Fueling High-End Performance: How Silicon Graphics Integrated Automation for Control and Flexibility
The Client: Silicon Graphics (SGI)
Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI), founded in 1981, was a leading manufacturer of advanced graphics-focused computer systems with global operations in California, Switzerland, and Japan. As output demand accelerated, SGI needed to increase production scale without sacrificing model flexibility or product quality.
SGI partnered with FloStor to modernize end-to-end manufacturing flow and consolidate previously split operations into a more efficient, high-control environment.
The Challenge
- Manual Handling and Ergonomic Risk: Teams manually moved heavy boxes (up to 40 lbs.) across key steps, creating safety strain and slowing throughput.
- Throughput Ceiling: The existing process was maxed at roughly 100 to 150 units per day, well below projected growth requirements.
- Fragmented Multi-Building Workflow: High-end and low-end lines were distributed across two facilities totaling 165,000 sq ft, adding transport friction and process complexity.
- Model Volatility and Reconfiguration Needs: Short product life cycles required a flexible system that could quickly adapt to changing workstation and testing requirements.
- Testing and Burn-In Bottlenecks: Manual offloading and reloading for long burn-in windows (10 to 48 hours) introduced delays, handling risk, and avoidable intervention.
The Solution
FloStor designed and integrated a multi-phase conveyor architecture that connected assembly, burn-in, final test, pack-out, and shipping staging into one coordinated production flow. Rather than adding isolated equipment, the project reengineered how units moved, powered, and queued through each stage.
The implementation consolidated operations into SGI’s 100,000 sq ft low-end facility and introduced control-ready infrastructure to scale output while preserving line flexibility.
Systems Used
- Elevated Conveyor Highways: Off-floor conveyor routing improved personnel and vehicle traffic conditions while maintaining continuous product movement.
- Integrated Power Pallets: Specialized powered pallets kept units on-conveyor through testing and burn-in stations, eliminating repeated manual loading and unloading.
- Modular Reconfigurable Test Stations: Movable station architecture enabled fast adaptation to new model requirements and changing line priorities.
- Vertical Lifts and Multi-Level Conveyance: Integrated lift and incline systems connected production phases across elevations without forklift dependency.
- Flow Rack Shipping Staging and Take-Away Conveyance: Finished goods were staged, pulled, and routed to shipping with automated transfer continuity.
- Proven Hytrol Platform and Integrated Controls: SPA/SP conveyors, pop-up transfers, and controls logic (with Serra Systems) delivered reliable orchestration across all phases.
The Power of Integration in Action
FloStor’s integrator role unified mechanical handling, electrical systems, controls software, and workstation design into one execution model. The result was an end-to-end workflow where units could move from assembly through burn-in and final test without the repetitive manual interruptions that had constrained output.
Crucially, installation was phased to avoid production shutdown, allowing SGI to keep shipping while transitioning to the new architecture.
The Results
SGI converted a labor-intensive, space-constrained operation into a scalable and highly reliable production system built for both growth and model variability. The integrated flow removed critical bottlenecks and enabled sustained high-volume performance.
With conveyor-based continuity and modular station logic, the operation gained the flexibility to handle new product introductions while maintaining tighter process control.
Key Performance Gains
- Throughput Increase: Capacity rose from approximately 100 to 150 units/day to around 400 units/day across three product lines
- Space Productivity: Consolidated from 165,000 sq ft across two buildings into a 100,000 sq ft operation while tripling output
- Implementation Continuity: System installed in phased rollout under six months with no production shutdown required
- Operational Reliability: Platform supported extended high-demand operation, including near-24/7 peak usage with minimal disruption
Why This Worked
This project succeeded because SGI and FloStor optimized the full manufacturing sequence rather than automating isolated tasks. Every phase was designed for continuity, flexibility, and production resiliency.
- End-to-End Process Integration: Assembly, burn-in, testing, pack-out, and shipping were connected into a unified flow with fewer handoff failures.
- Design for Flexibility: Modular stations and reconfigurable paths supported frequent model changes without full-line redesign.
- Operator Safety and Efficiency: Power pallet handling reduced repetitive heavy lifting and improved ergonomic conditions at scale.
- Scalable Architecture with Proven Components: Mature conveyor technologies combined with custom integration created reliability without sacrificing growth capacity.
Related Services
- System Integration and Controls Engineering
- Conveyor and Lift-Based Manufacturing Flow Design
- Modular Workstation and Test-Line Optimization
- Installation, Commissioning, and Lifecycle Support