Industrial equipment and custom machine design and development
What is custom machine design and development?
Automation machine design, custom machine building and industrial equipment development: from a process you are doing by hand today to a working machine with drawings, controls and a build you can maintain.
Custom machine design and development is the engineering of a purpose-built machine or piece of industrial equipment for a process no off-the-shelf product handles: mechanism design, structural and drive engineering, actuation and controls, safety guarding, and a fabrication package a shop can build from.
Most of our machine work starts the same way. A company has a manual step that gates throughput - portioning, cutting, dispensing, sorting, assembling - and buying a machine for it is either impossible or absurdly expensive.
The engineering question is never just "can it be automated." It is what cycle time pays for the build, and what the machine has to survive on the floor for the next five years.
Recent industrial equipment work
Projects we designed, prototyped and took to production in this category.
- $300K+ raised
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BARS Automated Pizza Cooking Machine
LA NPDT and BARS Inc. collaborated to create an automated pizza cooking machine, blending culinary art with technology. This project showcases our proficiency in automated systems design and large-scale rapid prototyping, leading to a successful $300,000 funding round and media recognition.
View project - NSF startup — $900K+ raised
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Converting Air into Aid: The AtmoSpark Journey
ATMOSPARK’s journey with us led to the creation of the Bluelement, a device that transforms humidity into potable water, aiding in diverse environments.
View project - Licensed to Shurtech
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Prototype Production | Next-Generation Tape Cutter | Product Development
Tadpole teamed up with LA NPDT to design and develop a next-generation tape cutter and then take it from prototype to production. The project entailed product prototype production and development.
View project
Certified B Corp
Independently verified standards of social and environmental performance.
FDA-registered facility
Registered for device work, with the process discipline that comes with it.
- years developing physical products
- 20+years developing physical products
- projects taken from idea to build
- 1,000+projects taken from idea to build
- design, prototyping and short-run production
- In-housedesign, prototyping and short-run production
A machine shop and an engineering team in the same building
We designed and built the BARS automated pizza machine as a large-scale rapid prototyping and machine build program: food-safe mechanisms, motion, controls and a full-size working unit. We engineered the T-Rex tape cutter that went on to be licensed to ShurTech, mechanical product design for Brunson Machinery Tools, the EZ Miter gutter template, and a range of commercial equipment and fixtures.
As a custom machine builder we own the whole chain: mechanism concepts, CAD, FEA where load matters, motor and actuator selection, pneumatics, PLC and microcontroller-based control, fabrication, assembly and debug. That matters because machine programs live or die on iteration speed, and a design that has to leave the building to be cut loses a week each round.
We are equally comfortable being the engineering half of the project when you already have fabrication capacity, delivering a released drawing package, BOM and controls architecture your shop can execute.
Where industrial equipment projects go wrong
Machines rarely fail at the concept. They fail at duty cycle, at maintenance, and at the interface with the humans who run them.
- Cycle time is the whole business case
A machine that runs 20% slower than modelled can wipe out the payback period. Throughput assumptions belong in the first week, validated on a single-station mock-up before the full frame is built.
- Duty cycle kills prototypes
A mechanism that works for a demo and dies at 100,000 cycles is a common outcome. Bearings, wear surfaces, belt tension and thermal load have to be engineered for the real shift, not the video.
- Safety and compliance are structural
Guarding, interlocks, e-stops, lockout points and pinch-point analysis change the frame layout. Retrofitting a light curtain onto a finished machine is expensive and usually ugly.
- Maintenance access is a design input
If a wear part takes two hours and a special tool to replace, the plant will run the machine broken. Serviceability has to be drawn in, not discovered.
- Controls are half the machine
Sensor selection, fault handling, HMI clarity and recovery from a jam determine whether operators trust the machine. A great mechanism with a confusing HMI gets bypassed.
- One-off economics
A single machine cannot amortize tooling. Weldments, standard extrusion, catalog drives and machined parts have to be balanced against a single-unit budget.
