5 Ways the Internet of Things Will Transform Manufacturing

From Plymouth to TeslaIf you think the rise of the Internet over the past 45 years has been awe-inspiring… buckle up and keep your eyes on the road ahead. The Internet is now merging together with the real world at a meteoric pace and grand scale.

You are no doubt familiar with this “marriage” between the Internet and real world.  It’s the Internet of Things, or IoT.  It’s a whole new revolution that is changing entire industries in countless ways.

IoT is not a revolutionary breakthrough that just popped up yesterday, of course. Take IoT in transportation and home automation, for example.  For years now, we’ve been checking traffic online in real-time before we leave the office… then summoning Uber and Lyft cars via our smartphones… and telling our smart thermostats to dial our homes to a comfy 75 degrees by the time the Uber drops us off at our front door.

Regardless of the many great IoT breakthroughs we’ve seen to date, we have definitely seen nothing yet.  In fact, IoT appears to be not just in the first inning of the ballgame, but perhaps the first pitch.

For our 49 years in manufacturing, our world has been defined by geometries, tolerances, materials, finishes and many other physical constraints.  Much different, of course, from my friends in software whose world is defined by code, data, algorithms and “soft” constraints.

With the rapid evolution of sensors, artificial intelligence, robotics and more, we are seeing our two worlds collide.  The software world and the real world.  The computer-networked Internet with the emerging Internet of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, factories, and anything made of atoms. One day, we’ll even have the Internet of the human body (but let’s digress and stick to the Internet of THINGS for now).

Our physical “things” will be more and more embedded, out-of-the-box, with sensors, electronics, actuators, software, and Internet connectivity all built-in.  The “things” will sense and collect data, and communicate with other “things” and computers.

The benefits and efficiencies that IoT will offer will extend far beyond the consumer products sector, of course. The impact that IoT will have on the manufacturing world, specifically, will be extraordinary.  In fact, it already is extraordinary.

Here at Specialty Design, we have our eyes on the road ahead in terms of Industrial IoT.  I want to outline just 5 examples of how we anticipate IoT will improve manufacturing here at Specialty and across the globe.  Some of these benefits are already happening today, and some will surely come in the near to distant future:

1) You can already start to utilize IoT today.  Sure, you say… IoT provides great benefits and all, but how can a long-established factory justify an investment in IoT that would require re-building the entire facility from the ground up?

I’ve been following an exciting tech start-up that provides a solution — a plug-and-play IoT solution, actually.  They are n-Join, and they have installed their plug-and-play IoT systems with companies that manufacture products ranging from nylon fibers to pudding snacks — including Coca-Cola facilities on multiple continents.

The n-Join team can enter a pre-existing factory, such as a Coca-Cola bottling facility, and enable its desktop-sized device to listen to and analyze 100% of the data from the plant’s diverse machines in real-time.  n-Join’s system can then use that information to provide customized insights and tools to the plant’s management.  Engineers instantly have at their disposal: Unprecedented visibility across the entire production line, forensic and root cause analyses capabilities to detect system bottlenecks and diagnose production problems, and the ability to proactively identify opportunities for preventative maintenance. The fact that an IoT system can be plug-and-play and provide these benefits is amazing.

A self-adapting, autonomous, user-friendly, easy to install, and affordable IoT platform is available not in 5-10 years, but today.  The vision is to “transform any factory into a smart factory.”

2) We’ll continue to make worksites safer.  IoT will provide another layer of safety in dangerous industries that simply can’t have enough safety checks: Mining, oil drilling, foundries, chemical plants, hospitals.  IoT could provide the safety feedback that could prevent another BP deepwater oil drilling tragedy, or a Chilean mining disaster.

One IoT installer, for example, has developed an end-to-end miner safety program that provides real-time communication between miners, machines and operators.  Or, a marketplace of smart air-quality sensors is emerging to alert people about temperature, humidity, dust, carbon dioxide, toxic chemical, and overall air quality abnormalities.

The workers and end users from an IoT-connected factory will benefit from external data in the networked system as well.  A real-time external database could notify sensors in food processing plants to test for recently reported bacterial or viral strains.  E. Coli could be caught in a distribution plant well before being served to a Chipotle customer.  Or weather services and/or ocean sensors could communicate detailed data to shipping captains, and help prevent maritime disaster from storms.

