ROBOTIC WELDING and a new powder-coat line are but two ways that Pro-Tech Inc is increasing efficiency and product quality at its new plant in Vancouver, Washington.
Pro-Tech, a manufacturer of platform bodies and truck accessories, moved into the new 48,000-sq-ft plant last year in an action that almost tripled the size of its facility. Combined with existing space, the company now has 70,000 square feet under roof, compared with 26,000 square feet previously.
Until the new plant opened, Pro-Tech operated out of five different buildings-the result of a widening product line and continued sales growth over the course of the company's history. Now, however, the smaller buildings have been leased to other companies, and accessory production has been centralized.
Leasing the smaller buildings gives Pro-Tech the option of moving into them again should the company require additional space in the future. And with accessory production now in one large plant, the company has freed space in another building for truck body manufacturing and service work.
"Our company grew up in those five buildings," says Tevis Laspa, president. "They allowed us to expand in stages that were easy for us to absorb. As we grew, we just kept taking over buildings in the industrial park where we have been all these years."
One of those buildings housed a fabrication shop that produced components for the operations housed in all of the other buildings. Other buildings housed assembly of steel toolboxes, aluminum toolboxes, cab guards, and fenders.
"Once we got everyone in the same building, we really saw a difference," says David Wager, vice-president. "We began to realize how much more efficient we can be. Just having everyone able to see what is going on helps a lot. During the course of the day, if our employees are caught up, they look to see if they can help others complete their jobs. It's easier to do that when everyone is close by."
Custom Truck Bodies The new 48,000-sq-ft building is designed to produce the Pro-Tech line of toolboxes, fenders, cab guards and light-truck accessories such as pickup rail caps and tailgate protectors. Meanwhile, truck body production has benefited now that accessory production is in the new location. The company primarily manufactures aluminum platform bodies containing a high level of custom specifications.
"We have a lot more room now to build truck bodies," Laspa says. "That's an advantage for a custom manufacturer. We don't build on an assembly line, so we need more space to produce a given number of truck bodies."
Pro-Tech produces its aluminum platform bodies in the same building that houses its repair shop, using components that have been fabricated either in the new plant or in the machine shop.
"We build them one at a time," Wager says. "We produce a premium platform that usually is the result of a lengthy spec'ing process. For our customers, the appearance of the body is the most important thing. They also are looking for the weight savings that an aluminum platform offers."
Welding with Robots Two robots improve weld quality and efficiency at the new Pro-Tech plant. One performs 30% of the welding on aluminum cab guards, while a similar robot welds miscellaneous steel parts.
"The weld properties of steel are not the same as those of aluminum," Wager says. "The two robots are almost identical, but we have to change the programming a lot because of the difference in the way aluminum responds to heat."
Pro-Tech bought its first robot long before opening the new facility. The company added a second machine as part of the expansion.
"When we got our first robot, some of our employees were afraid it would replace them," Laspa recalls. "The reality is just the opposite. The robot increased our throughput so much that we hired more people to keep up with it."
Laspa says robotic welding is providing his company with several advantages beyond the widely touted improvement in weld quality. Among them:
* More flexibility. The speed at which the robot operates can be adjusted to keep pace with the rate the rest of the plant is operating.
* Improved working conditions. The robot can perform welds in high-heat zones so that team members are not exposed to undesirable working conditions.
* High repeatability. The robot can lay down identical weld beads time after time. This frees welders to work on more specialized jobs.
"It was a challenge for us to get everything working right," Wager says. "Robotic welding definitely requires a new way of thinking, and tolerances are critical. For example, we use a lot of diamond plate. Because of the variation in the surface, that material must be welded manually. Our robots operate strictly by programming-they do not have through-the-arc seam tracking. But even if they did, we are told that diamond plate is difficult to weld with a robot."
Fixturing and consistency in parts fabrication are keys to using robots successfully.
"Parts need to be tightly fixtured, and tolerances must be close, but consistency seems to be most important," Wager says. "If we are going to use the robot in a production run, every part has to be exactly the same as the one before."
Powder-Coat Line For several reasons, Pro-Tech equipped the new plant with a powder-coat line. Among them:
* Environmental issues. Pro-Tech had powder-coating equipment before moving into the new plant, but the company bought upgraded equipment for the move. The new Wagner powder-coating equipment includes a filtration system so effective that it captures and reclaims powder that does not get attached to the product. This minimizes wasted powder.
The filtration system also makes sure powder stays in the booth and out of the atmosphere. And since the powder does not emit VOCs, the coating operation is not a factor with EPA regulations on volatile organic compounds.
*Quick throughput. Powder coating has a brief cool-down period, after which the coating can be handled easily. Powder-coated parts are ready for assembly or other forms of handling much sooner than those to which solvent-based coatings have been applied.
* Smaller footprint. Powder-coat lines occupy less space than spray paint lines do, Wager points out.
* Durable finish. Experience has shown powder coating to be a durable, quality finish. To provide a coating that will last, the surface of the metal must be clean. Pro-Tech uses a sandblast cabinet to remove mill scale and other impurities.
In addition to its Vancouver location, Pro-Tech still operates a plant in Nashville, Tennessee. The 30,000-sq-ft facility produces the same products as its western counterpart.
"We opened Nashville in 1989 for two reasons," Wager explains. "It was difficult for us to serve the eastern United States from Vancouver, Washington. Sure, freight costs were part of it. But time also was a factor. It takes five days to ship from Vancouver to Nashville. We wanted to be able to deliver in two days."
Pro-Tech uses a team approach to get products out as soon as possible. The Pro-Tech "league" includes separate teams responsible for cab guards, aluminum toolboxes, steel toolboxes, fabrication, sales, and service. The teams played a major role in the layout of the new plant. Tim Fleskes, a retired Freightliner engineer, helped the teams design their individual areas, but the teams themselves had primary responsibility.
"Our teams have the power to do what they need to do," Laspa says. "If they need to work overtime, for example, they work overtime. Their involvement with the new plant was especially helpful. When it came time to move in, all the equipment went right where it was supposed to go because the team members had planned the locations for everything in their area."
Teams used both their regularly scheduled weekly meetings and special meetings to draw up plans. They continue to meet Monday mornings for routine business and monthly to discuss special needs and projects.
"Communication is the key," Laspa says. "The more information people have, the better things work."