Executive Summary

On an absorbable strap fixation-device line, manual leak testing in the standard operating procedure was causing quality issues and excessive overwork, adding ergonomic risk and inconsistent quality segregation at the workstation.

Objectives

• Automate the manual leak-testing operation
• Reduce workstation workload and ergonomic risk
• Improve quality segregation and cycle times
• Validate the automated process for production use

BEPC's Role

BEPC owned the cobot initiative end-to-end, supporting acquisition, in-process implementation, and the validation of the collaborative robot that automated the leak-testing tasks.

Scope & Approach

• Collaborative robot acquisition and specification
• In-process implementation on the live line
• Validation of the automated leak-testing process
• Workstation ergonomic and cycle-time improvements

BEPC integrated a collaborative robot directly into the existing line, validating the automated leak test against the procedure it replaced, so the team could retire the manual operation with documented confidence.

Outcomes

The leak-testing process is now fully automated. Workstation workload dropped by 50%, quality segregation and cycle times improved, operator ergonomic risk fell, and the change delivered $22K in annual savings.

Metricas clave

• Workstation workload: -50% (-50%)
• Leak testing: Fully automated (Automated)
• Annual savings: $22K/yr (New)

Evidencia visual (descripcion)

• The validated automated leak-test fixture confirming a pass on the line.
• The collaborative robot integrated into the live production line.

Trust & References

The cobot didn't just automate leak testing — BEPC validated it inside our quality system, so we kept compliance while cutting workstation workload in half. Our operators felt the ergonomic difference within weeks.

Ultima revision: June 2026