We will start the project with telephone and/or email conversations about the intended project. We will then work up a design concept, a sequence of operations, target pricing, and present it to you as a written proposal.

Project Overview

If we quote on a project, we will give a complete overview on the equipment included with the quote. We will also include a sequence of operations, and photos of similar existing equipment, machine layout drawings, and a complete list of expected operating parameters and requirements. We have included generic informational examples for you.

Once the project has been approved and the initial purchase order has been made, we will create basic mechanical drawings in AutoCAD 2000 format for layout purposes, and give you requirements for air, electrical, and installation assistance. We will also provide a project timeline in Microsoft Project format. We will begin on detailed mechanical and electrical design drawings. From you we will require contact information, sample parts or process materials, and a list of any non-standard components required on the unit.

When electrical controls drawings are complete, they will be sent to you for approval. We will not purchase parts or begin wiring until these electrical drawings have been returned marked: APPROVED AS NOTED. Mechanical drawings will be completed in stages, and will be sent to you for approval on a periodic basis. Mechanical drawings will be done as solid models in Autodesk Inventor 10. This allows us to see interferences and mock up assemblies in 3D. We will provide .pdf format assembly drawings if you do not have Inventor Software. We will not purchase parts or begin machining until these mechanical drawings have been returned marked: APPROVED AS NOTED.

As approved drawings are received back, we will immediately begin construction, and will bill the engineering approval section of the project.

When the equipment construction is complete, we will assemble, program, and test the unit at our facility in Salina, Kansas. When we are satisfied with operation, we will invite you to our facility to view the system in operation, and perform any tests you deem necessary before shipment. When this runoff is complete, we will make any required modifications to the equipment and prepare it for shipping to you.

When the unit is shipped to your facility, we will bill for shipping, accompany it and oversee the installation provided by your labor. We will provide manuals for operation, regular maintenance, and troubleshooting of the equipment, and all drawings in an as-built electronic format. We will provide startup assistance and three shifts of training to operators and maintenance personnel on the equipment. We will provide full production time coverage on the system until it has completed four shifts of operation without major faults at the specified line rate with the specified products. We will revise any drawings and manuals and provide them within 30 days after leaving your site, and bill for final payment at that time.

Operational Requirements

When we create a quote for you, it will state exactly what the unit is to do, how reliably it will do it, what we won’t do, how much it will cost, and when it will be ready. The following is an example:

The units shall operate at a guaranteed rate of units per minute, with a minimum operational uptime of a predetermined level in a standard 24-hour working day.

The system will not require more than a certain number of minutes of maintenance per 24-hour period, with a multi-hour annual service. This does not include changeover or clearing jams.

Changeover of the machine from one product type to another shall not exceed a certain number of minutes. Changeovers will generally not require the use of tools by the operator/maintenance technician.

The machine will be designed to work with different product types, as per the written customer request. The nominal dimensions will be gathered from the samples sent and the drawings as sent by the customer.

Purchased items, robots, and electrical cabinets will be left in the natural state of finish by the manufacturer. All steel components will be primed and painted grey unless otherwise noted. Aluminum parts will be unfinished unless they will contact acid, in which case they will be anodized gold.

We are providing only the materials, machinery, and services, which are specified in this proposal. The purchaser is to furnish all other items such as, but not limited to:

Items Not Supplied

processShipping, receiving truck dock, forklift, and operator to unload equipment.

  • Proper storage of equipment at jobsite in clean, dry, secure area.
  • Verification of suitability of space.
  • Any demolition of existing equipment or building structure
  • All concrete foundation work including leveling, repair, and anchoring.
  • Survey of installation site, physical placement of machinery.
  • Any environmental or safety issues that will arise from the installation.
  • Clean, dry, oil-free compressed air at 80psi and 3 phase Electrical Power
  • All wiring and conduit for power, and any interlocks to other equipment.
  • Any ventilation systems that may be required due to heat, dust, or gas.
  • Any inspections or permits that may be required by governmental agencies.
  • Any piping, wiring, welding, or mechanical work required to be done by skilled trades due to local collective bargaining agreements.
  • Travel, Installation, and Startup outside of North America, Europe, or Japan
  • Any duties, fees, permits, visas, or monetary conversion outside the U.S.

Terms and Conditions

Our standard terms for projects under $1,000 are 100% payable with shipment.

Our standard terms for projects over $1,000 and under $30,000 are 50% payable with order, 50% payable upon shipping.

Our standard terms for projects over $30,000 is 40% payable with order, 30% payable upon engineering approval, 20% payable upon shipping, and 10% payable 30 days after project completion.

In all cases, payment is due within 10 days after date of billing. Payments received after this time will be assessed 1.5% interest per month late (18% per annum). Other payment conditions may be negotiated with our Managing Partner.

Expanded Pricing

Base Total – This is the total cost

Options – These are any possible alterations to the standard pricing requested by your company, or recommended by Automation Engineering, LLC.

Additional Work Desired

Any requests for modifications outside of the original scope of work must be accompanied by an Engineering Change Request and Purchase Order. The change must be agreed upon in writing by both your company and Automation Engineering. Rates, pricing structure, and billing for changes will be agreed upon at time of change order.

Additional Travel Time

Standard startup and standby is included in the price above. Any additional time will be billed at $75/hour work and travel time per person up to 8 hours per day with a minimum of $300 charge. Saturdays and any time over 8 hours per day to be billed at $112.50 per hour. Sundays and holidays at $150 per hour regardless of hours worked.

Travel, lodging, meals, and incidental expenses will be billed at actual cost plus 15%.

Warranty

Automation Engineering, LLC warrants the equipment to operate without defects in materials or workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR, after the project installation has been completed and the final payment made. Expendable components such as Vacuum cups, light bulbs, rubber belting, lubricants, and filters are not covered by this warranty.

In case of defects, please contact us to obtain a Return Authorization number before sending the part to us. We will repair or replace the part at our option.

Spare Parts

There are no spare parts included with this project. The customer will be given the complete parts list for all components used on the project. Automation Engineering will also supply a list of recommended spares. Parts manufactured by Automation Engineering may require up to 6 weeks lead-time from purchase to delivery. Outside purchased parts may be sourced thru Automation Engineering.

Common Components

We will build equipment to customer desires, but we recommend and use the following on a regular basis: Allen Bradley PLCs and operators, AutomationDirect Controls Components, Banner Color Sensors and Safety Devices, Cutler Hammer switchgear, Hub City gearboxes, Baldor Motors, Mitsubishi VFDs and Servo drives, BIMBA Air cylinders, Bosch Rexroth valves, PIAB vacuum units, AGI grippers, Hytrol Conveyors, HIWIN linear bearings, Harting Connectors, and Weigmann Cabinets.

In robotics, we have agreements with ABB, Motoman, Fanuc, and Yamaha, and may be able to make significant savings for you by using Manufacturer Refurbished Robots.

Controls Details

Control and monitoring of the system will be accomplished thru a color touchscreen, and/or operator pushbutton stations as required. Signaling will be accomplished thru pilot lights, stacklights, and horns. Communications via Ethernet will generally be made available on our equipment so that thruput, uptime monitoring, and fault status may be checked via your existing facility overview system. Internet access to your equipment via a LAN will allow us to remotely troubleshoot and update your equipment. Wherever possible, equipment will be designed with quick disconnects to allow rapid installation and repair. Light curtains, gate plugs, emergency stops, physical barriers, and over-rated lifting equipment will be used as necessary to provide personnel safety meeting applicable RIA and NFPA standards. Lockout/Tagout placarding, training, and maps as per OSHA requirements are not included in our pricing.

Custom Installations


Contact us for further details.