Schleuniger Tackles Manual Production Woes
M&E Manufacturing, located in Durango, Mexico, is a manufacturer of electrical harnesses for ambulances and wheelchair vans. They were founded in September of 2021 and aim to one day service a wide range of automotive manufacturers.
M&E started as an entirely manual labor force—four production workers and one supervisor. As a small team confined to manual operations, M&E faced challenges of bogged production, quality assurance issues, and costly, wasted wire. Their first wire harnesses were processed manually, by hand, and they would only produce one electrical harness a day. “Each wire had to be individually measured, cut, and stripped, and the results were inconsistent and quite often incorrect due to human error,” explains CEO Jose Zanchez.
To combat production issues and optimize processes, M&E fixed its eyes on machine automation. After interviewing several other providers and witnessing the professionalism of Schleuniger, Zanchez concluded that Schleuniger offered the complete package. “We spoke with other companies that have been in the industry for years and we were led to believe that Schleuniger was one of the best,” says Zanchez.
In addition to Schleuniger’s professional image and word-of-mouth support from many in the industry, Zanches also emphasized his appreciation for Schleuniger’s thoughtful approach to customer support and education throughout the buying process. As M&E explored Schleuniger machines, they felt cared for by their Schleuniger representative. M&E was even offered a tour of a Torino facility whose processes were maximized by Schleuniger products. Zanches felt a plant tour helped him see “the true potential of the larger machines that Schleuniger provides.”
After the purchase of an EcoStrip 9380, UniCrimp 200 and three Uni-M Applicators, Zanchez witnessed a significant increase in production. The implementation of the UniCrimp 200 brought an entirely innovative approach and brightened the appeal of crimping. “We used to see 200 to 600 crimps a day, but the UniCrimp 200 with one operator can crimp 3,000 to 4,000 a day,” says Zanchez. Also adding, “The crimping machine is heaven-sent. It feels like you are playing a video game and is very relaxing when you would like to reduce stress.”
Complementing their increased crimp production is enhanced quality. According to Zanchez, “Crimping by hand produces a poor result, as each person has a different amount of pressure placed on the crimp. With Schleuniger machines, we have eliminated all the problems associated with crimping manually and increased production dramatically.”
As for cutting and stripping, Jose calculates they can generate six times their previous output, and the intuitive programming and ability to store various cut and strip settings with the EcoStrip 9380 makes for smoother and faster processes.
Zanches estimates that his purchase of Schleuniger machines will have paid for itself in six months by saving on time, labor, and costly errors in quality.
When asked about M&E’s long-term plans, Zanchez states, “Wire harnesses are the way of the future and he intends to use Schleuniger products as his company expands.”
Learn more about M&E Manufacturing: memanufacturing.info
