CEWA Technologies’ limited resources and lack of manufacturing expertise meant that their product, a solar concentrator dish, was not moving forward. Cost and engineering issues with their design had their prototyping and testing process at a standstill. The original plan was to press the dish using a hydroforming process from a single aluminum sheet, but this process had high startup costs that made short runs difficult and expensive.
They wanted to outsource their manufacturing needs to a partner that could help them successfully manage and complete the project. Their search led them to Summit Steel & Manufacturing. After talking with our engineers about the designs, they determined that there was a better, cheaper and faster way to manufacture their polished aluminum dish. Our team developed a forming jig process to weld aluminum dish pieces together, at one-tenth of the cost and at an equivalent speed.
Partnering with Summit Steel enabled CEWA to create solar concentrator dishes, which would produce energy at a comparable price to traditional fossil fuels, without the need for government subsidies. One of the biggest upsides CEWA found while working with us was that it simplified their business model. They no longer had to track and audit several vendors. With all of the manufacturing processes happening under one roof, they can monitor one full-service vendor with the ability to quickly resolve potential issues.
The project was expected to take two weeks, but the prototype was finished in only three days, allowing CEWA to continue their test program, saving both money and time.
“Our whole testing program was at a standstill until a prototype piece was made for one of our supports,” said Paul Eisenhuth, CEWA’s President.
Eisenhuth believes that this business model will catapult the renewable energy industry past all the false starts and hiccups. Renewable energy innovators can focus on their core competence of system design and marketing, while partnering with reliable full service parts manufacturers to lower costs and eliminate hurdles to success. Eisenhuth envisions a bright future for both CEWA and the entire renewable energy industry through one stop manufacturing. We’re just glad to be a part of it. Talk to us to find out how you can save money with a one-stop contract manufacturer that provides solutions.