Problem: By late 2024, KLAW Industries had developed its first ball mill and a basic control system. However, as we began scaling production, the original control panel became a major bottleneck. Each panel cost $18,000, required five days to assemble, and contained numerous components that increased complexity and potential failure points.

At this point in the company, our team also had limited electronics and automation experience, making it difficult to develop the reliable, custom control systems needed for 24-hour unattended operation demanded by the business model.

Solution: I decided we needed to take the jump and bring control panel design and assembly in-house, developing the expertise needed to reduce costs, improve reliability, and rapidly iterate designs based on production feedback.

Through multiple design iterations, we reduced the cost per panel from $18,000 to $8,500 (53% reduction) while simplifying assembly and establishing an internal control panel manufacturing process.

Steps Taken

1) Reevaluate Requirements- Our inital requirements for the system were set when we designed the first ball mill module. Since then we had learned a LOT about what was needed, what was not, and what parts we may want to iterate/upgrade in the future.

2) Make an first draft design- Created a revised control panel design, selecting components and developing the electrical layout with an emphasis on simplicity, reliability, and cost.

3) Test Subsystems- Tested individual electrical and control subsystems to validate functionality, compatibility, and actual operating loads. Focused on eliminating unnecessary components by selecting multifunctional alternatives, such as a fused disconnect instead of separate breakers and disconnect switches. Measuring actual electrical loads also allowed us to right-size components, significantly reducing cost and complexity without compromising performance.

4) Build, deploy, iterate the first panel - Assembled the redesigned panel in-house and deployed it on an operating ball mill to evaluate performance under real production conditions. The initial build revealed several opportunities to simplify assembly. I also reexamined each subsystem and measured actual operating loads to identify oversized or undersized components, informing further improvements to cost, reliability, and design.

5) Implement Labor Reducing Panel Design - After several weeks of successful operation, I incorporated lessons from assembly and production into the next design. Leveraging our existing metal fabrication and powder coating capabilities, I developed a custom enclosure that reduced assembly labor by more than 50% (see photos).

6) Developing SOPs and Train Team Members- Assembled two additional panels myself, refining the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to make assembly repeatable without requiring detailed design knowledge. I then trained a team member on the entire assembly process, allowing me to delegate most of the work while maintaining consistent quality.

What I would do diffrently - I would build a dedicated testing station to verify each completed panel before installation. I learned that if assembly errors are not immediately obvious to the person performing the work, they go undetected until a later stage, when they are significantly more expensive to correct. A standardized testing process would catch these issues before deployment.