From early device development to validated production with AutomationsPartner

AutomationsPartner is one of very few companies in Sweden specializing in the development of automated assembly systems for customers only within medical technology manufacturing.

AutomationsPartner supports customers in developing their business and their products by building highly efficient automated assembly lines primarily for medical devices.

From development to manufacturing

The largest customer group for AutomationsPartner are developers and manufacturers of disposable medical technology products. These can be catheters, inhalers or diabetes pumps for example.

It is high-volume manufacturing that applies to most customers with well-established products, but within AutomationsPartner there is also a division that works exclusively with development support for automation of new devices and products.

The division, AP Develop, supports global companies developing new devices but also start-ups and smaller companies that have not yet launched their first product. For them, AutomationsPartner can contribute with development support to design the device so that it becomes optimal for series production.

“One of the biggest mistakes many companies make in their initial product development is not designing for high volume production from the start. We help them with Design for Assembly (DFA) at an early stage. The risk of not applying DFA as early as possible is that you have to go back several steps - sometimes back to the beginning - to make the product manufacturable”, says Peter Gustavsson, Development Manager, AP Develop. He explains further:

“Within AP Develop, we help customers develop processes for efficient manufacturing, and then we build equipment for test production. This creates the conditions for the next step, which is building a production line that is suitable for their particular product. In other words, we help global companies, start-ups and smaller companies through the entire development process and right up to setting up the production unit. After that the production line division within AP takes over building the equipment for high volume production”.

New factory in Helsingborg

AutomationsPartner is currently expanding and building a brand new factory in Helsingborg, which will be put into operation in the fall of 2023.

“We have had strong growth for a long time and need to increase our capacity. Therefore, we are now doubling our assembly area, and the same applies to our laboratory for the development department AP Develop, which will, among other things, get a permanent clean room in place. We will also need to recruit more staff to almost all of our departments. We will grow both in terms of capacity and competence”, says CEO Henrik Rosengren.

With the new factory, AutomationsPartner ends up in a more central location in Helsingborg. It will be easier for employees to get to and from the factory using public transport, for example. This is important to be able to attract a larger target group and at the same time have a greater focus on sustainability.

Another major advantage of the larger factory will be that AutomationsPartner will be able to build temporary production lines on behalf of the customers, to be able to validate the processes and within a shorter time frame manufacture products for clinical trials and product validation.

“The new factory will be even more efficient and even more sustainable than the current one, which already maintains the highest level today”, states Paul Duelund, Key Account Manager.