6 keys to selecting a contract manufacturer

Development

functions as an operator, which means the vehicle performs safely without an operator inside the tractor. Instead, the operator would manage the autonomous tractor’s work om a distance. “Monarch has incorporated several additional safety features with direct input om Cal/OSHA,” Penmetsa says. “Tractors are speed limited in autonomy mode to 3mph and feature digital safety guardrails that deploy whenever a human is within 10m (33 ) of the vehicle. Monarch Tractor also enables 360-degree cameras to help protect the driver, surrounding people, livestock, implements, and crops near the tractor om crashes. The tractor actively addresses power take-off (PTO)-related injuries on the farm by utilizing a camera above the hitch that will stop the tractor and cut off power to PTO if an object or person comes in close proximity to the tractor.”

Gathering data With the temporary experimental variance in place until August 2026, Monarch Tractor, Cal/OSHA and Wente and Crocker & Starr vineyards will continue gathering data. When the variance ends, the data will be used to evaluate whether the current regulations should be changed or updated. Many hope that this information will help make the case for quicker, easier adoption of autonomous farm technologies without sacrifi cing worker, bystander or animal safety. Penmetsa is committed to continuing this important work. “Monarch Tractor continues to partner with other agricultural groups and California agencies on clarifi cation of the regulations applicable to autonomous operations in agriculture,” he said. “Monarch Tractor will also continue to work with Cal/OSHA under the current variance to provide the data requested for evaluation under the variance as the leader in global farm autonomy.” RR

Development

6 keysto selecting a contract manufacturer

Jim McCall • director of manufacturing, Cirtronics

Trust, values, goals, and complementary skill sets are a strong foundation for long-term, successful commercialization relationships.

Your manufacturer should feel like an extension of your business. Manufacturing relationships are just that – relationships. Since your contract manufacturer (CM) will be working alongside you, actively learning about your robotic system and the requirements specifi c to your company and application, your partnering decision needs to be deliberate and extend beyond bottom-line cost comparisons. The following key considerations are shared as a guide in supporting your selection of a manufacturer who will co-create a path – tailored to you and your robotic system – toward successful commercialization. Each step om onboarding to production should feel like it was made just for you, your priorities, and your product. So, what are the considerations for choosing a partner who feels like an extension of your business? And what kinds of engagement and interactions will support a win-win relationship? 1: Your capabilities Start by assessing your company’s unique capabilities and strengths. Then when you look for trusted partners, seek organizations whose areas of competence and qualifi cations complement yours. By collaborating with well-aligned external resources, your team can focus on your

company’s core competencies – the engineering and innovative expertise that brought your robotic system to manufacturing readiness. 2: Reliable supply chain Trust your partner’s expertise. If you’ve been building prototypes or low quantities inside your organization or with a prototype fabricator, or even if you’ve been working with another manufacturer, your new CM should expertly audit your bill of materials against known or forecasted uncertainties in material availability.

By working with you, they can identify supply chain strategies that provide a balance of stability and flexibility for the parts you need to build your product at scale, over time, within the specifications required. Sourcing strategies could include pre-buys/bulk buys, binding forecasts, and the identification of multiple validated sources for critical components. 3: Manufacturing handoff Documentation and optimization of build procedures are required for a successful handoff to production. Active and open knowledge transfer with your manufacturer is critical. Cooperative building (co-building) is one example of best practices. Co-building is building a product directly alongside your manufacturing company’s engineers. Processes are validated, any changes that are required to increase build efficiency or improve ease of assembly can be made, and the final process is fully documented.

The result is the complete set of experience-based documentation required to manufacture and test the product. This validation process, documentation creation, and hands-on

A Cirtronics team is seen here building telepresence robots from

Ava Robotics, which also develops robots for disinfection and security applications.

|| Cirtronics