For more than 30 years, Astro Machine Works has provided high-quality services and custom machinery to a wide range of companies in a number of different industries, with machine building capabilities ranging from medical devices, to custom automation, automated systems, material handling, electromechanical assembly, and more. Not only do we work with companies near our headquarters in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, but we also work with leading corporations nationwide — organizations that see the value in getting machinery that’s specially engineered and manufactured to help them improve productivity and increase revenue.
Our custom machine shop is part of our 72,000-square-foot facility, and it is filled with expert engineers and machinists who know how to take your needs and vision and make them a reality through custom machinery. Make sure you’re getting the right equipment to do your best work when you choose Astro Machine Works as your custom machine builder.
Our Custom Machine Building Services
Our customers come to us with a number of custom machine-building needs, and our experts in machining operations have the knowledge, skills, and most advanced technology at their disposal to meet them. No matter the nature and scope of your project, we can handle any and all phases in which you need assistance, including:
- Welding and fabricating of the base or frame
- Machining of component parts
- Reverse Engineering Services
- Procurement of raw materials and commercially available components
- Secondary processes such as plating and anodizing
- Painting and specialty finishing, including CARC coatings
- Complete mechanical assembly
- Plumbing of any associated pneumatic or hydraulic systems
- Wiring of main control cabinets, including PLC wiring and operator stations
- Debugging, testing and checkout
- Final skidding, crating and shipping
Custom is the operative term in custom machine building. We know that our customers often require special machinery unique to their process, so at Astro Machine Works, our engineering support team spend time getting to know your unique needs and requirements so they can develop a truly custom solution. We pour the utmost care and attention to details that exceed your expectations. Once approved, our manufacturing and quality control teams use these final drawings to create high-quality, highly durable custom machine parts that will enhance your own business and its daily operations.
At Astro Machine Works, our machine experts offer a wide range of capabilities. We can provide fabrication and welding services, machine repair, reverse engineering, panel wiring and control systems, machine refurbishment and rebuilding, milling and much more. Our custom machine building services pull together all our skills, knowledge and experience and focus them on doing something truly challenging — creating custom machinery that adds value to your company.
Why Do Businesses Need Custom Machinery?
What types of companies need custom machinery builders and for what type of applications? A surprisingly wide range of both. We often work with companies that need manufacturing machines for their own projects — custom solutions rather than off-the-shelf equipment already available. We also build assembly machines and machines for general testing. Many businesses come to our custom machined parts machine shop for special purpose machines, and others visit us in need of fixtures and automated jigs.
With almost every engagement, our custom machine engineering support represents a solution to a problem our customers have been experiencing for a long time. Here are a few scenarios where custom manufacturing machines or parts could benefit a company:
- You’re a manufacturer of aircraft parts and are attempting to land a large contract to produce a component for a new military plane. However, the Department of Defense is requiring the part to comply with specifications that are beyond your company’s capabilities. Astro Machine Works can work closely with you to develop a prototype or small production run of custom machined parts that will meet the standards and put you in a better position to win the bid.
- You’re a leading producer of devices for the medical industry, and your top client has created a concept for a state-of-the-art device that will help physicians treat a challenging health condition. We can assist you in the engineering and production of custom manufacturing machines that will allow you to manufacture these high-precision parts in a timeframe that meets your client’s needs. You will also be able to meet the stringent quality and performance standards that this highly specialized industry demands.
- Your company has years of experience in providing parts for traditional energy industry applications, such as gas and oil. You’re looking to expand your operation so you can take advantage of the rapidly growing renewable energy industry. You can count on the Astro Machine Works engineering support team to create innovative custom manufacturing machines that will help you gain access to this emerging market and give your company a competitive edge.
- As a manufacturer of electronic parts and components, you’re having difficulty keeping up with the constant change that typifies this industry in the 21st century. As leading custom machine manufacturers, we can assist you in the development of state-of-the-art equipment that will help you keep pace with your competitors and provide better service to your existing customer base.
Why Choose Astro Machine Works as Your Custom Machine Builder?
