Custom Machines & Special-Purpose Equipment
End-to-end custom machine design and special purpose machinery: concept, mechanical design, servo motion, pneumatics, vacuum, fixtures & tooling, prototyping, UL 508A control panels, Rockwell ControlLogix integration, vision & sensing, safety, FAT/SAT, validation, and lifecycle maintenance.
custom machine builderspecial purpose machineservo indexingpoka-yokehygienic designUL 508AISO 12100GAMP 5
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TL;DR
Use Cases & Examples
Our Process
Mechanical Design
Motion, Pneumatics & Vacuum
Controls & Software
Vision, Sensing & Traceability
Safety & Compliance
Validation & Documentation
Maintenance & Spares
Project Management & Risk
Technical RFQ Checklist
Industries We Serve
FAQs
TL;DR — What You Get
One accountable custom machinery partner from URS → concept → design → build → FAT/SAT → startup. We engineer for throughput, safety, sanitation, and serviceability—so the machine delivers day one and for years to come.
+10–40%
throughput gain
−30–70%
manual touches
<18 mo
typical payback
PL d/e
safety performance level
Use Cases & Examples
Feeding, Orienting & Denesting
Custom bowl feeders, escapements, denesters, and orienters sized for SKU mix, speed, and product geometry.special purpose machine
Assembly & Test Fixtures
Leak test, vision verify, torque/force, and poka-yoke assembly with traceable results and serialized records.fixtures & tooling
Packaging Modules
Custom infeed conditioning, collators, inserters, lane dividers, and servo indexers for packers/cartoners.custom packaging equipment
Sanitary Equipment
Stainless steel, washdown drives, sloped surfaces, and hygienic fasteners for food, beverage, and pharma.hygienic design
Machine Retrofits
New tooling, drives, and controls to extend life, expand formats, and improve safety on legacy assets.modernization
Robotics Integration
Pick, place, tend, and palletize with custom end-of-arm tooling, singulation, and metering conveyors.robotic integration
Our Process
URS & Concept
Define user requirements, constraints, risks, and acceptance criteria. Create concepts with trade-offs and TCO.
Design & Simulation
3D CAD, motion studies, and FEA where needed. Sanitary, maintainable layouts with access and clear guarding.
Prototype & Prove-Out
Critical mechanisms prototyped early to retire risk before the full build.
Build & FAT
UL 508A panel build, mechanical fab/machining, wiring, and **Factory Acceptance Test** against URS.
SAT & Startup
Site Acceptance Test, operator/maintenance training, spares kit, and performance signoff.
Support
Preventive maintenance, updates, and lifecycle engineering to keep performance on target.
Mechanical Design
Materials & Finish
304/316 stainless, aluminum, UHMW, FDA-compliant plastics; NEMA 4X enclosures for washdown; IP65+ as required.
Hygienic & Washdown
Open frames, slope-to-drain, sealed threads, and cleanable cable routing for sanitary environments.
Serviceability
Tool-less guards, standard components, and clear access for quick changeovers and maintenance.
Motion, Pneumatics & Vacuum
Servo Motion
Servo axes, cams, and indexing tuned for rate and precision with soft limits and safe recovery states.
Pneumatics
Regulated circuits, flow controls, and proper sizing to minimize bounce and extend component life.
Vacuum & EOAT
Venturi or pump-based vacuum, cup selection, and mechanical assists for porous or delicate products.
Controls & Software
Rockwell ControlLogix
Readable ladder/ST with diagnostics, alarms, and fault codes. PanelView HMIs with recipes and guided recovery.
UL 508A Panels
Proper SCCR, wire sizing, VFDs/servos, labeling, and documented schematics for safe service.
Data & OEE
Counters, downtime codes, batch/lot logging, and lightweight reports for continuous improvement.
Vision, Sensing & Traceability
Machine Vision
Optics and lighting selected for real defects and features; presence, position, and OCR/code verification.
Smart Sensing
Photoeyes, encoders, lasers, load cells, and proxes for reliable detection and feedback.
Traceability
Lot/date/serial capture with reject tracking and searchable history for audits and root cause.
Safety & Compliance
Risk Assessment
ISO 12100 and ANSI B11 methodology; hazards mitigated with guarding, light curtains, scanners, interlocks, and e-stops.
Performance Levels
Safety circuits designed to ISO 13849 with PL d/e targets; validated and documented for signoff.
CE marking, OSHA principles, lockout/tagout provisions, and electrical codes addressed as required.
Validation & Documentation
GAMP 5 Approach
Risk-based documentation scaled to system complexity for regulated industries.
URS → IQ/OQ/PQ
Traceable protocols, training records, and change control aligned to cGMP and 21 CFR Part 820 when applicable.
Maintenance & Spares
Preventive Maintenance
Lubrication points, belt/roller checks, vacuum integrity, firmware/recipe backups, and inspection logs.
Critical Spares
Risk-based list for belts, cups, sensors, cables, reducers, and control components with lead times.
Service & Upgrades
Emergency support, enhancements, and performance tuning over the machine’s life.
Project Management & Risk
Stage Gates
Requirements freeze, design review, build review, FAT, SAT, and closeout—no surprises.
Schedule Integrity
Long-lead procurement tracked early; weekly progress with punch-list burn-down.
Change Control
Clear impacts on scope, cost, and timing documented and approved before execution.
Technical RFQ Checklist
Product & Rates
- SKUs, dimensions, weights, tolerances
- Target units/hour and changeover frequency
- Upstream/downstream interfaces
Environment & Utilities
- Hygienic/washdown, temperature, dust/moisture
- Power, air, vacuum, network
- Footprint and ceiling height
Mechanics & Motion
- Payloads, reach, cycle time, accuracy
- Materials and surface finishes
- EOAT/tooling requirements
Controls & Data
- ControlLogix, HMI, VFDs/servos
- Alarms, recipes, recovery states
- OEE signals, lot/serial logging
Safety & Validation
- Required PL, guarding preferences
- URS, IQ/OQ/PQ scope
- Compliance targets (CE, cGMP)
Industries We Serve
Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage, Nutraceuticals & Supplements, Medical Device & Pharma, Cosmetics & Personal Care, plus adjacent markets such as Pet Food and Household Chemicals.
FAQs
Build new or retrofit?
We recommend the path with the best ROI and risk profile—new where speed/format demands it, retrofit when structure and mechanics are sound.
How do you control project risk?
Early prototypes on critical mechanisms, stage gates, and clear acceptance criteria reduce surprises.
What about sanitation?
Hygienic frames, washdown-rated components, and cleanable layouts support sanitation cycles and audits.
Do you service machines you didn’t build?
Yes. We maintain and upgrade controls, drives, vision, and mechanics across many OEMs.
Ready to scope a custom machine?
Bring your URS, SKUs, and target rates. We will propose a concept, timeline, and budget that solves the problem with the right level of complexity.Talk to an engineer