If you drive by our building on the main stretch of highway, you’ll see “Technology Center” imprinted on the facade. There’s a reason for this – most importantly, it’s a signal of our approach to manufacturing. C³ isn’t here to sell off-the-shelf solutions with a short lifespan and clunky operating systems. Our approach is to make each machine design capable of advancing our customers’ operations with automation. We want our systems to be intuitive and “smart,” improving not only the quality of your end product, but also the quality of work for all operators and management involved in the process.
Watch the video below featuring Brady, our Operations Lead, as he explains C³’s approach to adopting automation using C³ equipment.
This approach comes from a desire to make our clients better manufacturers – not by teaching them how to grease a bearing (as Brady puts it in the video), but how to get the most out of automation design and installation. It’s a process that involves more than just purchasing a piece of machinery. And honestly, that’s rarely even the first step…
Concerns of Operations Managers
We take in many considerations when analyzing the best C³ machine to utilize in a customer’s operation. Here are just a few of the things we review before selecting equipment:
- Shipping savings
- Space utilization
- Throughput improvements
- Safety and ergonomics for operators
- Data collection and analysis
- Product quality
- Labor concerns and availability
We use a combination of tools and analysis to determine what machine best suits our clients’ unique set of constraints. Only by understanding these, can we find the best solution for them and their goals.
Product-First Approach
Rarely do we start a relationship with a potential customer by showing off our machines. We can’t get a full understanding of a client’s current operation and aspirations by talking about ourselves. For this reason, we focus on the product first. What are you manufacturing today? What volumes are you producing and what are your expected volumes? What’s driving your need for automated operations? Where do you ship your product, how far away?
Together we analyze the specifications of your product to best understand what it needs from automation systems. This product-first approach brings all the right people into the conversation to discover the solution that will work best for all parties and the quality of the final product.
Learn more about our product-first approach in this video.
What else is needed to run the machine?
Brady refers to C³ as a “turn-key solution.” What he means with this catchy buzzword is that C³ provides its customers more than just a machine and a few spare parts. We take a holistic look at all components needed to run the machine for life and do our best to provide those needs.
A few of these items include:
- Packaging film
- Pallets or skids
- Glue for lamination
- Sleeve or bag packaging materials
- On-site service
- Data collection and analysis software
- Operation manuals and training
- Engineering consulting
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into a machine investment. We believe this is why it’s important to partner with your machinery provider for the long term. Understanding your challenges and product, having the tools to provide all-in support, and being a resource for the longevity of that asset are all key indicators of a provider that understands what it takes to make the most of your machinery. A better partnership generates better products.
“What makes me proud to be a part of C³ is our willingness to help the customer, especially when it has to do with our equipment. We pride ourselves as being the best in the industry and we’re not one to shy away from any challenge the industry presents us,” Brady concludes.