The Customer
JJJ Container Services, LLC
Morristown, Indiana | Est. 2002
JJJ Container Services specializes in metal fabrication. Their niche lies in creating automotive part-specific shipping containers that transfer items like doors, hoods, and fenders from suppliers to assembly plants or within the plants themselves. With a focus on precision and speed, JJJ Container Services is a crucial link in the automotive supply chain.
"Prior to BotX, you needed large quantities to run to make [the existing robotic weld line] cost-efficient."
- Jeff Lanthier
President, JJJ Container Services
The Business Challenge
Before collaborating with Red-D-Arc and Airgas, JJJ Container Services faced several significant challenges:
- Pandemic-related slowdowns on large orders
- Inefficiencies with existing equipment for smaller production runs
- Labor shortages
- Welding quality and consistency
The company had an existing robot in place; however, this 24-foot robotic weld line was cumbersome to program and required large production quantities to run cost-efficiently. Additionally, across the welding operations, manpower and weld consistency were pain points, affecting not just productivity but also quality.
The Solution
The BotX Cobot Welding System
A Tailored, Agile and User-Friendly Solution
To address the company’s challenges around programming complexity and labor scarcity, Red-D-Arc offered a compelling, agile solution in the BotX cobot welding system. The BotX system is configured to weld sub-assemblies (parts small enough to fit on the table). This system is an excellent choice for collaborative work with JJJ Container Services’ welders as about half the assemblies are tack welded and transferred to the BotX system for the finishing welds.
Financial Flexibility
The Red-D-Arc leasing program eliminated the need for a large upfront investment, allowing the company to focus on scaling its operations and focus on current business needs.
Data Connectivity
BotX offers continuous, real-time monitoring and quick virtual support through cloud connectivity. The included app features a searchable weld parameter library, facilitating quick and efficient welding processes.
Productivity & Consistency
Set up and weld complex parts in minutes. Unparalleled arc stability through waveform control, empowering you with faster travel speeds for unmatched productivity. The operator can fine tune the welding parameters to meet your engineered specifications.
Unrivaled Support
Red-D-Arc Weld Automation Specialists are committed to providing ongoing virtual support. The team’s expertise ensured that JJJ Container Services’ specific challenges were understood and adequately addressed.
"The support with the Red-D-Arc team has been very good. I have a response within minutes."
- Jeff Lantheir
Convenient Single-Source Supply
As the parent company of Red-D-Arc, Airgas became involved in the BotX installation and complemented Red-D-Arc’s robotic solution. Airgas introduced JJJ Container Services to ARCAL™ premium shielding gases and RADNOR™ welding consumables and safety products, making Airgas an all-in-one solution provider for JJJ Container Services.
Lantheir notes that Airgas won their business for being a one-stop shop and for their:
- Exceptional responsiveness
- Ability to create cost-efficiencies
- Ease of collaboration
"We chose to use the ARCAL gas for our robotic welding. It gives us less spatter and a much more efficient and consistent weld.”
- Jeff Lanthier
The Result
Intrigued by BotX’s capabilities, JJJ Container Services decided to lease two BotX systems. These cobots not only simplified programming but also:
- Alleviated their manpower burden
- Enabled cost-effective small and large production runs
- Offered a complete automated welding package
"With BotX, we can do programming in 1/100th of the time[…] Most people know how to use a cell phone today, so they can program [the BotX] very simply."
- Jeff Lanthier
Boosted Production and Quality
Post-BotX implementation, the company saw a surge in their production numbers–recording upwards of 2-3x increases in production.
By opting for BotX’s comprehensive solution through Red-D-Arc, in addition to the synergy provided by including the products and services that Airgas offers, JJJ Container Services gained the flexibility, efficiency, and support they needed to significantly elevate their production capacity and quality.
"Some sub-assemblies that we’ve done consistently in the past, we’ve gone from 100 parts to 300 parts a day. So 2 to 3 times production on the BotX units."
- Jeff Lanthier
Future Plans
JJJ Container Services plans to expand their automation footprint in the future. Jeff Lanthier recommends BotX for its quality and service.
By adopting BotX through Red-D-Arc and collaborating with Airgas, JJJ Container Services has not only streamlined their production but also achieved a level of consistency and quality that puts them on a path for future growth, even in the face of significant business challenges.
"Once our lease is up, we will replace our two units with another two and probably two to four more .... If you were debating to get a BotX versus another unit, I would recommend you choose the BotX. It’s a very good product.”
- Jeff Lanthier
