From Production Puzzle to Seamless Flow: How FloStor Engineered Efficiency for a Telecom Titan

The Client: Ascend Communications

Imagine a company at the forefront of connecting the world, a vital player in the booming telecom industry, manufacturing complex equipment like Internet access concentrators, high-speed access gear, and routers. That was Ascend Communications, operating out of a substantial 100,000-square-foot facility in Alameda, California. Their focus was clear: build cutting-edge technology and do it efficiently, safely, and with an eye on future growth.

The Challenge

Even the most innovative companies face operational hurdles as they scale. For Ascend, their challenge wasn’t about the quality of their technology, but the process of getting it made and out the door. Picture this: heavy, intricate telecom equipment moving through a busy manufacturing floor, primarily handled manually and with forklifts. This wasn’t just a slow process; it was a recipe for bottlenecks, congestion, and potential safety risks.

The Bottleneck Blues

• Slow Throughput: Relying on manual handling and forklifts is like trying to navigate rush hour traffic on local streets when you need an express highway. Each movement takes time, and those accumulated seconds created significant delays throughout the production line.
• Congestion and Safety Risks: A busy manufacturing floor with forklifts constantly moving heavy loads is a crowded space. This not only slowed down the flow of materials but also increased the risk of accidents and injuries for the workers handling this substantial equipment.
• Limited Scalability: As Ascend’s business grew and demand for their technology increased, their existing manual processes simply couldn’t keep up. Trying to solve this by just adding more people or forklifts is like trying to fit more cars onto an already gridlocked road – it doesn’t actually fix the fundamental problem of flow.

Ascend needed a solution that would do more than just move products; they needed a way to streamline their entire material flow, enhance safety for their team, and build a foundation that could easily adapt as they continued to expand. They needed a system, not just equipment.

The Solution

This is where a material handling system integrator like FloStor steps in. Think of an integrator not just as someone who sells you pieces of equipment – a conveyor here, a shelf there – but as the master architect and general contractor for your facility’s internal workings. They look at the big picture, understanding how every part of your operation needs to work together seamlessly, from the moment raw materials arrive to the second finished goods ship out.

FloStor’s approach with Ascend was to first deeply understand their entire manufacturing process, much like an architect studies the needs of a family before designing a house. They identified the specific pain points and designed a customized, integrated system to tackle those manual handling bottlenecks head-on.

Engineering a Seamless Manufacturing Highway

• Automated Material Transport: FloStor implemented a comprehensive network of powered conveyors. These weren’t just simple belts; they were a carefully designed system to move equipment on specialized pallets directly from receiving to the three main production areas. This was akin to building a dedicated, automated highway system within the facility, allowing products to bypass the slow, congested manual routes.
• Integrated Production Cells: Within each of Ascend’s production areas, where various workstations handled different stages of assembly and configuration, FloStor integrated the conveyor system. This allowed operators at each station to control the routing of materials with a simple, intuitive interface. It was like giving each workstation manager precise control over which “vehicles” entered their section of the highway, ensuring the right components arrived at the right place exactly when needed.
• Efficient Takeaway Conveyor: Once products were completed and passed rigorous testing – a critical hour-and-a-half process – an elevated powered conveyor was installed. This acted as a dedicated express lane, moving the finished goods efficiently through the shipping process without interfering with ongoing production.

The result was a fully integrated operation, a network of high-quality conveyors working in concert to create a smooth, continuous flow of materials from start to finish.

The Integrator’s Advantage: Beyond the Hardware

FloStor’s role as a system integrator was paramount. They didn’t just provide conveyors; they provided a complete solution that:

• Understood the unique workflow and specific needs of Ascend’s production cells.
• Accounted for the weight and size of the telecom equipment being moved.
• Integrated seamlessly with the operators’ workflow, providing flexibility and control.
• Considered the entire process, from receiving raw materials to shipping finished goods.
• Prioritized safety by significantly reducing the need for manual lifting and minimizing forklift traffic in busy areas.

This holistic perspective is the hallmark of a skilled system integrator. They don’t just sell you the ingredients; they provide the recipe, the kitchen design, and the experienced chefs to ensure everything works together harmoniously to produce the desired outcome – in this case, a highly efficient, safe, and scalable manufacturing operation.

The Results

The implementation of FloStor’s integrated material handling system had a truly transformative impact on Ascend Communications’ Alameda facility. It was like upgrading from a congested local road system to a well-planned network of highways and express lanes.

Quantifiable Improvements and Lasting Impact

• Significant Productivity Increase: The new system dramatically boosted throughput. The production lines, even with the extensive testing required for each unit, were capable of producing over 85 units during a single shift. This is a powerful illustration of how optimizing material flow directly translates into increased production output.
• Reduced Congestion and Improved Safety: By replacing manual handling and forklift movements with a streamlined conveyor system, congestion within the plant was significantly reduced. This not only made the operation smoother but also drastically lowered the risk of injury associated with manually lifting and handling heavy equipment, creating a safer working environment for employees.
• Enhanced Scalability: The system was designed with future growth in mind. Ascend gained the flexibility to expand the number of workstations within their existing production areas and had the option to add an entirely new production line to accommodate future increases in demand. This foresight in design is a key benefit of partnering with an experienced integrator – they help you build for today while preparing you for tomorrow.

“We opted for a U-shaped conveyor line that feeds work-in-process to multiple workstations. In addition, workers direct pallet loads of WIP from station to station. This maximizes our flexibility to pace production and meet customer requirements at the same time,” Russitano explains.

“Just as important,” adds Russitano, “we can accommodate peak periods that typically occur at the end of the quarter as well as slow periods at other times, without hurting manufacturing efficiencies.”

In essence, FloStor provided Ascend Communications with the expertise and execution to build a highly efficient, safe, and scalable production engine within their facility. For entrepreneurs and business owners navigating the complexities of growth, the Ascend case study is a compelling example of how investing in a well-designed, integrated material handling system can be a critical step in overcoming operational challenges and unlocking the full potential of your business. It underscores the invaluable role of a system integrator who understands how all the pieces fit together to create a truly efficient and sustainable flow.