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Process
We have designed our phased development process to deterministically produce robust, tailor-made solutions to your manufacturing challenges. In this collaborative approach, we seek mutual understanding between all project stake holders to ensure alignment of key features and capabilities early on to reduce risk and accelerate through machine building and integration. Each distinct phase is an individual paid engagement that solidifies the concept further and, in turn, streamlines and informs each subsequent phase. The outcome is a machine that perfectly meets your production requirements while delivering ease of ownership and value for the life of the machine.
Phase 1
Concept Development
Sound ideas start with shared understanding. We begin our customer partnerships by asking thoughtful questions, challenging assumptions, and listening carefully for concerns, areas of risk, and potential areas of opportunity. By broadening our definition of the problem, we can explore all possibilities in a realistic way. Multiple concept options are developed which enable all stakeholders to determine the direction of our viability testing from here.
This phase is generally a stand-alone, paid time & materials engagement that can range from 80 hours of engineering for a simple machine to as much as 200 hours of engineering for a complex machine. Deliverables from this phase include a machine concept, high-level project scope and machine requirements, identification of areas of risk, and a budgetary estimate and schedule for the next phase (or phases).
Phase 2
Concept Refinement
The partnership expands in this phase as we bring together more members of our team and yours and test concepts identified in Phase 1, share test results, summarize findings, and invite feedback. This enables us to identify and develop plans to mitigate risks while engaging in a lively exchange of ideas that promotes long-term solution reliability. With the concept, project scope and machine requirements refined, we have a clearer budgetary picture of subsequent phases and we’re ready to order long-lead components and dive deeper into the machine design.
Phase 3
Design
We continue to engage your team through this design phase by discussing feature options and design refinements as we work toward optimization of the machine configuration for your needs. Possible variations of the design are discussed with an eye toward process flow and efficiency, safety and ergonomics, ease of maintenance, spare parts commonality, and economics. This discussion establishes common expectations and understanding between your team and ours. Together, we will narrow from all possibilities down to what is essential, seeking a machine that is well suited for the production role that it fulfills. From here, we have a firm foundation and fixed price budget on which to proceed with the manufacture of your solution.
Phase 4
Build
The build phase benefits and is streamlined by the high degree of involvement and understanding of the build team up to this point. Mechanical, electrical, and systems engineers come together with fabricators, machinists, and technicians to uncover any final opportunities to simplify the build process. Each perspective helps streamline the process of bringing the concept to life in our facility and improve odds for a successful outcome as we bring the machine to production readiness.
Phase 5
Factory Acceptance Test
We invite members of your team to join us and view the machine in operation in our facility. In addition to operating the machine in production conditions, our team shares insights on the operation of and care for the system in your production environment. We additionally begin training operators and maintenance technicians in best practices while discussing and implementing improvements that can enhance usability and machine efficiency. Costs for this phase are billed at Time and Material rates and vary based on machine complexity and number of production tests involved in the FAT agreement.
Phase 6
Installation to Start-Up
When the machine arrives at your plant, our team joins yours through installation, commissioning, start-up, Customer Acceptance Testing, and training. This is the final T&M engagement where we work with your team to streamline machine integration with upstream and downstream equipment to maximize the operating window for the production line as a whole. We work side by side with your operators and technicians to ensure a complete technology transfer, enabling your team to support the system with confident competence.
