Jordi Brown
The Repetitive Equipment Manufacturing (REM) group within ATS Automation is a leading provider of total outsourcing solutions offering turnkey equipment manufacturing, modular assembly and subassembly, and service and installation.
The ATS REM group is an integral provider of contract manufacturing services to a diverse customer base, including lab automation partners from hospitals to research facilities to large-scale laboratories.
The Machine That Builds the Machine
The concept of the machine that builds the machine is not that we’re selling a particular off-the-shelf solution. We’re building a customized solution to the customer’s spec, essentially taking the customer workflow, their current instrumentation, their current and future needs, and tailoring a solution for them.
‘The machine’ is the REM team and our process functioning in unison, forming a manufacturing production system that delivers for the customer. We take your inputs, and your requirements, and work collaboratively with you. Where the magic comes in is the ability to scale that from either a single unit to 500+ units, to best suit your business objectives.
Once our team has built your machine once, once we’ve tailored that solution, we can then reproduce that as laboratory needs scale up and sample processing throughput requirements are increasing. We can then reproduce that formula and continuously ramp up and build more workflow solutions to support your needs as they scale.
You may require Build to Print:
You may be scaling up from prototype to full commercial production / repeat builds:
You may be in need of a solution to integrate your product into an existing system:
‘The Machine’ is the people and process we put together for your specific need – your machine. Taking a step back and looking at it more holistically, the machine that is building your automation cell or device is now the process and the solutions created by ATS to help you execute your goal.
Our laboratory customers come to us wanting to automate workflow centers, to make them more efficient and to increase throughput. They want to automate the remaining manual processes throughout the lab operations to address their increasing demands.
They’re looking to improve the quality of their data collection systems; automation can ensure they have error-free data collection. Our customers are also looking for improved safety within their lab operations; they’re looking to automation to distance employees from hazardous materials and repetitive work.
Typically we hear from smaller or medium-sized organizations; they may be a market leader currently or just entering into the business. Having the ability to grow and develop with those kinds of organizations is where the REM team really starts to shine.
Our Machine That Builds the Machine approach supports a faster-to-market requirement, and an ability to capitalize on opportunities that exist. And as those business developments are realized, we’re able to scale along with the growth that the customer may see.
The difference between REM or repetitive equipment manufacturing and traditional contract manufacturers is we’re focusing on repetitive equipment; we are really mass producers of equipment that would potentially go into a contract manufacturer.
But customers are looking for more – the equipment as well as the back-end services. It could be leading from a design through manufacturing, or a build. Providing that full-service capability from front to back, we become an extension of our customer in the sense that we are the manufacturing arm for their equipment.
If you are looking to build a prototype or 1-500+ machines that have the same look, feel, and operation of existing machines in your facility, ATS can take your Bill of Material, and realize additional units utilizing the ‘REM Machine.’
Alternatively, if you are looking to better utilize your human capital by removing repetitive tasks or are looking to combine processes to reduce equipment footprint associated with your process, ATS can collaborate with you and your partners/stakeholders to design a custom automation solution tailored to your specific needs. In any scenario, ATS is equipped to become your equipment manufacturing partner to provide you with the right equipment, when you need it.
