Material Handling Case Study
At voestalpine Roll Forming Corporation, we are more than just a custom roll former—we are your trusted partner, harnessing our decades of experience in design for manufacturability, tool design, and roll forming to create the most efficient, durable, and high-quality components you can depend on.
Within the automated material handling space, tight tolerances, efficient manufacturing, and scalability are all extremely important—but it can be challenging to find a strong partner that can handle complex requests while maintaining those standards. As one leading material handling customer soon realized, what is challenging for others is commonplace at RFC.
We partnered with a customer to produce a custom rail that was more cost efficient, scalable, and durable than their previous supplier’s solution.
WE ENGINEER.
One notable advantage of partnering with voestalpine Roll Forming Corporation is access to our engineering expertise, which boasts more than 75 years of engineering solutions and a team of seasoned employees specializing in product development for manufacturability.
When a disruptive company in warehouse automation approached us with a bolted rail assembly, our engineering team evaluated the current design for manufacturability, identifying ways it could be optimized for efficiency. Collaborating with the customer’s team, the RFC engineering team proposed major development improvements to the component. These changes enabled a single process for production, provided a more secure fit to the rack, and enhanced the component’s durability.
The initial design of the component was a bolted assembly of two custom brake formed parts. The customer was sourcing the assembly from a supplier that used multiple processes and components, which added to the overall component price and manufacturing time. With our extensive experience and manufacturing capabilities, we were able to provide a streamlined production process, roll forming the entire component and welding in-line to reduce the overall price and production lead time.
The collaboration between engineering, production, quality, and development teams, in conjunction with the end customer, allowed for the creation of a part that was more cost and time effective to manufacture.
WE FORM.
The initial prototype design for this component incorporated several individual pieces bolted together with hardware that added weight, and cost. As a custom roll former, we were well-positioned to make a single roll formed component that is welded in-line, ensuring the part can be more durable, lighter in weight, and reduce hardware spend.
Additionally, it was imperative for the end customer that holes punched in the component were uniform and maintained a tight tolerance, which RFC was prepared to provide. Thanks to our in-line punching technology, the customer’s component can run through a single process to complete hole punching, welding, and roll forming.
Prior to partnering with RFC, the customer was press-braking their components, which is suitable for small production runs, and where shapes allow tool access. However, brake forming is not scalable. As an international company looking to grow rapidly, the customer looked for a partner that could grow with their business. As a member of the voestalpine group of companies, we were the perfect partner to ensure scalability and quality as their business grows.
WE SOLVE.
Throughout the process of developing this component, the customer relied heavily on the expertise of our team to suggest improvements that would align with new design iterations for their system. One such design change was driven by the customer’s desire to provide a more secure attachment point for sustaining large parcel loads. Our team reviewed the design changes and adjusted the process for roll forming the more complex component shape, which significantly improved the durability and allowed for more secure attachment.
When the end customer’s deadline was unexpectedly accelerated, our team quickly took action, prioritizing materials with the longest lead times and devising a plan to meet the new schedule, ensuring the product was delivered promptly. Additionally, our development team worked closely with the customer to adhere to critical characteristics and perform functionality tests to ensure installation conformance, despite the accelerated timeline.
Over the course of development and product launch, the material handling customer benefited from our expertise in engineering, roll forming, adjacent technologies, and ability to scale with their business and on their timeline. By the time of product launch, the customer had a component that was lighter, more cost efficient, more durable, and more scalable than the prototype version they started with.
As the partnership with this customer continues to develop, we will continue to utilize more than 75 years of experience in the roll forming industry to optimize their business and produce products that are custom designed for their specific needs.
Would your business benefit from our combination of engineering expertise, roll forming excellence, and strict commitment to quality? Reach out to our team today to learn how we can drive your business forward.