3) We (humans) will be free to work on more value-added projects.  My brother works for IBM Watson, who is on the vanguard of IoT and cognitive computing (or AI) in the medical field.  As he can attest, Watson is already assisting doctors and helping patients in incredible ways.  One way, for example, is to have Watson scan patient data and present anomalies to doctors up-front.  Watson can read the data with lightning speed and compare a patient’s labs to patterns from thousands of other patients’ labs uploaded to the platform. Doctors can then devote time instead to more value-added projects, save hours of time in the process, and patients receive more focused and informed care plans.

If we can utilize IoT and AI to help the complex human body, we will surely utilize these technologies to help improve our equipment and factories as well.  Pharmaceutical researchers, for example, will use IoT, AI and robotics to more efficiently automate the formulation of new drugs.  The net gain of productivity from the automation will reduce time-to-market for drugs, and allow researchers to focus on the most complex and/or urgent medical needs.

At one of their installation sites, n-Join’s system discovered opportunities for significant cost and time savings on critical cleaning operations.  Before their IoT implementation, fluctuating soda concentrations would compromise the cleaning process and lead to overuse of the expensive material, release of contaminated water, and investment of significant time to track down the source and frequency of the problem.  n-Join’s IoT solution provided all the necessary visual data to pinpoint the source of the problem, monitor the problem going forward, eliminate waste, save money, lessen the environmental impact, and allow the engineers to focus on other critical plant improvements.  All thanks to IoT… all in a days work!

4) IoT will monitor the supply chain and provide immense cost savings.  With the proliferation of low-cost, accurate and connected sensors, automated factories will become more and more efficient.  Assembly lines may soon tap into IoT to self-diagnose and repair themselves.  When perishable tooling such as cutters, inserts and drill bits become worn-down, equipment will not only swap out the tooling itself, but connect to its supplier via the network to order replacements.

Tomorrow, the machines themselves will surely interface with commercial parts suppliers, such as McMaster-Carr and Fastenal, through the IoT to order replacement parts.

This all means less down time.  Better asset utilization.  Lower total cost of ownership.  More focused and efficient workforce.  More accurate and actionable performance metrics.  More focused expenditures.  Proactive part replacements and repairs.  And, ultimately – if planned right – a better bottom line.

Factories that leverage IoT AND AI, machine learning, robotics, and/or advanced analytics will realize even greater breathtaking gains in efficiency and output.

One such case study worth checking out is the US $7.6mm annual savings that IBM’s IoT and Analytics groups helped return to oil/gas producer Santos.  Their IoT system records and utilizes both structured and unstructured data to improve their operation and bottom line.

Another interesting IoT application is King’s Hawaiian Bread’s recent investment in 11 specialized, Rockwell programmed, IoT-connected machines, which help them create an automated, connected, efficient facility.  Since installation, the IoT has helped double their bread production.

These are amazing automation breakthroughs, and again, we’re arguably just in Inning 1 in this new era of IoT in manufacturing.

5) IoT will connect us logistically too.  As I noted before, we’re already most familiar with IoT through consumer-centric companies such as Uber and Lyft that have leveraged IoT to redefine how we can efficiently get from A to B.

Fittingly, IoT logistics will ultimately evolve further to seamlessly connect our interconnected factories (whoa, now we’re getting meta).

Add to the mix IoT-connected, self-driving vehicles, trucks, trains, planes and drones, and eventually the entire supply chain will be a fully interconnected system.  Consider how far along UPS’s IoT-connected trucks already are today. UPS’s trucks can each make 150 to 200 stops per day because of their monster-size, globally-connected IoT system. The trucks’ sensors and UPS database work together to minimize left turns, monitor and reduce braking, minimize driving in reverse, and maintain information about every property they ever visit.  UPS saves tens of millions each year on these incremental, logistical improvements.

IoT isn’t just for outdoor logistics either.  Tech start-ups like Indoor Atlas are emerging to address indoor geopositioning.  Raw material, moveable equipment and more will move autonomously throughout factories. IoT connected machines will communicate with IoT connected trucks, and deliver the products out into the sunset (although the sun probably won’t be IoT-connectable, by the way).

It will be one big IoT-connected circle of life. The supply chain will be connected from raw product, to manufacturing, and all the way to the consumer’s doorstep.  Just as the Internet alone has redefined almost every type of human activity, be prepared to adapt to how IoT will redefine the manufacturing process and overall economics in ways we haven’t even conceived yet.

