Why an engineer runs a machine shop.

We build a patented autonomous robot, write the software that inspects the parts, and cut them ourselves. The two halves of our business are not a diversification. They are the same skill applied twice.

The short version

Design and manufacture, not one or the other

Most machine shops are run by machinists. Most engineering firms have never had to hold a tolerance on a real machine. We sit in the overlap because that is where the interesting problems are.

In practice this means your job is quoted by someone who has designed machines, written the control code, and stood at the machine when the first part came off. Trouble in a print shows up at quote time instead of at first article.

People

Who you work with

Sam Barbee, owner of Hytex Robotics

Sam Barbee

Owner and principal engineer
Sam Barbee, background
PatentsUS 12,421,042 — autonomous mobile case-picking robot
BuiltProPick — mechanics, electronics, controls and software
Also builtOur quality management software, top to bottom
Day to dayQuoting and engineering, from the shop floor
Our own software

Our shop runs on software we wrote

When our process needs something the off-the-shelf tools do not do, we build it rather than work around it.

How it is used

How this shows up

What it means for your job

  • 01

    A no comes early

    If a part is a poor fit for our capabilities, you find out in the first reply.

  • 02

    Feedback on the print

    Comments come back marked on the drawing, about manufacturability and cost. Nothing changes without your written approval.

  • 03

    No handoffs

    Your job is quoted, programmed, machined and inspected in one room. Nothing gets lost between departments.

Location

Wylie, Texas

We are in Wylie, on the northeast side of Dallas–Fort Worth, so most of the metro is inside a same-day hand delivery.

Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm. Visitors are welcome by appointment only.

Next step

Start with a real part

The fastest way to evaluate a shop is to give it something to make. Send a drawing and a quantity.