Break the manufacturing automation and test equipment log jam.

There is a “perfect storm” when it comes to custom manufacturing automation and validated custom test equipment development. A combination of current events and long-term trends makes it very challenging to have a well-engineered, validated custom product test system or manufacturing automation developed. The reasons for this situation include:

  1. The current and debilitating impact of a global pandemic and its negative effect on workforce availability inhibits conventional custom equipment design firms (and all firms) from developing systems in a timely manner. (A Circular Problem: Labor Shortages and Expanded Manufacturing Automation | Automation World)
  2. Business practices and strategies of the ’70s and ’80s initiated significant losses in the machine tool industry (the machines that are used to make the components for machinery) and the loss of custom machine builders in the US, as work migrated to Asia. Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of American Manufacturing – Hardinge
  3. There is a shortage of engineers with custom equipment design, development, and validation experience. This shortage is acute if you need your new equipment or test systems to leverage the advantages of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI).
  4. Supply chain stability-driven reshoring of products as a result of the global pandemic has created explosive new demand for equipment development that is only leading to extended backlogs.

As a result, the ability to have custom equipment systems developed by traditional sourcing strategies is nearly completely disabled.

“Non-traditional” Hybrid Sourcing Solutions for Custom Equipment

A largely untapped supply chain strategy for the development and procurement of machinery in these difficult times is a “hybrid” approach; engineering services companies that have partnered with contract design and manufacturing organizations (CDMO’s) to develop and deliver validated custom product automation systems and specialized test machines. This approach is particularly effective in the medical device manufacturing, pharmaceutical drug delivery device market, and specialty high-performance automation markets.

Typically, the hybrid approach is much deeper and more agile with respect to:

  • the physics of machine performance,
  • the ability to integrate advanced instrumentation and sensors,
  • the enablement of effective machine learning and artificial intelligence,
  • robustness of the software development process
  • flexibility to consider alternate designs and solutions, even if they appear late in the development process.

One example of a hybrid partnership is the relationship between Stress Engineering Services, Mason, Ohio, and Force-4 Innovation and Collaboration Group. The uniqueness of this hybrid partnership enables a development model that overcomes some of the limitations and lack of flexibility that occurs with traditional sourcing approaches. Attributes of the hybrid model include engineers experienced in:

Custom Product Test Equipment and Systems

If the testing or automation needs are not ‘standard’, the fastest path to a solution is likely the hybrid approach of an engineering services organization with experience in custom machine development and systems integration engaged with a full-service contract design and manufacturing organization.

Engineering services firms that have aligned themselves with contract design and manufacturing organizations can bring together the physics-based understanding with agile design, manufacturing, and project management services of a CDMO (Custom and Standardized Testing – Stress Engineering Services, Inc) to rapidly develop validated hardware and software solutions.

Custom and Standardized Testing

Custom Product Test Equipment

Product Manufacturing Automation and Production Test Systems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The projections of a shrinking manufacturing workforce are in direct opposition to the projected reshoring demand for products manufactured in the United States (Is US Manufacturing Losing Its Toolbox? | IndustryWeek). Business Continuity Planners in many companies understand this macro trend and are looking to automation to remove manual and attended aspects of production processes to meet future product demand.

Some of the CDMO-engineering services partnerships are also adept at developing high-speed custom automation machinery. The form of the automation may be product making, assembly, or testing.

High-speed, sub-component making and machine for a paper-based product.

Automated custom Medical Device production test system

Uniqueness and Tradeoffs with the Hybrid Approach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A subset of circumstances that typically drive manufacturers to consider a hybrid approach includes:

  • The schedule is aggressive.
  • The need for advanced and broad engineering, design, human factors, software engineering, and problem-solving skills is high.
  • Agility and flexibility of the development process are critical (a common thread for medical device and drug delivery systems).
  • Ability to feed documentation directly into Design Control (medical and pharma device).
  • Validation of equipment or machine is part of the services delivery package.
  • Extensive laboratory, data acquisition, and instrumentation to support the development process are needed.
  • Flexibility to create or modify the development model to meet the needs of the client.

A misleading, but the common point of differentiation between a conventional machine builder and a hybrid partnership is that the conventional machine builder may also carry the entire burden of in-house machine building capability. If they do, there is always a strong desire to keep as much of the machining work ‘in-house’, as possible.

Although there are times when in-house machining is an attribute, it can be a double-edged sword because your project becomes a victim of their workload and backlog. Engineering services-CDMO hybrid partnerships have the flexibility to source the manufacturing of components to a range of shops to get the work done as fast and efficiently as possible.

Best Solution for the Right Need

For the right project, whether it be schedule-related or technical complexity-driven, the hybrid engineering services-contract design manufacturing organization model can be the fastest path to meeting an equipment development need. It’s a solution worth considering!


 

Authors

  • Clint Haynes, founder of the Cincinnati office of Stress Engineering Services, has steadily grown the Cincinnati practice area while introducing breakthrough capabilities. He has a specialized focus on areas of medical, outdoor, and product innovation.
  • Mike Johnson, Director, has more than 30 years of innovation in product development, design control, new product transfers, and short-run manufacturing.
  • Lori Sherman, Product Development Engineer, has more than 25 years of innovation applying engineering, operations, manufacturing, and management in the automotive and aerospace industries.

Ref: B003-ED-Break the Custom Automation & Test Equipment