches per minute.
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At Estes, we strive to proactively and constantly monitor our equipment and standards to better serve our customers, which is why we’re excited to announce we’ve just made some major machinery investments. Although our existing equipment is up-to-date and running smoothly, we recently acquired some new machinery. The most influential machine we’re bringing to our…
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