Case study

Fender® production of iconic guitars powered by HP EliteDesk Handcrafted precision blends with HP technology in building 1,000 guitars daily

IndustryManufacturing

ObjectiveStandardize devices across all platforms for use in corporate offices, CAD in product engineering and factory floor automation

ApproachIdentify technology to meet the range of needs for mobility and in-office environments, high performance and speed for computer-aided product design and the reliability and durability required on the factory floor

IT matters• Performance of the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Small

Form Factor PC powers digital tooling equipment on the factory floor

• Durability of HP EliteDesk technology withstands the harsh factory environment of sawdust and debris

• Processing power of Z by HP technology supports creative engineering in new product development

Business matters• Hand-crafting blends with HP-powered computer

automation to scale production demands

• Reliability in HP EliteDesk technology supports uninterrupted guitar creation

• Standardizing to full HP portfolio for desktops, notebooks and workstations simplifies operations and IT management

“An American Strat is handled 172-plus times. The guitar manufacturing business is still very handcrafted. It’s not just an assembly line; it’s people and processes supported by HP EliteDesk technology.” – Tom Poltash, VP of business intelligence and global IT support, Fender

Fender handcrafted guitars revered by musicians around the world Fender® Guitar is a powerhouse company set on the world stage with global operations and audiences. Its guitars are sought after for their handcrafted beauty and consistent-quality sound. Protecting the legacy of Fender as a handcrafted guitar, while meeting the demands of global production, is a perfect harmony of artistry by its workers and computer automation powered by HP. Fender has integrated HP Elite technology and Z by HP to support its computer needs across operations.

Challenge

Craftmanship combines with computer-powered automationFender® is synonymous with rock history royalty and legendary concert performances. Memorabilia collectors seek out Fenders; the rarest are on display in museums. Leo Fender kicked off that history with Fender’s Radio Service in 1938, began tinkering with amplifiers, introduced the Telecaster® electric guitar and the Precision Bass® guitar in 1951 and unveiled the famous Stratocaster® in 1954. Today, Fender continues producing instruments revered by musicians across genres and around the world.

Today, more than 2,200 employees work at Fender and the company makes more than 1,000 guitars a day. Guitar models cover the gamut from the Telecaster and Stratocaster to Precision Bass and Jazz Bass® guitars. A number of specialty guitars are made globally including the EVH®, named for Eddie Van Halen; Jackson®, a heavy metal favorite; Charvel®, a hot rod guitar and Gretsch®, which is celebrating 136 years in business. Fender makes everything a guitarist needs from amplifiers to accessories including picks, strings and pedals.

In scaling the business to global production, Fender distinguishes its products with the timeless quality of its iconic instruments. Fender combines the craftmanship of the people involved in production and the consistency of computer-powered automation. Fender integrates HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Small Form Factor PCs with 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 processors.

Automated factory processes powered by HP The HP EliteDesk performance runs digital tooling equipment like CNC machines—the equivalent of an electronic luthier, used to precision cut guitar necks and bodies from blocks of wood. But rather than simply automating the process, Fender wants technology to empower its employees—many of them musicians themselves—to focus on doing what they do best: handcrafting beautiful guitars.

“It’s so interesting to see a guitar built at the Fender factory,” says Steph Maffei, IT support supervisor at Fender. “When you consider anything mass-produced, you think it’s strictly a robotic process, especially when you look at the quantity of guitars we build in the factory.”

“We rely on the involvement of a lot of people,” says Tom Poltash, VP of business intelligence and global IT support at Fender. “An American Strat is handled 172-plus times. The guitar manufacturing business is still very handcrafted. It’s not just an assembly line; it’s people and computers.”

But not just any computer can stand up to the sawdust and metal shavings covering the Fender factory floor—and everything else. “I’ve seen some pretty dirty computers,” laughs Nate Smith, an IT support lead at Fender’s headquarters in Scottsdale. “Generally, you don’t want a ton of wood particles covering the inside of a desktop.” For that reason, Fender needs durable, reliable PCs that keep production running. At the same time, Fender relies on the performance to run CAD design software and manage complex finance, inventory and supply chain data across the global organization’s 27 facilities.

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Case study | Fender

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Solution

HP devices streamline and scale productionFender depends on HP computers to help tackle these challenges. The company uses a range of HP desktops, notebooks and workstations running SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to manage every aspect of its operations.

“We use the HP EliteBook 840 G3 notebooks with the docking stations in office environments. We’re moving to the HP EliteBook 840 G5s, all with Windows® 10 Pro,” Smith says. R&D and business groups use HP ZBooks and are updating to the HP ZBook G5. HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Small Form Factor PCs are standard for the factory and some corporate offices.

