DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURING - Agility Fuel Systems

The Challenge

When you’ve got a high-volume product, searching for new ways to reduce your manufacturing costs is a full-time job.

Just ask ControlTek customers at Agility Fuel Solutions, makers of the Agility natural gas fuel system for heavy-duty vehicles. These fuel system controllers are widely used in both industrial trucks and buses, where they have been industry favorites for over 20 years.

The team at Agility approached ControlTek looking for a manufacturer for a new controller design. During the initial engineering review, ControlTek engineers discovered they could also provide substantial savings with some simple design modifications. Our team also noted some missing circuit elements that could provide additional protection against the harsh conditions the controllers operated in.

Our Solution

After identifying these potential savings-creating modifications, the ControlTek team applied our expertise to update the circuit design and layout and mechanical design of the product, including an additional custom-molded enclosure for extra protection.

Our team also worked closely with Agility to create a new testing experience that could reduce testing time and automatically capture test data by serial number for analysis and tracking purposes. The new test process could reduce testing time by as much as 90% to further speed up production.

The Results

The results have been nothing short of spectacular. The design and layout changes meant cutting manufacturing costs in half. Over time, these savings have grown to $1,000,000 in production costs and have created an enduring partnership between our two companies.