About R+D
Dedicated to Life Sciences Automation Solutions for 30+ Years
Expertise Based on Nearly 50 Years in Business
R+D Automation designs, builds and maintains machines that automate manufacturing and processes of the life sciences industry. Many of our machines automate multiple processes – with each process seamlessly communicating with a subsequent process.
While the automation systems we build are truly customized for specific needs, we are experts at integrating existing, proven technologies in our machines – streamlining the design and manufacturing process and removing risk.
Along with the design and manufacture of automation solutions, we maintain machines built by R+D and others, and provide retrofit and upgrade services on machines.
Solutions for Major Corporations and Start-Ups
We work with some of the world’s biggest life sciences corporations, as well as start-up companies that want to benefit from automation, or that are developing new processes that could be automated.
From our headquarters in southeastern Wisconsin, we serve clients throughout the U.S. as well as abroad, providing custom machine building that is second to none.
R+D started as a tool-and-die shop in 1977. Since then, we have continuously expanded our automation capabilities to bring the latest proven, innovative, and fully customized systems to our customers. For more than 30 years, our main focus has been collaborating with the life sciences industry on automation systems for assembly lines and manufacturing processes.
A Krones Group Company with International Scope
In 2022, we became part of The Krones Group – an international family of companies with a focus on automation but also providing other services and products.
Today we operate out of a modern, clean, 65,000-square-foot facility, and we’ve built a team of knowledgeable and experienced engineers, machinists and assemblers. We have a stable, consistent leadership team and we continually develop the next generation of leadership.
With our capable and cross-trained team, R+D provides full-service capabilities so that 98% of custom machine building can stay in-house, allowing greater control and accountability for budget, quality, and deadlines. If deadlines and time to market are driving factors, R+D’s proven Flex Capacity model can be engaged.
Explore Markets
Beyond Life Sciences
Automation systems for industries and markets outside of Life Sciences.
Testimonials
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“R+D has played a tremendous role in helping us increase our efficiency, productivity, and quality of our products across all of our centers.”
– Pharmaceutical Process Development Engineer
Contact Us
Full Scope of In-House Services
- Consulting & Collaborating
- Planning
- Process Development
- Machine Design
- Software Development
- Manufacturing
- Assembly & Installation
- Commissioning
- Qualification
- Post-Installation Support
- Preventive Maintenance
Frequently Asked Questions
What does R+D actually build?
Custom automation systems that handle the physical steps of manufacturing a drug product or device — filling, assembly, inspection, labeling, and packaging — built specifically around your product and process rather than adapted from an off-the-shelf machine.
How is R+D different from a general industrial automation integrator?
Life sciences is the bulk of what we do, and every system we design for a pharma or medical device client accounts for GMP requirements, aseptic environments, and FDA validation from the start, not as an add-on. We also take on automation projects outside life sciences when it’s the right fit for both sides. As part of the Krones Group, we have the backing and manufacturing scale of a much larger organization while staying a dedicated, single-site engineering team.
What's the typical process from first call to installed machine?
Discovery and scoping → concept development / proof of principle → design review with your team → build and internal testing (FAT) → installation and validation support at your facility.
How long does a project take?
It depends heavily on complexity and whether the system is a modification of a proven platform or a fully custom build. Most projects run from a few months to over a year for high-complexity aseptic systems. We’ll give you a realistic timeline during scoping, not a sales estimate.
Can you support FDA validation?
Yes. We build to GAMP 5 and are ISO 9001 certified and UL 508 compliant. The documentation we generate during machine development and testing is built to be used directly in your FDA validation package.
What's your minimum project size?
There is no minimum project size. We will work on small fixtures and prototypes all the way to large capital equipment. If the project fits our expertise, we are willing to take it on.
Do you only build fully automated lines, or semi-automated too?
Both. We scope to the volume and flexibility you actually need — from semi-automated workstations for lower-volume or pilot production up to fully automated, high-speed lines.
What happens after the machine is installed?
Our After Market group provides service and parts, operator/maintenance training, and upgrades or retrofits as your product or volume changes over time.
What kinds of process do you automate?
Our systems span the full manufacturing process, not just one device type. That includes vial handling lines that move product through a series of coating stations with inline inspection and tub packout; syringe lines that laser-mark needles and apply silicone, along with full syringe assembly, filling, capping, and labeling; cassette and cartridge filling, capping, and labeling for auto-injector and pump devices; bag manufacturing and filling for IV and saline bags; blood collection tube coating and filling; and vial-specific processes like pooling product from multiple vials into a single container.
What about labeling, packaging, and inspection?
These are typically built into the same line rather than handled separately. Our systems commonly include vision-based inspection at key process steps, label application, and downstream packaging — including robotic case packing and palletizing — so product moves from process to finished pack without leaving the line.
What inspection/vision capabilities do you build in?
Vision systems and sensor-based inspection are integrated into most of our lines to catch defects and partial assemblies in real time, rather than relying on downstream QC sampling.
How do you handle low-volume or pilot-scale production?
We can scope a system for lab-scale or pilot volumes with a path to scale into higher-volume production later, so early validation runs and full production can share the same core process.
What if our product design changes mid-project?
We build in design reviews at defined stages specifically so changes can be caught and incorporated before they become expensive rework. If the design change is requires additional processes or reworked process, that will be communicated clearly and a quoted change order will be provided. Ongoing, close collaboration with your engineering team is part of how we work, not an extra service.