Buckle up!

As the automated machines and driverless cars continue to steer the wheels of industry, this revolution will have a greater and greater impact on society as we know it.  Along with the economic benefits, there will surely be economic consequences as well.

We’d all be wise to keep our eyes focused intently on the IoT-paved road ahead.

 

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How a Craft Brewery Uses SolidWorks to Make Better Beer

If there was ever a rock solid reason to play hooky from the office, today was the day.

Enter: Prism Engineering’s SolidWorks 2014 launch event. Keynote speaker? Jordan Sunseri, a head brewer at Victory Brewing Co.Victory Brewing uses Solidworks CAD

Upon receiving Prism’s invite last month, I instantly said “Yes” (aka “Cheers!”) to attending. I always want to stay on top of the latest advances in our engineering software. But, I also LOVE craft beer. Especially local Victory beer, like Golden Monkey and Storm King.

Hey, what can I say? Definitely a great reason to step away from the office and enjoy delicious beer attend a conference!

Prism has been our SolidWorks vendor and 3D CAD training partner for nearly 10 years now. They sure caught my attention by having Victory present at this year’s SolidWorks launch event, but honestly, I wasn’t sure how Victory would fit into the mix.

Silly me.  Once Jordan started his talk, I found myself reflecting back on engineering and business 101: Always think outside the box!

It turns out that SolidWorks software has served Victory very well. And by “very well,” Victory says SolidWorks has saved them at least $1.2 million in costs to-date. Victory now runs product and packaging design through SolidWorks, as well as brewery systems design, including design for their new 212,000 sq. ft. plant currently under construction in Parkesburg, PA.

The more Jordan described the role SolidWorks has played at Victory, the more I sensed how much science and good engineering is behind their beer making. No surprise that they are now the 26th largest craft brewer in the US.

Think of the value of an internal employee like Jordan not just understanding the craft of beer making, but also understanding how their internal equipment was built. It’s a holistic approach. It’s also a smart, vertically integrated and cost-effective approach.

Jordan described how he and his team have used SolidWorks to map out Victory’s new Parkesburg plant, as well as their new Kennett Square facility. They use SolidWorks to quickly lay out dimensional info and identify constraints. They’ve built virtual layouts and prototypes on their laptops before incurring any manufacturing or construction costs. They have internally designed equipment in fun, user-friendly ways – for example, a hop freezer that allows visitors to hit a button to unleash the aromatic hop smells while brewing.

SolidWorks has also helped Victory identify brewing system interferences in advance of ordering the equipment. With a budget set at $30 million for the new plant, it is certainly much better for Victory to learn that pipes won’t match up prior to shipping in those new multi-story grain silos from Germany.

“It’s all to help us make better beer,” Jordan said.

Victory's new Parkesburg brewery

Rendering of Victory’s new Parkesburg, PA brewery. Image courtesy of Victory Brewing Co.

Here are some more details on Victory’s huge expansion:

Parkesburg At-A-Glance

  • 212,000 square foot building on 42 acres in West Sadsbury Township
  • German-built Rolec brewhouse with initial production of approximately 225,000 bbls per year; Brewhouse production is 10 brews per day at 200 bbls per brew (2,000 bbls/day)
  • Total capacity of up to 200 bbl (6,200 gallon) batch, and 500,000+ bbls per year
  • Excellent and reliable water source from a reservoir fed by the West Branch of the Brandywine (similar chemistry to our current source, the East Branch)
  • Best-in-class brewing systems and installations, with efficient use of energy and maximal hygiene throughout the process
  • State of the art yeast handling system for ultimate flexibility in yeast growing and handling
  • Full bottling line production, shifted from Downingtown, with some upgrades; kegging will remain in Downingtown until 2014-2015

Kudos to Jordan and his team at Victory for their very informative presentation today. I definitely look forward to following Victory’s expansion.

From an “engineering” perspective, of course.

Why America’s Skills Gap Matters to YOU

is-manufacturing-dead

The skills gap matters to you, whether you realize it yet or not.

The “gap” is very real here, in our state, and around the country. It’s the year 2013, and the truth is: Finding skilled talent is hard.

Rosie the Riveter is dead. For many people outside the manufacturing world today, it’s just not sexy and interesting anymore to work in a factory, make parts, to build a career in manufacturing. And especially so for the demographic that matters — the youth who are about to lead our country into the next few decades.