You won’t find another provider of custom machine work that offers the same blend of experience, knowledge, results, and commitment to its customers. Through our 30-plus years of service, we’ve worked on more than 25,000 custom machine building projects for customers around the globe, delivering custom machine solutions and manufacturing as well as related services. Our focus is always the same: to deliver exceptional value to our customers, who come from the medical, pharmaceutical, energy, food processing, telecommunications, aerospace, general manufacturing, and other industries.
We have the team and technology needed to deliver outstanding results — and we also have a deep desire needed to exceed your expectations. When custom machined parts are needed at your business, make sure you’re getting the best solutions when you choose Astro Machine Works.
Tell Our Team About Your Manufacturing Needs
Think manufacturing is going away? Think again. Manufacturing in the United States alone is the ninth-largest economy in the world, and manufacturing capacity in our country is growing each and every day. Make sure you’re not falling behind or missing out on today’s opportunity. If your business needs custom machines to keep up with the trends and competition, we can deliver the solutions you need. As your custom machine builder, we can make sure your vision for custom equipment becomes a reality.
The Benefits of Custom-Built Machines
Custom-built machines can open up untapped production capabilities. For example, if you’re a medical device manufacturer with a client that wants you to produce parts for a new, cutting-edge device, a custom-built machine can produce these parts exactly to specifications. If you work with us, we can make sure the custom machine meets all industry-specific and government regulations. Your new production capabilities help you grow your business and remain competitive in your industry.
Here are some other reasons why you might need custom-built machines:
- The part you want to produce is not standard or has unique properties
- You need the capability to produce high-quality parts on short notice
- The components you need are not available or expensive to order from other suppliers
Benefits of Custom Automated Machines
If you use custom automated machines, you’ll be able to address these issues and enjoy these benefits:
- Higher efficiency: Custom machines can produce finished products faster, more accurately, and with minimal delays or interruptions.
- Accuracy and precision: Automated custom machines eliminate the risk of human error caused by fatigue, distraction, or inexperience.
- Better safety: Limiting the material handling stages of production can protect employees from repetitive stress injuries, sharp or heavy objects, and long-term health risks from exposure to chemicals and aerosols.
- Increased production: Because of their increased speed, custom-built machines allow your facility to scale up production and increase profits.
- Enhanced quality and consistency: Custom-machined parts are virtually identical and closely follow the design file’s specifications for tolerances, surface finish, and other features
What Industries Use Custom Machinery?
Custom machines especially benefit industries that require parts with exacting specifications and minimal margins for error. These industries include:
- Aerospace/aviation: Aircraft production relies on identical parts with tight tolerances, since failure or inaccuracies can be fatal.
- Medical device: Custom medical device production ensures that units within a production order are identical, properly tested, and comply with applicable FDA and ISO standards.
- Energy: Recent developments in the energy industry have emphasized the need for renewable resources. Custom-built machines can help your business expand capabilities in this sector, earn market share, and stay competitive.
- Electronics: Today’s electronics have increasingly microscopic components that require the capabilities of computer-controlled manufacturing and machining tools.
The Process of Building a Custom Machine
At Astro Machine Works, we streamline the process of engineering, building, and implementing custom machine systems for each client. We begin by defining the goals of the project, including the machine’s use cases, current and future needs of the facility, and the budget and functional constraints of the project. Then our engineering team moves to the engineering phase, where we create, refine, and test the machine. Once the client approves the engineered drawing package, we fabricate the custom hardware and develop the software. We also provide installation and startup services for a complete turnkey solution.
We produce our custom machine building solutions from a 72,000-square-foot facility, which houses a team of experienced machinists and engineering support team who can transform your current processes with custom automated machine solutions.
Custom Machine Services From Astro Machine Works
Custom machines fill production gaps and expand existing capabilities so that you can grow your business in today’s competitive economic landscape. Astro Machine Works is a custom machine building company that specializes in machining and engineering support services. Our custom machine building services assist clients in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, aerospace, electronics, medical, pharmaceutical, food processing, telecommunications, and general manufacturing.
Contact us today to start building your custom machine.