Innovated Manufacturing

Innovated Manufacturing Laying the next steps in Collaborative Automation one Tool, Part and Product at a time

We stopped this print halfway through on purpose.At a specific layer, the printer pauses so we can place a magnet direct...
09/01/2026

We stopped this print halfway through on purpose.

At a specific layer, the printer pauses so we can place a magnet directly into the part. Once it is in position, the print resumes and the remaining layers seal the magnet inside.

Once the print is complete, the magnet is completely enclosed with no adhesive or additional hardware needed to hold it in place.

This method can be useful for printed parts that need built-in magnetic retention without exposed hardware or adhesive.

Innovated Manufacturing produces functional additive manufactured parts for production, end-of-arm tooling, and end-use products. Contact us to discuss your next project.

This robot is already using part of its payload before the box leaves the table.The tooling attached to its wrist takes ...
08/27/2026

This robot is already using part of its payload before the box leaves the table.

The tooling attached to its wrist takes up some of the available capacity. Its length matters too. The farther that weight extends from the wrist, the more it affects the robot during rotation, acceleration, and stopping.

We use additive manufacturing to keep strength where the tooling needs it and remove weight where it does not.

That leaves more of the robot’s payload available to carry the product.

Additive manufacturing may have a reputation problem because a lot of companies bought printers before they had a real p...
08/25/2026

Additive manufacturing may have a reputation problem because a lot of companies bought printers before they had a real plan for them.

The printer arrived, someone learned how to use it, a few obvious parts got made, and then utilization dropped.

The technology was not always the problem. Often there was no clear list of applications, ownership, material strategy, or plan for everything that comes after printing.

Those underused machines helped create the idea that additive manufacturing was overhyped.

Today, the technology is proving its value in real manufacturing applications, especially when parts need to be customized or changed quickly.

Was additive manufacturing overhyped, or was it simply adopted without the right plan?

The fastest way to know if a 3D print will work is to print less of it.Before printing the entire part, we start by aski...
08/20/2026

The fastest way to know if a 3D print will work is to print less of it.

Before printing the entire part, we start by asking: what could cause this print to fail? If the uncertainty is concentrated in one section, we print just that area first to confirm the fit, geometry, or print settings before committing to the full part.

A smaller print can give us the answer we need without using the time and material required for the complete part. Additive manufacturing gives us the flexibility to match the size of the print to the size of the question, rather than treating every design change like it requires another full build.

Once that uncertain feature has been proven, we can commit to the full print with a lot more confidence.

08/18/2026

This custom tooling seemed impossible. 65 lb payload, internal contact only, all with cobot safety.

Many companies turned this job down. And yet, here's how we did it.

Mounted to a Thor from Standard Bots, a high-payload and long-reach cobot, the tooling has to maintain control of the 65 lb roll as the robot lifts it and moves it through different orientations. Because the tooling could only make contact from inside the product, we designed hydraulic actuators that expand once inserted to securely engage the roll. We leveraged additive manufacturing to reduce the tooling weight while maximizing the cobots payload. Also utilizing a carbon fiber tube for an ultra lightweight exo-skeleton.

This is the kind of automation challenge we enjoy solving: turning a difficult material handling task into controlled movement with tooling built around the product. This tooling has now doubled the output when compared to this task being run manually.

If your operation has a product that standard tooling cannot handle reliably, contact Innovated Manufacturing to discuss a custom solution.

Every set of custom tooling we build uses additive manufacturing.Custom tooling has to match a specific product, robot, ...
08/14/2026

Every set of custom tooling we build uses additive manufacturing.

Custom tooling has to match a specific product, robot, motion, and production environment. Additive manufacturing gives us the control needed to build around those requirements instead of forcing the application to work around a standard tool.

The practical decision is how additive manufacturing should be used for each application.

We look at the forces acting on the tool, how it contacts the product, the weight the robot has to carry, the expected cycle count, and the environment where the tooling will operate.

Those requirements guide the material, print orientation, wall thickness, internal structure, and overall geometry. They also help determine where the printed parts should work alongside metal hardware, inserts, fasteners, or replaceable wear components.

This approach lets us reduce tooling weight, create product-specific contact surfaces, combine features, and revise the tooling as the complete automation system is tested.