The stats are still abundantly clear that bits and bytes (not atoms) define the zeitgeist of this era. The majority of 18 to 24 year olds still prefer “professional” careers in law, accounting, education, and computer programming. Major blogs on the web cover every possible angle on the new iOS 7, the latest gadgets and memes. America’s youth still don’t see the allure in physically making the objects that fill our everyday world. Manufacturing isn’t a national movement like the WWII era; it’s still widely perceived as a dirty, uncool business best left for other people.

So, what happens when the skills gap grows wider? When manufacturing professionals (average age = 56) retire in 10 years?  Here’s a sampling of what can happen:

  • Higher youth unemployment. There are only so many professional jobs to go around, and when there is an oversupply of skills and low demand, the unemployment rate will rise. Just ask Europe, where manufacturing activity shrank for 11 straight months.
  • There will be more overseas manufacturing. With no toolmakers and machinists to make parts in the US, workers in China will gladly step up. Here’s an alarming infographic on the proportion of goods that China makes today. As the skills gap grows, so will US imports. Almost everything you buy will be FedEx’d from China.
  • Technical schools will begin to close. Apprenticeship programs will fade away. Educators will pursue other fields for income, instead of teach vocational classes. Without youth interested in manufacturing careers, why teach skilled trades to empty classrooms?
  • More vacant factories. More towns will lose manufacturers as tax-payers. There will be more towns like Detroit and Reading, PA – staring at fiscal budget that bleed red.

All of this definitely matters for manufacturers like Specialty Design. We have run our contract manufacturing business since 1967. We are proud to have a talented and dedicated team on board today — a group of experienced and passionate manufacturing professionals. Yet we’ve certainly experienced the ebbs and flows of the manufacturing climate first hand over that tenure. We see the country’s skills gap as an almost inevitable economic certainty, and we’re doing everything we can to prepare.

The skills gap IS very real. The incoming talent is clearly growing thin. For us, it’s important to consistently train our younger employees on a wide range of manufacturing methods. It’s important that we educate incoming, young inventors on the importance of keeping their production in the US. It’s all a work in progress, but the spirit of Rosie the Riveter is very much alive in here.

America's Skills Gap

 Credit to WorkBoots.com for this infographic.

6 Blogs That Manufacturing Companies Should Read

Our machine shop staff receives an average of 5-10 manufacturing periodicals a day. I’ve combed through it all (and I’m sure you have too) and I’ll be frank – manufacturing magazines, newsletters, and blogs could use an upgrade.

Let’s pause the chatter about speeds, feeds and the latest cutting tools for a moment. If you’re looking for some unique, remarkable content focused on manufacturing companies and industry thought leaders, you’re at the right place.

remarkable manufacturingI’ve searched far and wide for blogs written by purple cow (see: Seth Godin) thinkers in manufacturing. Blogs that look at the bigger picture beyond the shop floor. Blogs that explore the human aspects of manufacturing. Blogs that both educate on manufacturing and inspire to manufacture.

I want to offer you some manufacturing blogs that get our imagination going, and remind us why we got involved in manufacturing in the first place. I salute them, and I want to pay it forward by sharing 6 of my favorite blogs here… and lots of helpful links too!

1. Manufacturing Innovation Blog

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) publishes this excellent blog written with small to mid-sized manufacturers in mind. Clear mission, well designed, and always written for humans. The MEP features many different writers, and all bring a unique perspective to their posts. This blog does a great job at constantly reminding us all that manufacturing does have a home for everyone.

2. Dream It. Do It. Nebraska Blog

The folks who publish this blog from the American Heartland have a real passion for manufacturing, and it shows. With posts like 5 of America’s Coolest Factory Tours and College Students Rejoice: NASA is Printing Pizza, the Nebraska Advanced Manufacturing Coalition (who runs the blog) does their part to show young people the exciting and quirky opportunities available by pursuing a career in manufacturing. Keep it up guys!

3. Made in Dayton Blog

Main authors, Steve Staub and Gary Weldon, bring their own experience of running a contract manufacturing business to the table. They steer the blog towards the difficult topics for the industry, they never shy away from opinion, and they open dialogue with manufacturers about ways we can ALL work together to make American manufacturing great again. Steve and Gary are relentless in addressing the ever-growing US manufacturing skills gap and redefining the tired image and misconceptions about manufacturing that many outsiders have  today. They are determined to revitalize manufacturing in Dayton, OH and beyond.  I simply love the positive direction that they take this blog.

