Sunbeam's switch to embossing stamps saved over $200,000 in one year.

NEOSHO, Mo. (May, 2001) -- As a leading manufacturer of indoor and outdoor appliances, Sunbeam is a well-known household name. The company's Neosho, MO-based Outdoor Products Division - which manufactures Sunbeam GrillMaster® Series and Coleman® gas, electric and charcoal grills - prides itself on giving consumers high-quality products that are quick and easy to assemble.

" New" Embossed Burner Base - -"Old" Silk Screened Burner Base

It's not surprising then that Sunbeam uses that same strategy when it comes to its own manufacturing processes.

Recently, Sunbeam wanted to streamline production of its popular grill product lines, and to help with the project, the company's senior design engineer, Tienchai Puangnak, contacted the Niles, Ill.-based marking company, Geo. T. Schmidt, Inc.

A two-step process

After re-thinking its manufacturing process, Sunbeam chose to concentrate its improvement efforts along its two burner base production lines. A burner base is where a grill's on/off and temperature knobs attach to the unit, and it's the base itself that is actually marked with the ON/OFF and HIGH/LOW settings.

Sunbeam had been using a three-step production process that, according to Puangnak, could be streamlined to two simple steps. However, that would require a change in the burner base marking process, which traditionally had been silk-screen or heat-transfer.

"With our former system, the burner bases were cut by a stamping press, then the lettering was silk-screened in a separate operation," explains Puangnak. "Then we sent the completed bases to the packing line."

By working with the engineers at Schmidt, Sunbeam was able to combine the cutting and marking processes into one step to create a more efficient, two-step process.

Schmidt, a leading manufacturer of computer-controlled marking systems and custom tooling, created two custom-made embossing stamps, one for Sunbeam's GrillMaster production line and another for its Coleman line. The stamps were designed to insert into the existing sheetmetal dies that cut the burner bases. Right off the bat, Sunbeam saved the cost of new dies - upwards of $20,000.

Engineers from both companies worked together closely to ensure the stamp inserts fit the dies perfectly. This impressed Puangnak.

"Schmidt's engineers made suggestions about how to reconfigure the lettering, a lightning bolt graphic and our logo," says Puangnak. "It was a value-added service to us."

Schmidt also was able to meet Sunbeam's very tight deadline.

"Because consumers would see the end product, the bases had to be approved by our marketing department, which needed samples for a meeting in one week," says Puangnak. "Schmidt not only met that deadline, but also got the final product to us in three weeks."

Because the company traditionally provides solutions to non-consumer oriented applications, the project's strong emphasis on marketing provided a unique opportunity for Schmidt. In this case, Schmidt's mark is a visual part of a finished consumer product.

"A lot of detail goes into marking consumer products," says Schmidt sales engineer, John Gaast. "Sunbeam had very stringent requirements to ensure that its mark would stand out and look a special way."

In addition to wanting an aesthetically pleasing mark, Sunbeam needed a clear, durable mark to meet Certified Gas Association (CGA) standards. To do so, the mark had to be legible and remain legible for the life of the grill.

Embossing makes its mark

By incorporating the cutting and marking steps, Sunbeam has saved valuable time and money. The company calculates that the embossing stamps save three minutes and $.65 per part on labor and materials. That adds up quickly when an estimated 600,000 bases are produced in one six-month grilling season.

Quality control is better under the two-step operation, as well.

"Because Sunbeam can make and mark its bases in one operation, there is less room for error," comments Gaast, adding that the male-female parts of the embossing stamp are an exact fit to guarantee a perfect mark every time.

The system has been in place for just over one year, and Sunbeam already has saved more than $200,000 in production costs.

The marketing department also reports improvements in the grills' sales appeal. The embossed stamp creates a colorless, raised mark that offers a higher quality, classier appearance than silk-screening or heat-transfer. Plus, the embossed lettering is more durable. It lasts for the lifetime of the grill, even when exposed to year-round weather.

Schmidt passes the test

Though Sunbeam is an expert on designing its grills for easy assembly, re-thinking its manufacturing process was a more ominous task.
"Partnering with Schmidt was the right decision," says Puangnak. "The project was easier with the help of Schmidt's great customer service, engineering support, quick turnaround time and high-quality product."

Geo. T. Schmidt, Inc. promises its customers that its marking systems are custom-manufactured to fit virtually every situation. By taking advantage of Schmidt's ability to conform to customer requirements, Sunbeam now offers grills that are as easy to assemble on the production line as they are to use in your own backyard.