Services at Columbia Tech

Columbia Tech provides new product introduction, design, engineering, planning, purchasing and supply chain management, production/assembly, total systems integration, testing, logistics/fulfillment, and field support.

Engineering and Contract Manufacturing Services

New Product Introduction

Columbia Tech New Product Introduction (NPI) services provide the specialized support customers requires through a wide variety of services including advanced design support using our sophisticatedDFM tools. The initial phase of NPI services examines product documentation to ensure potential obstacles are discovered and resolved prior to production in order to minimize the need for additional design changes. Columbia Tech materials and engineering teams work closely with the client and suppliers to ensure aggressive prototype launch timelines are met. Capital equipment is already in place at Columbia Tech, reducing up front tooling costs for small production builds or to keep prototype costs low, and to accelerate the speed to market.

Design

Columbia Tech’s team of manufacturing experts works closely with our customers to ensure that products can be efficiently manufactured and tested. Through continuous investment in design capabilities, Columbia Tech stays on the leading edge of DFM and DFT tools to enable quick responses to new designs in a dynamic change environment. Columbia Tech recent purchase of Valor’s newest solution, vPlan, continues our strategy to employ the latest in design support capabilities for our customers.

Engineering

Through Coghlin Companies’ DCI Engineering, Columbia Tech provides a broad range of engineering support services to meet clients changing needs. Coghlin Companies engineers products for successful manufacturing because we manufacture many of the products we engineer. Columbia Tech’s development team includes mechanical, electrical, software, quality, and manufacturing engineers. Development, Design, and Engineering capabilities range from complete systems and major subassemblies to instrument enhancements, feasibility studies, and design reviews. Core areas of expertise include fluid and gas handling, precision mechanical and electromechanical systems, embedded software and comprehensive specialization in engineering complex capital equipment. For more on Development, Design and Engineering, Click here.

Planning

Columbia Tech provides customers with a plan to both improve quality and reduce manufacturing costs by employing a Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Review. Once all data (bill of material, AVL, CAD, etc.) is captured, the system is programmed to analyze and optimize for manufacturability and assembly. Design verification is performed based on pre-defined manufacturing constraints. As a result of the verification process, productivity is improved greatly, component and manufacturing resources are optimized, and the final product is far more reliable.

Purchasing and Supply Chain Management

At the foundation of our manufacturing operation is a comprehensive supplier and materials management program geared towards providing the highest levels of predictability and flexibility. From supplier selection to ongoing supplier management, Columbia Tech offers a senior staff of specialists with experience in high-technology manufacturing and a network of global supplier partnerships. Our unique combination of on-site program management by our distribution partners, Far East sourcing of critical cost drivers and direct purchasing of custom/unique components enables us to provide levels of efficiency and cost effectiveness that enable reduced supplier cycle times, lower production costs, and a faster flexibility to meet customer needs. Additionally, Columbia Tech continuously benchmarks the market, staying on top of prices, lead times, parts availability and technology trends to maximize the impact of working capital.

Production/Assembly

Columbia Tech production includes complete instrument assembly and performance testing, strategic material sourcing, purchasing and inventory management, spare parts management, depot repair, and instrument refurbishment. Quality assurance support services include design verification and validation, design reviews, risk analysis, FMEA, and technology transfer to manufacturing. Other areas of expertise include statistical process control, gauge R&R studies, process capability studies, and proficiency in safety requirements such as UL and CSA compliance. Our ISO 13485 certification is our backbone with respect to quality system compliance.

Total Systems Integration

Coghlin Companies’ Columbia Tech unit is a capital equipment contract manufacturing specialist that is renowned for fabricating and/or procuring components of all types and then integrating those components to produce complex machines or systems. Columbia Tech integrates and builds the machines/systems in a scaleable system-level manufacturing environment to enable it to provide flexibility in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment. Systems or machines can be either finished at Columbia Tech’s facility or assembled into major components and shipped to the operations site where the subassemblies are built into the end product.

Testing

Columbia Tech is fully equipped and staffed to provide functional test services to verify computer control functions, power delivery and distribution, and mechanical operation. Columbia Tech is prepared to design, engineer and build specialized test equipment as well as use standard and customer-supplied testing gear. In addition, services include burn-in, extended cycle testing and MTBFtesting. Working together with our customers to determine the optimal balance between test coverage and test cost, Columbia Tech can manage the entire hardware and software test development requirements for clients. The Columbia Tech team has created and validated, utilizing various protocols, numerous test platforms that have been developed internally at Columbia Tech in virtually all industry segments, including medical devices and products requiring specialized RF technology.

Logistics/Fulfillment

Columbia Tech can manage your entire distribution function, accepting orders from multiple locations or channels and shipping directly to any location worldwide, saving you time and money. Columbia Tech offers numerous forms of inventory management options for customers requiring flexibility for sudden changes in volume requirements. Ranging from Kanban to vendor managed inventory (VMI), Columbia Tech partners with customers to develop the optimal inventory management programs based on individual production needs. The Columbia Tech staff includes worldwide shipping experts with extensive knowledge of import/export requirements, duties and other logistics associated with worldwide distribution. Columbia Tech strives for the timely movement of materials in and out of facilities, identifying the most effective carriers and forwarders and maintaining ongoing visibility to shipments, ensuring world-class pricing through transportation agreements with carriers and custom brokers. Columbia Tech can also maintain import and export compliance, according to special foreign trade agreements and specific country requirements.

Field Support

Columbia Tech’s field services is an on-site supplier of asset management and maintenance delivery services providing the end user support component of The Coghlin Companies, providing clients with an efficient cross-functional team of support engineers and technicians skilled in electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, refrigeration, and computer technology. Capabilities include NIST Traceable Calibration, preventive maintenance, repair, installations, and upgrades. Our maintenance solutions include spare parts inventory, RMA, scheduling, call logging, and record management. We are available for as needed call-out services, contractual calibration and maintenance, and full service on-site asset management. Columbia Tech’s field service assists companies seeking to reduce equipment ownership costs by providing best value maintenance and asset management solutions. Companies using OEM call-out services or service contracts will benefit by having a single source provider of equal or better quality, at a lower cost.

What can Columbia Tech do for you?

Contact Columbia Tech today to discuss your organization's needs and aspirations. Columbia Tech can help you grow, thrive and profit.