Streamlining the Production Process with Phillips Opto

“Now we go home on time, orders are caught up, and the robot paid for itself in six months.” – L&W Fab 

L&W Fab set out to become the largest UTV aftermarket parts producer in the U.S., while keeping every product made in America. But like many job shops, they faced serious challenges as demand grew. Employees were working 60–65 hours a week, the backlog had grown to more than 150 orders, and scaling up seemed impossible without adding staff or floor space. Something had to change. 

Partnering with the Phillips OPTO team of Application Engineers, L&W Fab installed a collaborative robot for CNC machine tending. The integration was quick—just forty-eight hours from delivery to production—and required no floorplan changes or major reprogramming. From day one, the robot began running two extra shifts overnight, producing two days’ worth of parts while the shop was empty. By morning, orders were ready for downstream work, the backlog disappeared, and operators were able to focus on higher-value tasks. 

The results were immediate and sustained. Overtime has been at zero for more than eighteen months. The same output is achieved across three shifts with two fewer operators. The return on investment came in just six months through labor savings and increased throughput, all while keeping production consistent and reliable. 

“It’s changed everything. We still hit our numbers, but now we have our weekends back.” – L&W Fab 

For job shops facing backlogs, labor strain, and long hours, L&W Fab’s story proves that targeted automation can be the difference between falling behind and running ahead — without outsourcing overseas.