4 Reasons to Choose KAD for Bridge Production
At KAD, we’ve built a reputation for being deeply committed to our craft. Our passion for engineering transforms prototyping into an art form. But we’re more than a prototype shop—we’re also a precision machine shop equipped to handle bridge production.
What Is Bridge Production?
Bridge production—also known as bridge manufacturing—bridges the gap between product design and mass production. If you’re gradually scaling from prototype models to high-volume production orders, we can carry you through the transition with this comprehensive offering.
Low-volume bridge production orders (think: up to 100 parts per order) save you time and money while you perfect the part’s design, confirm market demand, and secure a high-volume manufacturing partner.
Why Work with KAD for Bridge Production?
There are many benefits to keeping your prototype models and bridge production projects with the same manufacturer. We’ve already shared why you should choose KAD for your prototypes; today, let’s look at a few benefits of staying with us for bridge production, too:
1. Pre-established relationship
When you work with KAD for prototypes and bridge production, all project knowledge remains with the same team. We can build on the relationship formed during prototyping—we’ll know what you’re looking for, how we work together, and how to best meet your needs. We’ll also know your part’s fit, form, and function before entering production.
Plus, having already made a few of your parts during prototyping, we’ll have the setups in place, so we can get to work quickly and keep lead times to a minimum.
2. Top-line automation and technology
At many shops, “automation” means having a robot help load material onto a machine. Here at KAD, our robotic cell is a little different. For starters, it’s a custom spray-painted dragon.
Aesthetics aside, our FANUC robot, equipped with a Trinity Robotics Automation system, is highly adaptive. Like the rest of our company, our robotic cell can tackle various tasks and execute them flawlessly.
We don’t need to program the robot to pick up a specific part; instead, it can work with a whole family of components within a cell, cycling through to manufacture entire assemblies simultaneously. These capabilities allow us to execute multiple-part simultaneous production for assemblies and mechanical subassemblies, not just single-part production.
Our robotic cell also increases cycle time while reducing error. We recently had a customer whose project required 137 hours of a continuous cycle. Our machine ran from Thursday afternoon to Wednesday morning, completing three weeks of work in just five days.
3. Innovative production manufacturing solutions
When you work with KAD, you work with people who love manufacturing and will go above and beyond to deliver high-quality parts on time. We bring our signature passion to bridge production manufacturing projects and invent unique solutions to meet our customers’ needs.
For example, we developed a system that leverages aluminum tooling to overcome the rigid constraints of traditional steel tooling to produce custom silicone rubber parts. With this innovative approach, we can manufacture silicone parts much faster than typical molding houses.
4. Design for Manufacturing (DFM) feedback
We can provide DFM feedback to optimize your part for cost and functionality as you move toward high-volume and mass production. Our team is looking out for your bottom line, and the advice we offer can help save time and money as you scale your part past the prototype model stage.
If you’re looking for a manufacturing partner who can provide both fast-turn prototypes and fast-turn bridge production services, we’d love to work with you. Get started by filling out our secure quote form today.