Since the turn of the century, the manufacturing arena has been continuously evolving owing to the relentless technological advancements that are enabling firms to enhance the efficiency and safety of their operations. As a result, when a manufacturer intends to deploy a leading-edge solution on their production line, they have to collaborate with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tier one suppliers to design, build, and implement offerings that incorporate the latest technology innovations. However, as all these entities operate in silos, the end-product often fails to fulfill the efficiency and safety expectations of the manufacturer. Along with this, the continuous shifts caused by technological advancements and the rising significance of low-carbon operations is presenting a significant challenge for manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, heavy machinery, and similar sectors to cope with the changing customer and regulatory demands.

Having been in the manufacturing automation arena for four decades, Michigan-based Classic Design is on a mission to help such firms deliver timely, cost-effective, and safety-tested products with its comprehensive engineering and manufacturing automation solutions portfolio. The company offers consultation services that assist manufacturers to enhance the design, build, and integration processes of their manufacturing systems. Classic Design predominantly serves organizations in the automotive, defense, aerospace, and heavy equipment industries with an aim to transform their critical tech-driven processes with next-gen solutions. “We help OEMs and manufacturers figure out how to best assemble their products and overcome new and old operational challenges,” says John Edwards, director.

A Legacy Built On Customer Success

Founded in 1973 as a small mechanical design company, Classic Design underwent a change in management in 2009 and has been determined to become the go-to partner for OEMs across the broad automotive sector since. Over the last decade, the company’s new executive team has leveraged Classic Design’s market reputation and global partner network to develop a more comprehensive portfolio that goes beyond traditional engineering services. Today, Classic Design offers a wide range of offerings including design and process development, deployment support, and integration, among other specialized services designed to enable its clients in better managing their emerging tech deployments.

Currently, Classic Design has expanded in different areas of the automotive industry. Discussing the core strengths of his company, Edwards points out the unique customer-centric philosophy that is at the heart of his company. Classic Design’s emphasis on customer begins at the start of every client engagement and directs project managers to consistently strive to meet a customer’s time and quality-related needs.

At the same time, the company’s process development and integration services portfolio is designed to holistically enhance the overall operation of an automotive manufacturer with offerings for process and control engineering, tool design, robotics implementation, equipment assembly, and custom solutions.

We help our clients break the current paradigm of not viewing the technology space as an open field but a narrow alley by assisting them in venturing out of their existing industry sector to find tried and tested solutions

According to Jeff Eckerle, Classic Design’s business development manager, the company’s main goal is to ensure that all of its client’s equipment development, process improvement, and deployment needs are met and the desired final product is ready for on-time delivery, regardless of their operational scale. “We take into consideration all our customer’s demands from designing and building components all the way through to the installation of the final product at a manufacturing facility,” adds Eckerle. Furthermore, Classic Design’s rapid turnaround time and ability to efficiently integrate new technology into its clients’ existing infrastructure has helped the company’s tier one supplier customers win better and more OEM projects. And with its status as a technology integrator, the company works with suppliers during the early stages of product development to help them finalize the price and processes that can in turn assist in developing the best-suited solution for OEMs. As a high tech company, Classic Design also enhances the development and implementation of next-gen automation solutions to eliminate manufacturers’ reliance on the high expense and unreliable human operator workforce.

Enabling Tech-Driven Innovation across the Board

In pursuit of staying in lockstep with the upcoming technology trends, Classic Design continually collaborates with forward-thinking vendors. The company’s comprehensive list of technology solutions includes collaborative robots, safety systems, smart vision equipment, and more. “Robotics and automation, today, have reached a level of safety, efficiency, and reliability that allow them to replace human operators, thereby facilitating faster and higher quality products,” states Bharath Reddy, director at Classic Design.

The company also prides itself on being a highly customer-centric vertical integrator, which has allowed the company to work with a range of varied clients in the automotive industry and beyond. “As an integrator, we are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest technological innovations and trying to find the best ways to leverage them in order to aid our customers in satisfying their needs,” adds Reddy. For instance, while working with a customer that was developing real-time robotics that leverage AI and machine learning, the company performed beta testing to ensure project success and learn the prevalent challenges of implementing these technologies for future reference.

And unlike most of its contemporaries, Classic Design has the global resources and unparalleled engineering expertise to install, commission, and deliver products to the market at record speeds.

Further pointing out the significance of being a vertical integrator, Eckerle mentions how his company has bridged the technology gap between industry sectors as it works with multiple markets to resolve their unique challenges. “We help our clients break the current paradigm of not viewing the technology space as an open field but a narrow alley by assisting them in venturing out of their existing industry sector to find tried and tested solutions,” extols Eckerle.

Driving a Culture of Excellence

As a global organization, Classic Design has a wide range of currently ongoing projects across multiple geographies. To ensure 100 percent project success, the company has adopted an autonomous work culture where the leadership board allows key managers to take critical steps during a project autonomously. As a result, Classic Design’s manager can focus on the delivery of the best product without wasting time and resources conducting due diligence with their higher ups. Another key distinction that gives Classic Design a competitive edge is their approach to inter-departmental collaborations. Traditionally, key departments within large organizations work in silos, but Classic Design has developed an organizational culture where different teams continuously collaborate to break down the silos and ensure the completion of a project in a timely manner.

"We help OEMs and manufacturers figure out how to best assemble their products and enable them in overcoming new and old operational challenges"

Furthermore, to maintain its team’s integrity, Eckerle and the key leaders at Classic Design periodically organize team outings with an aim to engage with their workforce and recognize their efforts. “Our team is like a family, and through these team meet-ups, we aim to make our employees recognize their importance in Classic Design while giving them an opportunity to learn and grow,” opines Edwards.

Ushering an Era of Leading-Edge Innovation

Moving forward, Edwards predicts that the manufacturing space is going to increase its reliance on robotics, AI, and automation to minimize the reliance on manual processes, thereby driving time and cost savings. And in pursuit of enhancing their ability to assist clients, Classic Design has been continuously working to incorporate the development of newer manufacturing technology such as smart vision testing and robotics equipment, among others. More recently, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted conventional manufacturing operations, the company has switched to remote working and video conferencing tools to continue delivering excellence in a seamless and timely manner. Classic Design is poised to assist manufacturers develop equipment that enables them to ‘do more with less’ in today’s pandemic-struck business landscape as well as in the upcoming years. Concurrently, the company wants to continue helping its customers gain a competitive edge by providing leading-edge solutions and creating sustainable client relationships.