By Larin Dodgen
VP Engineering
The Tools and Equipment We Use to Stretch the Envelope
Sunstone supplies all the necessary tools and equipment for our engineering team to succeed. Oscilloscopes allow them to accurately measure digital and analog signals coming to and from microprocessors. When combined with a differential probe, our engineers can also test circuits without referencing ground. A spectrum analyzer can be used to make sure that the electromagnetic noise produced by our products are within certain criteria set by various industrial certifications and regulations. On occasion, our engineers will utilize an X-Ray gun to inspect unknown components and materials used in our product for compliance reasons.
Like every accomplished manufacturer, Sunstone leverages CAD software to create prototypes and renderings in 3D views. CAD allows our engineers to verify the design fits all product management criteria (will our customers want and use the product as intended) and the design can actually be manufactured.
Creating a Diverse Product Mix
Sunstone engineers leverage many different components and software to produce an innovative, attractive product. From a simple wire to a complicated electromagnetic linear slide, Sunstone engineers have seen it all. But recently, we’re proud to offer our customers weld heads that product as little as 0.05 pounds of force to more than 50 pounds of force; welders that produce as low as 5A to as high as 15KA of weld current; fixtures that can fit in your hand and weigh less than two pounds; and welders that weigh more than 50 pounds.
Lately we have focused on attachments. After much feedback from customers, Sunstone recently introduced the first of our next generation of hand pieces. The Mini Grip was prototyped to include a comfortable grip, minimize weight and thereby operator fatigue, and robust enough to handle millions of weld cycles. Our customers can continue to expect new attachments in the future.
Making Welders More Automated and Protected Than Ever Before
Thanks much hard work, Sunstone welders can be placed in automated production environments that require robust equipment with advanced functionality. Our customers can control advanced Sunstone welders with a PLC through Ethernet/IP. Not only can schedules and settings be changed remotely, but all received data is checked to ensure a completed weld meets operator specifications.
Sunstone automation is backed up by certified quality. Certifications include RoHS, CE, ETL, CSA, and ISO 9001. And we back up all of our products with a generous warranty, exceptional customer service, and offer a “forever warranty” with the Sunstone Circle product protection plan—we’ll cover your Sunstone welder for as long as you own the product and are a member of the Sunstone Circle!
Drop Tests: The Crash Dummy Test for Welders
One of the best days for an engineer is when a prototype passes a drop test. After a prototype has passed numerous electrical, firmware, and software tests comes the drop test, which could move the product forward to production or send it back to the drawing board.
There are a couple of different methods for drop testing. One is quite simple: The product is physically dropped from a specified height onto a concrete floor, called the naked drop test. The other involves placing the product in foam and a cardboard box (to simulate a shipping environment) and then mimicking how the box would be shoved, dropped, and moved during shipping. After each test, the product is examined to see what—if anything—was damaged. It’s a good day when nothing breaks; it’s a “back to the drawing board” day if any component was damaged during the test.
Let me tell you a story: The day came to test the packaging for the Sunstone CDDP-A automation-ready CD resistant welder. The product had passed the naked drop test and was now ready for the simulated shipping environment. The prototype was placed in its foam and cardboard box. The test started with rolling the product down a flight of stairs and then dropping it from different angles and heights.
At that point, one of our engineers had an idea. We placed the boxed CDDP-A in the back of a pickup truck and proceeded to the nearest mountain to our headquarters. (Sunstone is in Utah and there are many mountains here.) With an engineer at the wheel, and one riding shotgun, the boxed welder bounced around in the bed as the driver climbed every dirt road and trail. When they returned, the carboard box was significantly damaged, as one might expect; however, after examining the welder no damage could be found. Packaging was deemed adequate for whatever the shipping companies could do to it.
Supply Chain Woes from Alpha to Beta
Supply chain challenges in 2021 added a wrinkle to product design. For example, a board design review happens in two or three stages with two weeks of time between each stage of the review. It’s not unusual for a component to become unavailable by the end of the review. Usually this isn’t a problem for a resistor or small SMT capacitor, but for an integrated circuit it poses a big problem, especially if you cannot find a drop-in replacement.
During 2021, the engineering team has been forced to redesign entire circuits due to supply chain challenges. Some components were large and required us to change the product’s physical enclosure. Supply chain challenges were something that didn’t exist until a year ago and the team had to be much more flexible than ever before. But hats off to the team for rising to the challenge.
Why Sunstone is Successful
I attribute Sunstone’s success to two key accomplishments:
First, while Sunstone strives to source most components from the United States we will also source from other countries in Europe and Asia. A more diverse supplier mix helps keep lead times and shortages to a minimum and sets up Sunstone for success.
Second, during product assembly, quality control checks are in place that require three team members to verify the product meets all quality standards. Every product must pass a series of tests and final checkoffs, including a Hi Pot test to ensure nothing was assembled incorrectly. Like mentioned above, it is then packaged such that no harm will come to the product during a normal shipment. It arrives at the customers facility fully functional and ready to weld flawlessly. Hats of to the manufacturing team for following the assembly guides and drawings so precisely.
I also attribute the company’s success to market diversity.
In the last 10 years, Sunstone has developed more than 30 products serving many different markets. You’ll find Sunstone welders helping to manufacture the most advanced spacecraft, aircraft, and electric vehicles. You’ll find Sunstone welders helping artists create the world’s most beautiful jewelry and aesthetically pleasing orthodontics and dental appliances. Because of the diversity of markets served and the technical products available at Sunstone, trying to sell the equipment takes skill, education, and motivation. Hats off to the sales team for flooding the world with Sunstone products.
During the last year, Sunstone managed to weather COVID-19 in 2020 and position itself to significantly grow in 2021. A big reason for this was how quickly marketing was able to adapt and target audiences using different methods of communication. Traditionally, Sunstone relied heavily on trade shows and other events to generate person-to-person sales opportunities. When trade shows were cancelled strategies were put in motion that leveraged internet search traffic and social media. Hats off to the marketing team for making this happen and doing it so well. (See our 2022 trade show schedule.)
After the product is sold, keeping the customer happy is a key Sunstone focus. Customer satisfaction would not be possible without an amazing and devoted technical support team. Sometimes Sunstone equipment may need to be serviced or perhaps a customer needs help in setting up and using a welder. Hats off to the support team for going the extra mile to put a smile on every customer.
The work environment at Sunstone plays an important role in helping employees stay engaged and satisfied.Employee benefits are key to the success of a company. Hats off to Sunstone for making an environment that lifts employee’s morale and allows each of them to live up to their full potential.
Finally, hats off to Sunstone customers who have seen the potential of their own success through our micro welders. Every Sunstone team member appreciates the product choice our customers have made. To our customers I say, ‘Thank you!’ and add, ‘Just you wait and see what’s coming next!’