Manufacturing Ingenuity

Solution By Design

Project Profile

Manufacturing Ingenuity Offers OEM First-To-Market Product Line

An international company who delivers high-end sustainability washroom solutions was in need of a supplier who could manufacture a large product component for a luxury stainless steel public restroom feature. They partnered with Vollrath Manufacturing Services (VMS) to engineer and build this complex custom piece which resulted in a first-to-market product line launch.

OPPORTUNITY	CHALLENGE	SOLUTION
A leading OEM of stylish and sophisticated restroom accessories needed to find a manufacturing partner to assist them in custom designing and developing the final exterior piece for the product line.	The hitch in this final phase had been finding a supplier that could work with stainless steel to the degree that was needed to outfit their product with the large decorative cover and finishings without marring the material in the process.	With a product line in limbo for the better part of two years, VMS stepped in to assist this OEM in getting their product launch across the finish line making what seemed impossible possible.

Foresight and Long Standing Industry Knowledge Gets the Job Done

An OEM had approached Vollrath two years back as they sought to outsource the design and manufacturing of a chic and refined product line that required top-notch tooling details as well as safety integrations.

VMS engineers worked diligently during initial discovery conversations to troubleshoot possible pain points. Ultimately, the OEM went with another supplier, however, the partnership was reinvigorated in 2021 because of Vollrath’s previous interactive, transparent and collaborative nature, when the same project still remained in flux for other reasons.

VMS was retained by the OEM this go-around to produce the “skirt” for this Class A product. After numerous prototypes were produced, Vollrath was able to construct the requisite piece to meet manufacturing size and specifications and check all of the necessary boxes: beveled edges, signature curvature, and no seams

The product line was made of stainless steel, which is an extremely challenging material to manipulate. However, Vollrath’s specialty expertise in working with this difficult metal allowed the VMS team to assess and deploy innovative problem solving and engineering prowess to come up with one four-foot wide complete piece that, after several modifications, necessitated only two deep draws. This has been the largest piece crafted using this technology in Vollrath’s history.

More and more, VMS is receiving requests for customization and individuality of product lines which is requiring tremendous flexibility and more non-traditional R&D.

A Win-Win Scenario

The partnership between both companies led to synergistic effects. Given the opportunity when it presented itself, VMS came up with the innovative development of crafting the station’s customized exterior skirt while also generating the costsaving veneer by using scrap material left over from the evolution of the cover piece. The detailed engagement and collaboration with the customer along with Vollrath’s ability to bridge the gap that other suppliers could not, with their exceptional engineering aptitude and extensive Deep Draw capabilities allowed for the manufacturing, execution and fulfillment phases of this project to hit its mark.

For this OEM to be first-to-market with this product line while also experiencing significant increased profitability was a surefire win-win.

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