Why Having a Unified Mechanical and Controls Team is the Secret to Faster, Smarter Project Delivery

Projects that involve modifying manufacturing equipment and processes are inherently complex. This is especially true when you’re reconfiguring lines, adding capacity, or relocating equipment as multiple engineering disciplines need to work together. However, every phase of a project introduces the potential for friction between disciplines. That’s why choosing a partner that offers both mechanical and controls engineering under one roof isn’t just convenient, it’s a strategic advantage. Let’s explore these advantages in more detail.

Early Input that Drives Better Outcomes

Whether you're expanding a packaging line or moving equipment across facilities, the mechanical design defines the foundation the controls teams will build upon. For many control system integrators, this means manufacturers must come to them with detailed mechanical drawings. But not for Polytron. Because we have in-house mechanical engineers, you don’t need to come to us with a full spec package and detailed drawings. In fact, if you’re still figuring out exactly what you need to do, that’s OK too. We can get involved in projects early, when you have just a rough idea or problem statement, to help develop concepts, model ideas virtually, and deliver a clear path forward. 

One Team Means One Plan

At Polytron, we’ve long understood the power of an integrated approach. When mechanical and controls engineers work side by side from the start, you can eliminate many common disconnects that lead to costly redesigns, missed expectations, and delays. With this unified approach, our mechanical team first defines how a system should physically operate while our controls team ensures it will run as specified, eliminating guesswork and finger-pointing later in the project. This level of coordination helps reduce project risk, cost, and time since you do not need to manage multiple vendors and hope their plans align. Instead, you have one accountable partner and a single project lead guiding the effort.

Smarter Use of Tools and Technology

Because our engineers work closely together, our teams share tools and insights that enhance design accuracy and efficiency. Take our use of 3D laser scanning, for example. Our mechanical team can perform a 3D laser scan of a facility to better understand spatial constraints, identify interferences, and map out the best layout for equipment. Those scans can then be used to inform both the physical and electrical design and lead to faster installation, fewer change orders, and smoother start-ups.

Efficiency From Concept to Commissioning

Having both mechanical and controls engineering disciplines in-house also simplifies project execution in a variety of ways:

• Documentation is consistent
• Vendor management is centralized
• Onsite coordination is faster

For example, when a major consumer packaged goods manufacturer needed to produce a larger bundled product, we were brought in to reconfigure multiple packaging lines. That required spatial redesign, speed adjustments, and rerouted conveyors, which we planned with our mechanical and controls engineers together from the start of the project. As a result, we reconfigured the line so that product from 11 assets merges through 4 trunk lines and then diverts to the appropriate palletizer areas, all without disrupting existing lines or requiring the manufacturer to invest more capital.

A More Flexible, Consultative Partner

As an automation-first company that has grown our mechanical engineering capabilities, we are well equipped to help clients shape concepts, develop master plans, validate ideas, and implement full-scale systems, from the earliest sketch to start-up and beyond. Whether it’s a line relocation, new equipment integration, or a packaging capacity increase, our integrated team helps clients move faster and smarter. With one partner to deliver concept, design, and implementation backed by our highly experienced project managers, you gain more than efficiency, you gain a competitive edge.

Learn more about our mechanical engineering services.