ISMR May 2026 | Page 41

FOCUS ON AUTOMATION

to process sheet metal products. Beyond technical capability, support played a major role for Worksport.
“ Prima Power’ s responsiveness and service really sealed it for us,” said Fred Winter, the lead PSBB operator.“ Any time we’ ve had issues, the team is right there with us. The support and training have been top-notch.”
Installed and operational within a year, the PSBB line now acts as the“ heartbeat” of the facility.
“ We can run coil to panel in under five minutes,” said Winter.“ It’ s incredibly efficient— especially with over 90 different products requiring custom lengths.” That speed translates into strategic agility.“ Our operation is basically built around the Prima Power cycle time,” Winter added.“ It sets the pace for everything.”
The integration hasn’ t just improved throughput. Worksport has also reduced material waste, enhanced quality and gained confidence in repeatability.
“ We even modified some parts of the machine to handle our delicate painted material,” Winter said.“ Now it runs clean, consistently— even overnight.”
Empowering its workforce
Despite being built around automation, Worksport’ s culture is anything but cold.
“ The goal was never to replace people,” said Bernaudo.“ Automation frees them to focus on higher-value tasks— and that builds pride.”
Winter, who joined the company when it had just four employees, agrees:“ This machine made me love sheet metal. We’ ve got the Ferrari of machines here.”
From training to troubleshooting, the Prima Power system has empowered the team to learn and grow.
“ We’ ve dealt with every kind of issue— sensor problems, encoder cables, you name it,” said Winter.“ Now we feel confident. The Prima Power team has helped us to learn and adapt.”
A focus on growth
With operations growing and hiring ramping up( from 60 to over 120 by year-end), Worksport is executing a clear vision.
“ We’ re growing aggressively, but not impatiently,” said Bernaudo.“ We’ re doing it step by step.”
That includes elevating truck bed covers to a new standard.“ Our competitors have lowered quality. We saw that and said:‘ We can do better,’” Bernaudo explained.
Worksport’ s products are built with the end user in mind— from thicker aluminium panels to smart, functional designs that hold up over time. These are all made in the United States in a facility that used to be a beer distribution centre but now produces truck bed covers and power systems.
Shear Genius is designed for high productivity with its integrated punching and shearing capabilities.
The Express Bender features an angle correction database and servo-electric technology.
Product examples.
Worksport offers premium, made-in-the- USA tonneau covers for pickup trucks.
Different materials can be made available quickly via FL( Fast Loading) Storage in the PSBB automated line.
Looking to the future
WorkSport isn’ t stopping at covers.“ We’ re building a full power ecosystem,” Bernaudo confirmed.“ The truck cover is just the start. Our solar-integrated cover and modular battery system open the door to adventure, independence and energy freedom.”
From off-grid film crews to weekend overlanders, Worksport sees its future in powering mobile life— built on the backbone of rugged, intelligently designed truck accessories.
“ It’ s not just about trucks,” said Bernaudo.“ It’ s about what trucks enable. We’ re giving our customers the tools to go farther and do more.”
At the centre of that journey is a bold investment in manufacturing— and a technology partner in Prima Power.
“ We bring people through our factory. They stop at the PSBB. It’ s the showpiece. It’ s the proof that we’ re serious,” concluded Winter. n

About Prima Power

With manufacturing facilities in Italy, Finland, USA and China, Prima Power creates integrated automated solutions for sheet metal customers worldwide. This includes a range of machinery and integrated solutions from laser processing, punching and bending to flexible manufacturing systems. Its products are developed in accordance with its“ Green Means” concept, combining sustainability and productivity.
www. worksport. com
www. primapower. com
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