Custom assembly, processing, and test equipment is utilized by many companies, both small and large, to manufacture the products they sell to their customers. The most complex machinery and systems are generally designed, built, and programmed by an entire team of engineers, technicians, and skilled tradespeople and it can take them thousands of man-hours over many years to accomplish their goals.
In addition to producing the factory equipment itself, the project team also documents the entire process of invention by creating 3D CAD models, assembly and detail drawings, software, Bills Of Material (BOM) parts lists and other required engineering specifications. This complete documentation package accurately defines the equipment that was produced and is an extremely valuable aid to the facilities and maintenance personnel who will keep the machine running efficiently on the factory floor. It is also crucial information if the machine requires duplication, upgrades, or revisions in the future due to component obsolescence, product design changes or a modification of the manufacturing requirements.
Unfortunately, a complete and accurate documentation package is often far down the list of the design team’s priorities as they work to meet tight delivery schedules and engineering challenges at the end of a project. As last-minute changes are made during the equipment debug and acceptance testing process, they are not incorporated into the final “as shipped” documentation package. If the time and funding is never allocated, to allow the team to document the changes and complete the package, it can be very costly to reverse engineer or relearn this information in the future after it has been lost or forgotten. Gaps, inaccuracies, and missing detail will inevitably lead to equipment downtime, scrapped parts, and inefficient operation.
As a manufacturer of process equipment and custom machines for many of the world’s largest OEMs, Keller Technology can assist companies with the task of duplicating, improving, or modifying their existing machinery. As part of the process, we can assess the completeness and accuracy of your existing documentation package and take the time to make it right.
Accurate documentation should not be a luxury it is a necessity. Get started by contacting the Keller Technology team today.