Zootility Co. is equipping people to “MacGyver” their way out of life’s everyday problems with stainless steel multitools that are thin enough to fit in a wallet or a pocket. Shop owner Nate Barr started with a single product – the PocketMonkey, a 12 function TSA compliant tool that includes screwdrivers, bottle openers, and more – to a full line of slim profile multi-tasking tools that make their way into the pockets, purses and backpacks of his customers.
To reach commercial production levels, Barr sought out vendors via Thomas Net, to produce the product line, but found the process tedious. He decided to control his supply change and bring operations in-house. In order to produce one of the products – the WildCard – Barr required a laser cutter that could meet the tight tolerances needed for manufacture of the product.
It was the reputation of Assembly Automation Alternatives Inc., and its owner and CEO Mehdi Soghrati, P.Eng., that first sparked Barr’s interest in the Ontario, Canada-based company. “Third-party sources said Mehdi was someone you could trust and that he would stand by you,” Barr says. “That got my attention because we couldn’t get service with the other machine.”
After looking at other OEMs, Zootility installed an Assembly Automation 1kW FLC-4848-1000-PE laser in 2016. Assembly Automation married enhanced optics and a programmable assist gas system in their RubyLaser with a specialty power control algorithm to minimize the heat-affected zone and eliminate warpage. This combination guaranteed the accuracy and edge quality vital to Barr’s application.
The machine cuts stainless sheet in thicknesses ranging from .040 in. to .080 in. 10 hours a day. “It runs well,” says Barr. “We’re growing again. We’ve been able to double the number of products we offer.” Assembly Automation has helped Barr achieve his “Made In America” goal. His useful multitools are appealing to a wide variety of customers from the outdoor adventurer to the executive that prefers roughing it at a hotel.
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