APE works with manufacturers on material handling, positioning, and fixturing to ease product flow at OEMs and construction sites. Engineering is in the company name to illustrate that niche, but it’s not a traditional “engineering” firm that throws designs over the metaphorical wall to a manufacturer tasked with building what someone drew on a computer.
At APE, you’ll find engineers observing or even running the laser or press brake, learning the intricacies of tooling, how metal forms, how interference occurs (previously formed flanges colliding with tools), why flanges can be only so short, how welds distort, the importance of good weld fit-up—the list goes on. “We’re focused on the advanced manufacturing markets, be it in automotive and aerospace,” Hester said. “We’re an engineering company that gets the work we do because we also fabricate.”
You could call it an engineering continuum, from the initial design through fabrication—no communication barriers, with everyone on the same page and taking a hands-on approach. Sure, the hands-on model can be difficult to scale, but success doesn’t always hinge on having increased revenue and headcounts. Profits and sales per employee matter too.
Pour lire l'article complet : How one shop solves complex material handling challenges (thefabricator.com)
