{"id":521,"date":"2013-09-12T18:44:06","date_gmt":"2013-09-12T08:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/?p=521"},"modified":"2025-06-29T21:59:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T11:59:12","slug":"quantum-leap-in-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/cnc-routers\/quantum-leap-in-performance","title":{"rendered":"Quantum leap in performance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Purchasing a CNC router from Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) enabled StyroMAX to improve cut quality and increase productivity. <\/em><\/p>\n

Going the extra mile for customers is something that not all manufacturers take advantage of for one reason or another. But when companies choose to go this route, they are rewarded through customer loyalty, to say the least. StyroMAX, the panel manufacturing division of Summercool Truck Bodies in Darra, QLD, offers a high level of value-added service to its customers by providing lightweight refrigerated transport bodies and laminated FRP panels for the food and beverage industry, as well as RV caravan panels. To follow through with the company\u2019s value-add promise, however, it must keep up with its competition by ensuring that its parts are of optimum quality with short lead times.<\/p>\n

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By integrating an ART RT15600 CNC router and software into the manufacturing process, StyroMAX and Summercool were able to improve cut quality and save both time and money. <\/p><\/div>\n

Consequently, company co-owner Steve Whitelock and his team decided it was time to upgrade the production process by adding a CNC router to the factory, which would enable the company to provide high quality products with quicker turnaround.<\/p>\n

CNC panel cutting<\/strong><\/p>\n

The company was founded in 1977 by Steve Whitelock and Bevan Carrick as a manufacturer of refrigerated transport bodies and has developed over the years. Customers enjoy competitive pricing, the latest in thermal truck panel technology and extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities. Ten years ago, the company decided to bring all panel manufacturing in-house, but wasn\u2019t producing the high volumes to justify CNC equipment.<\/p>\n

When volumes increased while the refrigerated truck bodies needed to meet the ever-changing environmental, legislative and commercial demands placed upon them, Mr Whitelock decided to speed up the production process by buying a CNC router. \u201cBy staying on the cutting edge, we\u2019re able to provide high quality products with quicker turnaround,\u201d says Mr Whitelock. \u201cWe\u2019re constantly striving to do things better while maintaining our strong business position.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the prime factor was to increase the cut quality, we wanted to become more productive and competitive,\u201d he adds. \u201cWe are getting into more complex type of panels and cutting them out by hand can take an extremely long time. To get a very good cut on RV panels, it was necessary to go on a CNC cutter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local service<\/strong><\/p>\n

The decision to install an ART router was made because ART was a local company with very friendly service, Mr Whitelock explains. \u201cThey invited us through their factory and I found they have very good relationships with their customers, which means more to me than for example the price of the machines, although the machine was a huge investment for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Quantum leap in performance: ART\u2019s CNC router allows Darra-based StyroMAX to produce a complete truck body set in three hours \u2013 which formerly took two men as much as three days.<\/p><\/div>\n

But for StyroMAX it was the service and the relationship which made the difference, because they knew that such a complex machine would require ongoing support and Mr Whitelock wanted to make sure that support was on tap. \u201cIf we have a problem, we need someone locally to ring and sort it out. We also like the idea that ART can log in and diagnose the problem and fix it straight away. We are really happy with their service.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ART RT15600 CNC router delivered to the Darra factory is one of the largest machines ART has ever built. Measuring 15.5 m in length and 3.8 m in width, the machine provides the necessary capacities for both sides of Mr Whitelock\u2019s business, Summercool and StyroMAX. \u201cThe router will more than double the capacity of the cutting,\u201d he says. \u201cWe don’t quite know yet the amount of benefits we are going to receive but so far it’s been very surprising!\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaping the benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n

StyroMAX is already reaping the benefits of the decision to install the CNC router; formerly, it would take two men three days to make a complete truck set, Mr Whitelock says. With the RT router, it now only takes approximately three hours, which makes a huge difference to the business. \u201dWe’ve always set ourselves up as a premium truck body builder,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe have a niche market and work with many RV and truck manufacturers – but it is very competitive out there, you have to be as efficient as possible and increase productivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moreover, Mr Whitelock is very happy with the training his panel manufacturing manager, John Massey, has received from ART.\u00a0 He had some previous experience with CNC machining and managed to jump on board pretty quickly, but the plan is to get a full-time operator to keep up with demand.<\/p>\n

www.styromax.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

www.advancedrobotic.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purchasing a CNC router from Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) enabled StyroMAX to improve cut quality and increase productivity. Going the extra mile for customers is something that not all manufacturers take advantage of for one reason or another. But when…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,103,1],"tags":[148,147,149,150],"class_list":["post-521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-news","category-case-studies","category-cnc-routers","tag-caravan","tag-rt-router","tag-rv-panels","tag-styromax"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Styromax-router4.jpg?fit=960%2C598&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=521"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1332,"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/521\/revisions\/1332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.advancedrobotic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}