Fender has a standard image for streamlined deployment and device management across its global operations, which range from the U.S., Mexico and Europe to Australia and Japan. “HP desktops and notebooks are configured for asset management, which provides capabilities for attaching remote services, asset tracking, lifecycle management, reporting, and more,” Smith adds.

Benefits

Power, durability and reliability keep production runningThe HP EliteDesk PCs are designed to pass MIL-STD 810G testing and have proven themselves in harsh shop conditions. “The HP EliteDesks are on the factory floor in the midst of flying sawdust.

“We’ve tried other computers that can’t take this kind of hostile environment,” says Maffei. “It’s a testament to HP that the technology is rugged enough to work reliably day after day.”

“We’ve seen some incredible examples of PCs that won’t quit,” Smith says. “We opened up a first-generation HP EliteDesk we had in the factory for years, and it was packed with a ton of sawdust. We all wondered how this thing was even turning on.” With an air compressor cleaning, a big cloud of debris exited, and the PC went back to work, he explains.

Poltash says Fender depends on HP’s reliability. “If a computer goes down in the factory, it will stop production,” he says. “And to produce that many guitars, everything has to be running all the time.”

Describing the way Fender makes a guitar — from cutting, sanding, painting, and polishing to installing the pickups and putting together pick guards and controls — Poltash and Maffei say that an HP EliteDesk, running SAP, tracks every step and every item in the process.

Fender also offers customization options for enthusiasts. In Fender’s “Parallel Universe” series, customers can order their own “creation” in a mash-up of one guitar neck and another guitar body, Poltash explains. “When the factory team is putting together something new, like a Telecaster and Stratocaster, they need to see how it morphs into a new custom model,” he says. “With the HP EliteDesk PC displaying it on screen, everyone can visualize the creation to come.”

Case study | Fender

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Case study | Fender

© Copyright 2019 HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Fender®, Precision Bass®, Telecaster®, Stratocaster®, Jazz Bass®, EVH®, Jackson®, Charvel® and Gretsch® are trademarks of Fender Guitars. Intel® Core™ are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

4AA7-4582ENW, March 2019

HP PC portfolio at workA full portfolio of HP devices is deployed at Fender, Poltash explains. In R&D, engineers and designers use HP ZBooks running PADS or SolidWorks 3D CAD software to design different aspects of the guitars, amplifiers, circuit boards, knobs, buttons and speakers. The finance department uses HP EliteDesk PCs configured with upgraded RAM, processing speed and solid-state drives. HP EliteBooks support video conferencing, file sharing, and VPN and FTP sites to facilitate global collaboration.

Fender protects its productivity from threats with antivirus software and multi-factor authentication along with the hardened security features of HP EliteDesks, HP EliteBooks and HP ZBooks. HP secures the foundation of PCs with solutions that are enforced by the hardware for stronger protection.

“ The HP EliteDesk PCs are on the factory floor in the midst of flying sawdust. We’ve tried other computers that can’t take this kind of environment. It’s a testament to HP that the technology is rugged enough to work reliably day after day.”– Steph Maffei, IT support supervisor, Fender

Continuity across the globeStandardization makes a big difference for the global manufacturer as well. “Having everybody on the same page with the same equipment is huge. It’s easy to support folks when they’re traveling from facility to facility because everyone’s familiar with the HP device models,” Smith says, adding that the HP Smart Buy program is crucial to continuity. “If we’re shipping 30 computers to Australia, we need to make sure that they’re getting the same devices. That’s a huge factor in why we chose HP. I don’t know if I would be able to do what I do without trusting that HP is providing me the exact same hardware as I am creating here.”

Collaboration and results from trusted partnersFender works with an HP certified partner to purchase and deploy computers around the globe. “They’ve been a wonderful asset for us. They’re very attentive and personal with us. I can send an email to our rep and he’ll get back to me sometimes within just minutes. They definitely are there for us, and we can rely on that,” Smith says.

“HP desktops, notebooks and workstations are a critical part of the organization’s success and having HP as a partner is phenomenal. HP stays on top of things—and I know we’re not a big fish,” Poltash says, noting that HP and our HP certified partner go out of their way to help the mid-sized organization manage everything from purchases and upgrades to tariffs in different countries.

Smith concludes, “If somebody pushed us to a competitor, I would go at it like a street fighter to keep HP. It’s just that good of a scenario.”

Learn more at hp.com/go/Elite

Customer at a glance

Hardware• HP EliteBook 840 G3 Notebook PC

• HP EliteBook 840 G5 Notebook PC

• HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Small Form Factor PC

• HP ZBook 17 G5 Mobile Workstation