Adaptek uses industrial know-how to tune manufacturers

Ivy Tech marks Manufacturing Day with invited companies

By Mary Anne Gates | The News-Sentinel

Friday is Manufacturing Day, an opportunity for manufacturers nationwide to celebrate modern manufacturing techniques and processes. A Fort Wayne company that depends on manufacturers’ drive to innovate and improve for its livelihood is Adaptek Systems.

Adaptek, 14224 Plank St., founded in 1989, works with American manufacturers to develop modern, custom-designed automated production systems intended to keep costs down, productivity up and manufacturers in the United States, according to the company’s leaders. Adaptek Systems creates many processes and systems manufacturers, including assembly, testing, motion control and robotic systems.

“The main focus for Adaptek Systems is simply to go into a plant and, at any level we can, make them as productive as we possibly can for the least amount of money,” said Joe DePrisco, owner and president.

Car batteries for electric cars, diabetic test kits and fuel injectors are a few of the products some manufacturers still make in America because Adaptek Systems created ways to streamline production.

“We do 70 or 80 projects a year, and they are all geared toward making American manufacturers more competitive so they can stay here,” he said.

Many prospective clients often find Adaptek Systems through word-of-mouth or, through references involved in manufacturing, he said.

“We have a lot of suppliers that we buy from that tell our customers they should call us because we can solve the problem,” said DePrisco.

“We specifically work on making other manufacturers competitive to stay in the United States. That’s our goal,” said DePrisco, “When we go out to manufacturers, we try to reduce their labor content, reduce a lot of scrap and get the production out faster.”

The motivation for establishing Adaptek Systems, said DePrisco, began in 1989 when people started talking about sending manufacturing to Mexico. “That really didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t like the idea that we couldn’t be competitive,” he said.

Since graduating from Purdue University in 1977 with a degree in mechanical engineering, DePrisco said, he has been designing machinery of one kind or another for manufacturers. Adaptek Systems employs about 40 people including mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, technicians, programmers and toolmakers.

ATI Tooling, a sister company, makes all the machined parts that go into machine systems designed for a specific manufacturer.

“Having our own shop allows us to make the equipment faster and (of) better quality,” said Mike Rudd, Adaptek Systems vice president.

For example, Adaptek Systems can design and build a single machine system that can assemble, test and package a fuel injector in six seconds, said Rudd.

After the machine has been built at Adaptek Systems it is disassembled and installed at the customer’s manufacturing plant where the actual products are made.

“These machines don’t exist anywhere else. These are literally one-of-a-kind assembly lines to make these parts,” said DePrisco.

Adaptek Systems and ATI Tooling are just two of the companies within Adaptive Technologies Inc. Others are:

• API Alliance, which makes electronic controls and electro-mechanical assemblies emphasizing interconnectivity within devices.
• Automated Laser, which creates standard and custom industrial lasers.
• Northern Apex which develops automated information systems designed to increase productivity.

For more information about Adaptek Systems Inc., see www.adapteksystems.com.