Case study · MicroEspresso
Stainless and small repeated runs
MicroEspresso builds espresso machines. Its stainless steel frames and brackets are produced with us, in small lots, repeatedly.
- Stainless
- 304, cut without burr
- 50
- parts per lot, repeated
- TIG
- visible joints, no rework
The client’s problem
On an espresso machine, the stainless shows. A burred cut or a discoloured TIG joint ends up in front of the end customer.
Volumes are small, 50 parts at a time, but come back every month. The previous supplier treated each lot as a new order, with a different price and lead time.
What he sent us
- STEP files of the frames and brackets.
- A reference part, for the expected finish on visible joints.
- The monthly production pace.
What we changed in the design (DFM)
- Slots and mounting holes moved to the laser cut, removing drilling in stainless.
- Joints repositioned away from visible surfaces where possible.
- A written TIG sequence to limit discoloration, with back purging.
How we produced it
- 01
Prototype
A frame and a bracket compared to the reference part, approved for finish and dimensions.
- 02
Program locked
Same cutting program and same welding sequence for every lot.
- 03
Monthly lots
Laser cutting of 304 stainless, TIG welding in-house, visual check of the joints, delivery of 50 parts on a fixed date.
The result
A unit price fixed for the year, an identical lead time on every lot, and joints accepted without rework since the prototype.
A small run repeated twelve times a year is serial production. We treat it as such.