Machine design services we deliver in-house
| Capability | What it covers | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
| Process and throughput study | Manual process mapping, cycle-time modelling, ROI case | Concept options with cost and rate estimates |
| Mechanism design | Motion, linkage, tooling, fixturing, material handling | Kinematic CAD and proof-of-principle rigs |
| Structural engineering | Frames, weldments, load paths, deflection and FEA | Fabrication drawings and BOM |
| Drives and actuation | Motor, gearbox, servo, pneumatic and hydraulic selection | Sizing calculations and component specs |
| Controls and HMI | PLC or microcontroller logic, sensing, safety circuits, operator interface | Control architecture, wiring, working code |
| Build, assembly and debug | In-house machining, fabrication, assembly, run-in | A working machine and a maintenance manual |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
How a custom machine program runs
We de-risk the mechanism before anyone welds a frame.
01 · Process study and concept+
We watch the manual process, time it, and model what automation is actually worth.
- Cycle-time and throughput model
- Two or three machine concepts
- Budget range and payback estimate
- Go / no-go on the business case
02 · Proof-of-principle rig+
The riskiest motion gets built as a single station first.
- Bench rig of the critical mechanism
- Rate and reliability testing
- Material and wear-surface trials
- Concept locked or replaced early
03 · Detailed design+
Full machine engineered, including the parts nobody enjoys drawing.
- Complete CAD assembly and drawings
- Structural analysis where load matters
- BOM with catalog components
- Safety and guarding layout
04 · Controls and integration+
The machine gets its nervous system.
- PLC or embedded control code
- Sensor and safety circuit integration
- HMI screens and fault handling
- Factory acceptance criteria
05 · Build, debug and handoff+
Fabrication, assembly and run-in until it holds rate.
- Machine built and commissioned
- Run-in at production rate
- Operator and maintenance training
- Drawings, spares list and manual
What a machine has to be worth
The right question is not whether a process can be automated. It is what an hour of that process costs today, how many hours a year you run it, and how much of that the machine gives back after maintenance and downtime.
We would rather tell you in week two that the numbers do not work than deliver a beautiful machine that never earns out. When they do work, the payoff is usually bigger than the labor line alone: consistency, yield, and the ability to quote work you cannot take on by hand.
A machine is not finished when it moves. It is finished when it holds rate for a full shift with the operator you actually have.
Frequently asked questions about custom machine design
How much does a custom machine cost?+
Simple single-station equipment and fixtures commonly land in the low tens of thousands. Multi-station automated machines with controls, guarding and food- or medical-grade requirements run well into six figures. We give you a range after the process study, before detailed design starts.
How long does it take to build a custom machine?+
Four to nine months is typical from process study to a commissioned machine, depending on how much of the mechanism is novel. A proof-of-principle rig usually lands within six to ten weeks.
Can you design the machine and let our shop build it?+
Yes. We deliver a released package - assembly and detail drawings, BOM, controls architecture and code - that your fabricator or integrator can build from, and we stay available through debug.
Do you handle controls and PLC programming?+
Yes. Sensing, safety circuits, PLC or microcontroller logic and the operator interface are engineered alongside the mechanism, not subcontracted after the fact.
Can you automate a food or medical process?+
We have. Food-contact machines bring washdown, material and sanitation requirements into the frame design; medical and lab equipment bring documentation. Both are scoped up front.
Can you improve an existing machine instead of building new?+
Often that is the cheaper answer. Retrofits, tooling changes, new end effectors and control upgrades regularly buy most of the throughput for a fraction of a new build.
Tell us about the step you are still doing by hand
Send us a video of the process, your volumes and your target rate. We will tell you honestly whether a machine pays for itself.
Selected industrial equipment work
Projects we designed, prototyped and took to production in this category.
