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Portal tour

Every project gets a portal of its own

Here is what one is for, shown for Ridgeline Metal Co., a shop we made up for this page. Eight short scenes play by themselves. Pause any time, or step through with the buttons or the arrow keys.

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      What you told us comes first

      A portal opens on your problem in your own words, not on us. These are the notes from the first conversation, as we heard them. If we heard something wrong, you correct it right there.

      Ridgeline Metal Co.What you told usExample
      From our first call

      Our brake operators spend most of the shift loading blanks, not bending.

      Plant manager, Ridgeline

      We bought a robot cell a few years ago. It runs one part and sits the rest of the week.

      Owner, Ridgeline

      Nobody on the floor knows which job is next until the office walks out.

      Shop lead, Ridgeline
      Did we get this right? Add a note
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      The plan in your order

      Everything we found on the floor sits on one roadmap. You drag it into the order your business needs, and we hear about it the same day.

      • Unpriced until scoped. A number before scoping would be a guess.
      • A click is a signal, not a signature. Paper signs. The portal makes sure we hear you.
      Ridgeline Metal Co.Your roadmapExample
      Now

      Press brake tending cell

      In build. The tracker and the files live here.

      Active
      Next, your order
      • Get the idle cell running againmoved up
      • Weld cellunscoped, unpriced
      • Jobs on a floor screenunscoped, unpriced
      Ongoing
      MonitoringPreventive maintenanceSparesOperator training
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      A deck made for your meeting

      The presentation we bring is built from your parts and your floor, and it stays in the portal afterward. Share it with the people who were not in the room, so the decision gets made on what we actually found.

      Ridgeline Metal Co.Your deckExample
      Ridgeline Metal Co The press brake cellCover
      Your shop in one pictureWhat we found
      The cellLayout and how it runs
      Included and notWhat is in this scope
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      The build where you can see it

      The hardest part of buying equipment is the silence after the order. A tracker shows which of eight stages the cell is in, and during the build a written report lands every Friday. It is in the contract, not a courtesy.

      Ridgeline Metal Co.Build trackerExample
      Press brake tending cell
      1. Design
      2. Procurement
      3. Build
      4. FAT
      5. Ship
      6. Install
      7. SAT
      8. Accepted
      Friday report, week 6
      • Gripper fingers machined and fitted to the first two parts.
      • Guarding layout marked up from your notes and sent back for a look.
      • Next week: the robot program for part one, then a dry run.
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      Files and notes in one place

      Drop a drawing, or a photo straight from a phone on the floor. The team hears about it when it lands. Questions go in the thread, not into somebody's inbox, so the answer is there for everyone next time.

      Ridgeline Metal Co.Files and notesExample
      Files
      • PDFBracket 2 drawing rev Ctoday
      • JPGBrake area from the mezzaninelast week
      • PDFCell layout for review2 weeks ago
      Thread
      Plant manager, RidgelineAdded a second bracket. Could it run on the same cell?
      Project engineer, TWALooking at it this week. Same gripper, new fingers. The reach check is in Friday's report.
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      The math with your numbers

      Every input is one you set, and every formula is shown. We never pre-fill a hopeful number. If a figure changes, you move the slider and the answer follows.

      Ridgeline Metal Co.Your numbersExample
      How many cells
      Parts a week2,400
      Seconds a part75
      Shifts a day2
      1cell, busy about 76 percent of a two shift week
      (2,400 x 75 s / 3,600 + changeovers) / 85% uptime = 61 h of the 80 h one cell runs
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      Who does what on one page

      Most projects have more than one company in them. The portal says plainly who does which part and gives credit to whoever made the introduction. You decide what happens, and you always know who to call.

      Ridgeline Metal Co.Who does whatExample
      YouRidgeline Metal Co.You know your parts, your customers and your floor. You set the pace and make the calls.
      IntegratorThe Way AutomationDesigns and builds the robot cell, programs it, trains your people. A FANUC Authorized System Integrator.
      Machine supplierYour press brake dealerSupplies and services the brake, and made the introduction that started this.

      Three companies, one plan.

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      You are here and the next step is yours

      Ridgeline is in the middle of a build. You are at the start, looking around, which is the right place to be. The first step is a Fit Check: a few questions about your parts and your floor. Whether anything comes after it is your call.

      Take the Fit Check → More about the portal
      How working with us goesExample
      1. 1Fit CheckA few questions, onlineYou are here
      2. 2First visitWe see the floor
      3. 3ScopingClarity before metal
      4. 4BuildTracked in the portal
      5. 5RunningSupport after go-live
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