The Customer
Estes Design and Manufacturing
Indianapolis, Indiana | Est. 1976
Estes Design and Manufacturing prides itself as a state-of-the-art sheet metal job shop. With their cutting-edge technology, they've been able to offer high-quality parts, often at costs lower than traditional manufacturing. Not just confined to mass production, they have a prototype shop that continuously experiments and refines processes.
The Business Challenge
Older Machines, a Thin Labor Pool and the Need to Innovate
One of Estes' challenges was the recruitment of skilled labor. As the industry evolved, finding the right individuals with the specific skill set required became increasingly difficult. Their older machines, while state-of-the-art in the '90s, no longer served their needs efficiently, and they needed to look beyond traditional solutions.
"The challenges we faced were hiring the right people that had the skills for the job. Those were getting harder and harder to come by."
- Casey Gaudin
Laser Welding Supervisor,
Estes Design and Manufacturing
The Solution
Estes Design and Manufacturing Embraces the Future with the BotX Cobot Welding System
To address the challenge, Estes Manufacturing decided to test out BotX, an automated welding solution from Red-D-Arc. The Cobot's unique dual-zone setup allowed operators to keep the machine in constant operation–a key consideration for the manufacturer. With automated fixturing, parts could be placed with pinpoint accuracy on both sides of the partition, allowing uninterrupted cycles.
BotX also proved invaluable for specific jobs. Its precise settings were ideal for welding thin-gauge material—a task that many welders find challenging. “A lot of welders struggle burning through the thinner gauge, but with the Cobot, it prevents that,” Mr. Gaudin noted.
Further enhancing its appeal, BotX came with a companion app. This allowed for effective monitoring, from tracking wire usage to part count and even monitoring which operator was at the helm.
"While one side is running, we have a partition that lets you load the other part and not lose downtime waiting for it to finish."
- Casey Gaudin
The Result
The introduction of BotX led to visible improvements at Estes.
- A significant increase in speed
- Enhanced repeatability of parts
- Notable decrease in rework
The adaptability of the BotX was also a boom. Whether using its modular fixturing or creating custom fixtures, Estes found it offered the best of both worlds.
Part rework costs can significantly impact a manufacturer’s bottom line. Rework jobs are a frustrating inevitability of welding operations. However, Red-D-Arc’s BotX system significantly reduced the amount of rework Estes needed to do.
Getting the team up and running on new equipment as fast as possible is critical for realizing returns on a manufacturer’s investment. Thankfully, training on the BotX cobot was surprisingly simple. Even those unfamiliar with welding found BotX user-friendly.
"We had a part that we transferred from manual welding to BotX with an improvement of 120% in cycle time."
- Casey Gaudin
Laser Welding Supervisor, Estes Design and Manufacturing
Unrivaled Customer Service and Support
The support provided by the Red-D-Arc team further cemented Estes' positive experience. Immediate assistance, onsite training, and responsive chat support ensured any issues or problems were swiftly addressed.
"If you’re wondering about getting a BotX or not, I would highly recommend it. If your company has large volumes of parts and is having trouble finding qualified welders, then the BotX is for you."
- Casey Gaudin