In the competitive world of commercial lighting manufacturing, where margins are tight and production efficiency can make or break profitability, Velocity Metalworks recently partnered with a leading lighting supplier to revolutionize their production process through advanced technology implementation.

The Challenge

Our commercial lighting customer faced several significant manufacturing challenges:

• They needed to produce 48-inch backplates for light fixture housings more efficiently
• Their existing water jet cutting process required 12 minutes per part
• Water jet cutting introduced potential rust issues on materials
• Price competition in the big-box retail lighting market demanded cost reduction
• Maintaining excessive inventory was financially unsustainable
• Lead times were hampering their ability to respond quickly to market demands

As manufacturers selling to big-box retailers, their profit margins were under constant pressure, making production efficiency paramount to their business model.

Our Technological Solution

After a thorough analysis of their production requirements, Velocity Metalworks identified a significant opportunity for improvement through technology investment. We:

1. Implemented Advanced Fiber Laser Technology: Replaced traditional water jet cutting with state-of-the-art fiber laser capabilities
2. Redesigned Production Workflow: Optimized the entire cutting process to eliminate bottlenecks
3. Eliminated Secondary Processes: Removed additional finishing steps previously required after water jet cutting
4. Developed Just-in-Time Manufacturing Protocols: Created systems enabling on-demand production without inventory stockpiling

The Remarkable Results

The implementation of our solution delivered transformative results:

• 1200% Efficiency Improvement: Reduced part production time from 12 minutes to just 1 minute
• Substantial Per-Unit Cost Savings: Significant reduction in production costs through faster processing
• Enhanced Product Quality: Eliminated rust issues associated with water jet cutting
• Reduced Lead Times: Dramatically shortened delivery schedules to meet customer demands
• Eliminated Inventory Requirements: Implemented true just-in-time manufacturing for both Velocity and our customer
• Plant Efficiency Increase: Freed up production capacity for additional business

Beyond Manufacturing: A Strategic Partnership

The most significant impact of this technological transformation extends beyond the impressive efficiency metrics. By eliminating the need for extensive inventory stockpiling, we’ve helped our customer improve their cash flow and responsiveness to market demands.

In an industry where overproduction can quickly erode already-thin margins, our just-in-time manufacturing capabilities have provided our customer with a significant competitive advantage. They can now respond more rapidly to retailer orders without the financial burden of warehousing excess product.

This case study exemplifies how Velocity Metalworks doesn’t just manufacture parts—we engineer comprehensive solutions that address the unique business challenges of each industry we serve.

Is your manufacturing process facing similar efficiency challenges? Contact our team to explore how targeted technology investments could transform your production economics.