For over 63 years, PCE has continuously evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. Whether scaling processes for mass production or crafting a bespoke automation solution for the MedTech industry, we are driven by a clear goal: to deliver excellence. Innovation and engineering are at the core of everything we do, empowering us to tackle any challenge. With our growing expertise in life sciences, PCE is uniquely positioned to provide custom automation solutions that meet the complex demands of the medical device sector, paving the way for a better future in healthcare.
Delivering Real Value
We go beyond simply focusing on the manufacturing process. We take a comprehensive approach, considering key metrics like Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), and more. This ensures that the solutions we deliver not only meet our customers’ specifications but often exceed their expectations. It’s this commitment to delivering exceptional value that has led 90% of new clients to choose PCE again, becoming long-term partners in success.
Quality and reliability are fundamental to everything we do. Our dedicated quality team upholds rigorous process and procedure controls, conducting annual audits and providing continuous training to ensure employees receive real-time feedback. These efforts are critical to maintaining our Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) because we know that staying proactive is essential. Our adherence to these high standards has been a fundamental part of the ongoing success for ourselves and our customers.
Leveraging Proven Technology
Another key to ensuring efficiency and reliability at the machine level is leveraging proven technologies rather than reinventing the wheel. With over 100 years of combined automation experience across all PCE brands, we have developed a robust catalogue of tried-and-tested processes, mechanisms, and technologies. These processes reflect cross-industry innovations shaped by our extensive work in various regulated sectors. This level of expertise has been built through years of repetition and disciplined execution, allowing us to consistently deliver high-performance solutions tailored to our clients’ needs.
Optimising the Solution
We recognise that every organisation is at a different stage in its automation journey—whether you’re a start-up aiming to scale with automation or a global blue-chip company managing worldwide manufacturing. That’s why selecting the right technologies is crucial. We believe there’s an art to simplifying processes without compromising performance. When this is done effectively, it not only shortens the time to market but also maximises uptime and streamlines maintenance, ultimately boosting the return on investment (ROI) for our clients’ capital investments.
Working with Agility
Our processes have been carefully crafted using a combination of experience, knowledge, and industry standards such as Good Automated Manufacturing Practice (GAMP) to deliver a standardised approach to custom automation solutions. This approach is broken down into manageable portions aligned with key milestones, allowing us to stay agile while offering better visibility of progress. Our dedicated project engineers showcase this progress to the client at every stage. By working in concise sections, we can effectively identify and mitigate risk areas throughout the project timeline, ensuring that all items remain on track and off the critical path.
Mitigating the Risks
Another key risk mitigation strategy we employ is proof of concept. Many of our largest clients today first partnered with PCE over 20 years ago, starting with complex pilot processes. Our leadership team continues to highly value this approach, particularly for large automation investments. While the design and feasibility stage may take longer to reach the milestone of Final Design Qualification (DQ), this upfront effort significantly shortens the overall timeline to Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT). This method ensures that potential challenges are addressed early, reducing risk and accelerating project completion.
“We consulted PCE Automation for a proof of concept (POC) study that involved a high-speed inspection and packaging line of plastic syringes. PCE provided an innovative solution that involved using laser cell technology to cut the strip of plastic syringes into individual components after a two-step process. Combining this approach with an iTRAK carrier system to transport the components resulted in a successful outcome.
The requested machine speed was beyond feasible, and the cutting quality was well within the predefined acceptance criteria. The POC provided by PCE was very technologically advanced and was a massive achievement, especially considering the plastic syringe components are made from a difficult-to-handle material.”
Pfizer Lead Engineer
In the 21st century, we recognise that our approach to proof of concept (POC) has evolved alongside emerging technologies such as digital twins, which create virtual environments to replicate machine processes for fault finding during the design phase of a project. While this powerful tool has been implemented by PCE since 2019, our engineers understand that external factors—such as room temperature, humidity, static, and material properties—can significantly impact results, making it challenging to fully replicate these conditions in a digital setting. Therefore, we take a blended approach, combining proven processes with innovative technologies to ensure comprehensive and effective solutions.
Looking to the Future
We recognise that our team is the cornerstone of our success. We continually invest in our future thought leaders through apprenticeship and graduate schemes, as well as ongoing training initiatives. This commitment has resulted in staff turnover well below the industry average. As a result, machines built over 15 years ago by PCE can still be supported and developed, ensuring that our clients benefit from fast-response aftercare throughout the machine’s lifetime.
In conclusion, PCE’s commitment to quality, innovation, and the development of our people positions us as a leader in the automation industry. By leveraging proven processes alongside emerging technologies, we create custom solutions that not only meet our clients’ requirements, but also exceed their expectations.
A core part of our approach is the journey we take with our customers. From the initial concept through to full-scale production and beyond, PCE works closely with each client to ensure their needs are met at every stage. Our dedicated project managers guide this journey, acting as a single point of contact and ensuring seamless communication, transparency, and progress visibility. This personalized service allows us to anticipate challenges and provide tailored solutions, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within scope.
Our dedication to whole life service further creates value for our clients. We provide comprehensive support throughout the entire lifecycle of the machine, from installation and training to ongoing maintenance, upgrades, and enhancements. This ensures that our solutions continue to operate efficiently and reliably, maximising the return on investment and keeping our clients competitive.
By combining risk mitigation strategies, forward-thinking innovation, and a deep commitment to customer service, PCE ensures that the journey alongside us is not just about machinery but about creating long-term success. Together, we are not just building machines; we are shaping the future of automation.
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