Finding the right contract manufacturer for electro-mechanical assemblies is critical. Companies need a partner they can trust and count on to deliver quality products, on-time, and at an affordable price. In many cases, companies also need a contract manufacturing partner to help them sort out manufacturing issues that can often occur, especially with products new to the market.
Frank Lubrano is the CEO of Ultimo Measurement and knows firsthand how important choosing the right manufacturer partner can be. By partnering with Electro-Prep Inc., Ultimo was able to form a mutually beneficial relationship between the two companies and reduce or eliminate many of the manufacturing issues the company had with its previous manufacturer.
Company Overview
Ultimo was founded in 2006 and is a privately held corporation headquartered in South Carolina with engineering and product development functions operating out of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Ultimo’s patented density meter obviates the need to use gamma nuclear radiation gauges for inline application where the process material is abrasive, caustic, or corrosive. The principal markets for the Ultimo Non-Nuclear Density Meter are the mineral and metal ore mining, upstream crude oil well, fracking, dredging, industrial/ municipal wastewater. Ultimo’s customers are global in nature and are driven to optimize 24/7 production in a safe, and environmentally friendly manner.
Ultimo’s Challenge
Having a great product that you can’t manufacture is not a scenario you want to have. Unfortunately, in Ultimo’s case, that’s exactly the situation they found themselves in. Their contract manufacture was struggling to keep up with demand and was not able to provide the technical expertise needed to fine tune and scale up the assembly process. Recognizing that they were not the right fit for Ultimo, the contract manufacture recommended Electro-Prep Inc. as a better manufacturing partner.
Electro-Prep’s Solution
Electro-Prep’s Engineering staff worked one on one with Ultimo developing a new efficient manufacturing process for the density meter. After a complete review of the product, and a sample production run, multiple changes were made to the product design and manufacturing process including:
- Electro-Prep took over sourcing of components which freed up Ultimo to focus on business driving activities.
- Electro-Prep created detailed visual process instructions outlining the assembly of the sensor and control modules. This allowed for consistent repeatability in the manufacturing process.
- Ultimo worked onsite with Electro-Prep to implement minor design changes to improve the manufacturing process and reduce inefficient manufacturing steps.
- Electro-Prep transitioning from the prior contractors single BOM / Route assembly of the product to a multiple sub-component assembly process that allows for certain product components to be manufactured in advance to reduce lead time.
- Ultimo worked with Electro-Prep to qualify component substitutions for long-lead time components.
The Result
Before partnering with Electro-Prep, Ultimo was struggling with their contract manufacturer to meet orders and ramp up production. After partnering with Electro-Prep, Ultimo was able to improve the product design, reduce lead times, and scale up to meet demand. It didn’t take long to show that having the right contract manufacturer is critical to success. For more information on how you can take your business to the next level by partnering with Electro-Prep Inc., contact us today.