4. Fabbaloo

Many manufacturing veterans are still figuring out the different ways to apply 3D printing technology, beyond oddball objects and replacement parts. Kerry Stevenson is a purple cow thinker who takes 3D printing head-on on Fabbaloo. He writes helpful reviews about different 3D printers and resins available on the market. He gives virtual factory tours. He features different, amazing 3D printed designs each week. Quite simply, keep up with Kerry, and you’ll better keep up with the ongoing evolution in 3D printing.

5. Stratasys Blog for a 3D World

Stratasys is a BIG company and a global leader in 3D printing technology (they also just acquired MakerBot for $403M). Like me, you might expect to find another sterile corporate blog here. But I have been continuously impressed and enlightened by their very down-to-earth, relevant and helpful blog. The team at Stratasys has personality, for sure. If additive manufacturing piques your interest for mostly industrial applications, Stratasys covers foundry patternmaking, aerospace, and more. If you’re into consumer goods, they have cool shoes and even 3D printed Kryptonite stories to boot.

6. Make:

Let’s not forget about the DIY’ers. If there was a definitive Homebrew Computer Club (of Steve Jobs lore) for manufacturing hackers today, they would surely be active community members on this blog.  Make: offers a phenomenal list of the “makers” who are probably worth connecting with on Twitter (hint hint). Their parent company, Maker Media, hosts an annual Maker Faire that is cool to follow on YouTube, and cooler to attend (it’s in Queens, NY). The content on this blog is fascinating and runs deep — if manufacturing is your passion, Make: is surely the Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory you’ve been looking for.

5 Key Benefits of Outsourcing Manufacturing in USA

You have a great product to take to market, and you’re considering outsourcing your manufacturing… in the USA.

NOW is the moment to make your products here in the USA. We are enjoying an undisputed renaissance in Made in America manufacturing today. MadeInUSAWe believe so strongly in the movement that we make US-based contract manufacturing our own business.

However, don’t just take it from us. American icons such as General Electric, Apple and Whirlpool are making headlines as they shift their product manufacturing back to the United States. Likewise, international companies like Beijing-based Lenovo are utilizing American manufacturing to deliver products to American consumers more quickly and add the “Made-in-the-USA” stamp along the way.

Here are 5 key benefits that make outsourcing manufacturing in USA the best decision for your business right now:

1. USA-made will give you fast, reliable, cheaper delivery.

Having your precious cargo cross the Pacific, in many cases, is no longer worth the headache. Plus, it’s expensive. One of our customers experimented with sourcing parts to Taiwan about 5 years ago.  Today, after enough delayed (or lost) ocean freight shipment, our company – not Taiwan – is manufacturing their higher-volume parts again.

“Companies perform better when they are located near many other firms than when they are more geographically isolated,” notes the Brookings Institute.  “When a manufacturing establishment relocates offshore, the related companies in the region suffer disproportionately.”

2. Outsourcing Manufacturing in USA vs China to be even again by 2015.

Cost savings of outsourcing – particularly to Asia – is eroding and making American manufacturing a more attractive option. Add the costs of shipping (see #1 above), rising value of the Chinese Yuan and higher Chinese labor wages, and your decision to manufacture in the USA just makes good financial sense. Just ask Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric – this outstanding Atlantic cover story tells his and GE’s story.

“I don’t [manufacture in America] because I run a charity,” Immelt said at a public event in September 2012. “I do that because I think we can do it here and make more money.”

3. Embrace the American tradition of ingenuity and productivity.

For one California-based startup, ET Water Systems, declining working capital and innovation soon following after they joined the exodus to Asia in 2005. According to The Economist special report on reshoring manufacturing, ET Water Systems improved their innovation processes by shortening the distance between manufacturing and design and working with a San Jose-based manufacturing partner instead.

Specialty Design’s central location between the major US metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York enables our customers to work closely with our engineering and CAD design staff. MadeInUSA2Some customers even visit with our CNC machining crew on their commute to work to review current orders. Keeping your manufacturing and engineering closely tied together – geographically – will help tremendously in the long-run.

4. “Made in the USA” will protect your PR and your business.