Each part can be built for the role it serves instead of every component being treated the same way.

The tooling pictured is one example of that process. Its geometry and construction were developed around the application, while additive manufacturing gave us the flexibility to produce and refine the tooling in-house.

That flexibility is what makes additive manufacturing such an important part of how we approach custom tooling.

An automation integrator can only solve problems as quickly as it can make the solution.Finding a problem during an auto...
08/06/2026

An automation integrator can only solve problems as quickly as it can make the solution.

Finding a problem during an automation build does not always take long. The cell may need a sensor mount, cable guide, locator, adapter, or a small change to the tooling. The delay begins when the component needed to move forward has to leave the building.

If another supplier has to quote, schedule, manufacture, and deliver that component, a small adjustment can become a much larger interruption. The integrator may understand exactly what needs to change while still being unable to test the solution.

This is where our in-house additive manufacturing capability changes how we integrate automation. We can make many of these components here, install them on the actual cell, and see how they perform under real conditions. If a part needs to change, we can produce another version without beginning a new outside purchasing cycle.

That also helps control the cost of the project. Outsourced components can bring minimum charges, shipping costs, and another round of expenses every time a revision is needed. Producing suitable components in-house removes many of those added costs and makes each adjustment more affordable for the customer.

The value goes beyond lead time and part cost. Keeping the solution close to the problem allows the people building the cell to continue learning, adjusting, and making progress while the details are still fresh.

Automation projects reveal new information as the equipment, tooling, parts, and controls begin working together. Integrators need the ability to respond as quickly as those realities appear.

At Innovated Manufacturing, additive manufacturing helps us keep small issues from controlling the project schedule, reduce unnecessary costs for our customers, and solve more of the automation problem under one roof.

We cannot say what this part is or who it is for. We can confirm that it is not a pizza slice.Two years ago, we were ask...
08/04/2026

We cannot say what this part is or who it is for. We can confirm that it is not a pizza slice.

Two years ago, we were asked to build custom tooling capable of picking up this piece of perforated sheet metal. Its shape, perforations, and weight made the challenge more complicated than the photo might suggest.

Completing the project required us to expand our in-house capabilities and work through several lessons that still influence how we approach new tooling projects today.

If your company were given this part and the same challenge, how would you approach it?

We are working with a new purple PLA-CF material for the first time, and the color is part of what makes it interesting....
07/30/2026

We are working with a new purple PLA-CF material for the first time, and the color is part of what makes it interesting.

A purple carbon fiber reinforced print may not be what most people picture when they think of a professional manufacturing part.

But in a real shop environment, color can be a practical decision.

If a part is part of a fixture, guard, tool, or production aid, visibility starts to matter. Can the operator see it quickly? Can maintenance identify it easily? Does it stand out from the machine, table, floor, or surrounding equipment?

Those questions matter when a printed part is being used around active production.

The color does not replace good design, proper material selection, or safe work practices.

But when a part needs to be easy to see, easy to identify, and hard to miss, high visibility can become part of the decision.

This is our first time working with this material, so we are interested to see how it performs outside of a technical spreadsheet.

Who owns an automation system after the integrator leaves?An automation system can be installed, signed off, and running...
07/28/2026

Who owns an automation system after the integrator leaves?

An automation system can be installed, signed off, and running production while most of the knowledge needed to support it still belongs to one engineer or technician. When every fault or small adjustment has to wait for that same person, the company owns the equipment but remains dependent on someone else to keep it running.

For automation to become a reliable part of production, that knowledge has to be shared. Operators need to know how to run the cell and recover from common faults. Maintenance needs to understand the sensors, pneumatics, tooling, and wear items. Engineering needs enough familiarity to make reasonable changes as the process evolves.

The integrator is responsible for making that possible. Clear alarms, accessible components, accurate documentation, and practical training all make a cell easier to support after handoff.

A successful project leaves the manufacturer with the confidence to operate, maintain, and recover it without turning every small issue into a service call.

The manufacturer truly owns the automation when the knowledge stays inside the plant, even when the usual expert is not standing beside the cell.

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503 E 98th Avenue Suite C&D
Crown Point, IN
46307

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Monday 7am - 5pm
Tuesday 7am - 5pm
Wednesday 7am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 5pm
Friday 7am - 5pm

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+12197076816

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