- $300K+ raised
![]()
![]()
BARS Automated Pizza Cooking Machine
LA NPDT and BARS Inc. collaborated to create an automated pizza cooking machine, blending culinary art with technology. This project showcases our proficiency in automated systems design and large-scale rapid prototyping, leading to a successful $300,000 funding round and media recognition.
View project - NSF startup — $900K+ raised
![]()
![]()
Converting Air into Aid: The AtmoSpark Journey
ATMOSPARK’s journey with us led to the creation of the Bluelement, a device that transforms humidity into potable water, aiding in diverse environments.
View project - Licensed to Shurtech
![]()
![]()
Prototype Production | Next-Generation Tape Cutter | Product Development
Tadpole teamed up with LA NPDT to design and develop a next-generation tape cutter and then take it from prototype to production. The project entailed product prototype production and development.
View project 
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Refrigerator Design | ICBX – Rollin Cold! | LA NPDT
In collaboration with ICBX, LA NPDT redefined refrigeration for automobiles. Our focus was on creating a functional, energy-efficient refrigerator design adaptable to various truck models. Key innovations include a remote-control mobile app and the use of aerogel insulation for optimal efficiency. This project highlights our strengths in electronic product development, delivering a reliable and effective solution for on-the-go cooling needs.
View project
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Companies That Make Prototypes
A simpler, alternative way of purifying water. He was looking for companies that make prototypes, as well as do custom PCB design.
View project
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Mechanical Product Design – Brunson Machinery Tools
We needed to design a line of excavator attachments. The construction equipment design we provided for Brunon Machinery equipped them with materials and prototypes needed for approaching investors.
View project
Standards and regulations we work to
Other industries we build for
Personal Care
Beauty, grooming and personal hygiene products, from formula-adjacent hardware to packaging.
Pet Products
Pet care, feeding, comfort and interactive toy products developed end to end.
Sports & Fitness
Training aids, outdoor gear, wearables and equipment built for real use in the field.
Product Packaging
Retail-ready structural and graphic packaging that protects the product and sells it.
IoT & Consumer
Connected consumer devices: electronics, enclosures, firmware and the app that drives them.
Medical Devices
Class I and Class II devices, diagnostics and patient-safety hardware developed to the pathway.
Food & Beverage
Containers, closures, kitchen tools and food-contact equipment for CPG brands.
Toys & Games
Play patterns, mechanisms and pitch-ready prototypes for toy and game inventors.
Home & Housewares
Cleaning tools, storage, organization and home hardware engineered to a shelf price.
Baby & Juvenile
Feeding, sleep, travel and nursery products designed around juvenile safety standards.
Outdoor & Hunting
Hunting, camping, marine and recreation gear built for weather, abuse and field use.
Funded Startups & SBIR
SBIR Phase I and II prototypes and investor-ready hardware for funded teams.
What founders say after working with us
“This company is awesome. I run a medical device company and we required a number of accessories to be designed and built for our medical device. They delivered a polished design and printed the accessories on time using high-quality materials. I continue to work with them for all of our material needs.”
Matteo ZiffFounder, Virtual Vision“Partnering with LA NPDT to bring LEIA to life was a game-changer. Their blend of market analysis, design expertise, prototyping, and manufacturing streamlined my vision into a tangible solution. For medical professionals with a product idea, there's no team I'd recommend more.”
Dr. Elena DolganFounder, LEIA Cup“LA NPDT's technical expertise was instrumental in bringing the Evera Bottle to life. Their guidance on material selection and design optimization ensured a production-ready design that aligns perfectly with our sustainability goals.”
Steffek RaineyExecutive Director, Evera BottleThree reasons why our clients love working with us:
- 1
We solve problems. Coming up with creative solutions focused on achieving your goals is our everyday routine.
- 2
Get it all done at one place. We are a "one-stop shop" for developing, prototyping, manufacturing, and marketing new products.
- 3
You always know what to expect. No hourly charges. We are paid for the results.
If you ever thought of developing a new product, don’t wait any longer. Talk with one of our experts today.
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