According to BCG and the USA Today, 80% of Americans are willing to pay more for American made products, and 93% of whom buy USA-made because they want to support domestic jobs.

In other words, “Made in the USA” gives you FREE, built-in branding. Your customers will be more likely to trust your product. Trust that their purchase generates American jobs. Trust that your workers received a fair, American-level wage. Trust that their purchase was manufactured in a safe, OSHA-regulated plant. Trust that they are not receiving a pirated product.

Investing your manufacturing outsourcing with an American vendor might be one of the soundest marketing, safety and intellectual property decisions you ever make for your business. We’ll take a 3-for-1 deal any day.

5. Do your part to “re-manufacture” the American economy again.

For every $1 spent on US-manufactured goods, $1.48 goes back into the economy (Time). That is the type of ROI that we need to rebuild the American economy the right way.  Time Magazine Made in the USASince manufacturing represents a huge 67% of R&D spending in the private-sector, as well as 30% of the United States’ productivity growth, the payoff could be enormous.

There is a high-road to take in manufacturing after all. Take it from Carolyn Rafaelian, who built a $100 million jewelry company that only sources from domestic partners and has brought hundreds of jobs back to the US in the process. Or find inspiration from the success of the Made Collection website – an flash sales site selling solely USA manufactured products.

Your reasons to pick American manufacturing outsourcing are as clear as our colors are red, white and blue.
American plants are (once again) proudly open and ready to support your business.

75+ Manufacturing Industries Served: How We Did It

When you visit our plant here in Reading, PA, you’ll see our walls lined with parts and photos from the wide range of manufacturing industries we’ve served.

manufacturing-industries

It’s like a “Hall of Fame” of sorts. Hundreds of parts representing a sample of the 20,000+ successfully completed custom orders are displayed (with customer permission). Altogether, we’ve served over 75 industries since we opened our doors in 1967.

These parts represent more to us than “souvenirs” from past orders. They represent manufacturing solutions, manufacturing improvements, and manufacturing feats for our many customers. We are immensely proud of our history.

So, given the challenge of meeting customer needs in even 1 industry, how does a company like Specialty Design effectively serve 75+ industries?

How can we build special fixtures for a highway construction equipment manufacturer on one side of the plant, a special machine for an aerospace manufacturer on another, and simultaneously machine components for a food processor?

It’s all about process.

It’s also very much about having a world-class approach, team, communication, culture, new technologies and more. However, in order to adapt to the specialized needs of many different industries, it’s our relentless focus on process that has allowed us to consistently design excellent solutions for our customers for decades.

Let’s walk through the key steps of Specialty Design’s process for specialty manufacturing applications:

Blank Notebook1. Concept Definition

Understanding the concept for your unique application – whether it’s for 1 machined part or 5 automated machines – is a critical first step. We aim to sit on the same side of your table starting on Day 1. We partner with you to define project responsibilities, actions, deadlines and milestones. The more we work together to understand your operation and the required functions and outputs of your application… the better we can serve you the RIGHT way from the beginning.

Construction Hat2. Production Analysis and Consultation

The more we understand the layout of your facilities and production, the better we can design and build a solution. We best serve customers when we can schedule periodic walk-throughs of your facility. Your floor space, headcount, and pre-existing equipment are all essential considerations for your project. Plus, in the process, our experienced team of value engineers often uncover latent opportunities to help your bottom line!

ComputerChip3. Mechanical and Electrical Design

We design with durability and user-experience in mind. Building equipment that runs well in your plant 15+ years from now is our goal. The best design achieves the required function and is simple, easy-to-use, scalable, networked and built with components that are industry-standard.

cnc-machined-part4. Manufacturing

Specialty Design’s in-house machine shop is well equipped, allowing us to keep most – if not all – your mechanical components under one roof. Less vendors, quicker lead time, and lower cost. Quality assurance, paint, surface finishing and product testing is done here too. Working with Specialty Design is an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of vertically integrated manufacturing, without the overhead and headaches.

Wrench5. Installation, Testing and Training

We provide the certifications, manuals and in-person training required to get you up and running quick. You can leave the installation up to us. We will stay at your plant until your parts, your fixture and/or your equipment are functioning as you intended. Even years after we complete your project, we are just a phone call away.

From concept to installation, Specialty Design can serve as your manufacturing partner each step of the way.

One day, we hope to add your custom part or photo to our Hall of Fame too.