Tommy Gate: Custom Andon Project

Tommy Gate has been building lift gates in the United States since 1965. It's a real manufacturing shop, blue-collar, hands-on, and proud of it. The lift gates that come off their line help small businesses get the job done all over the country.

Caleb Mether at Tommy Gate had a pacing problem on one of their assembly lines and an idea for how to fix it. Here's how we worked together to build a custom wireless Andon system to solve his problem.

Setting the Pace with Stack-Light Commander

The line in question has six operators, each working at their own station. Before the assembly can proceed to the next step, every operator must complete their task. One station running behind holds up the other five.

Caleb had an innovative idea. Put a stack light right next to every station and a display that counts down the time allotted for each task.  He wanted operators to be able to see at a glance whether they are on pace. 

Caleb called Stack-Light, and we worked together to turn the concept into a working system. We built custom wireless stack lights for each of the six stations and paired them with a custom timer app. We assisted in setting up the system at the factory and had an opportunity to see how Tommy Gate manufactures its lifts. 

Caleb's idea worked out perfectly. When an operator starts a task, the timer counts down, and the stack light changes color as the deadline approaches. The light is green, while there's plenty of time. It turns amber when time is running out and red if they're holding up the line. The time left is displayed on a monitor that everyone can see. Having a visual factory system like this has prevented downtime and sped up production.

Andon lights set the pace

When the pace timer is visible, the whole line tightens up. Operators self-correct before they hold up their teammates. Supervisors can spot a stuck station from across the shop, and the data the system collects shows the team where the real bottlenecks are.

Since the system is wireless, there are no conduit runs and limited IT involvement. The secure mesh network extends the system's range across the shop floor. This saves installation time and improves reliability.

American-Built Andon Systems

Tommy Gate has built lift gates in the Midwest since 1965. They were designed and built by Delbert "Bus" Brown, who sold them to local farmers to ease their workload. Delbert had a personal relationship with his customers and their success.

Here at Stack-Light, we love stories like Tommy Gate's and being a part of helping our partners achieve their goals. The wireless Andon system Caleb is running today was developed and built a little North of Atlanta in Buford, GA. We are happy to carry on the tradition of American hard work and ingenuity.

Let's Team Up on Your Andon Project

We believe in building a personal relationship with our customers. This is why we are committed to having a real human answer the phone. When Ideas like Caleb's come up, we want to hear them and help.  If you have a problem on your shop floor with pacing, OEE, or custom signaling, give us a call. We'll talk it through with you and work with you to come up with a solution that is perfect for your project.

"The Stack- Light team took the time to understand our processes and was quick to provide a tailored solution that is perfect for our assembly line."

Caleb Mether - Engineer