When a system leaves the shop without being properly verified, the consequences follow it into the field. Panels that create problems at installation, documentation that leaves technicians guessing, and builds that technically meet a drawing but fail to meet the real demands of the application are costly mistakes that the right manufacturing partner prevents from happening in the first place.
Aging control systems rarely fail all at once. They degrade slowly, through years of patched fixes and workarounds, until unplanned downtime becomes routine and the system becomes something nobody fully understands anymore. Zachary Neudorfer, an automation engineer on Premier's Automation team, describes the pattern well: equipment ends up on the wrong controllers, “temporary” programming and
electrical changes become permanent, which leads to years of incremental fixes rather than intentional design.
Manufacturers investing in robotic systems face more than a technology decision. They are navigating complex engineering requirements, undefined processes, and a long list of integration details that can make or break the outcome. We sat down with Nolan Smith, lead robotics engineer for Premier Automation, to talk through how Premier approaches that work and what manufacturers need to understand before they commit to a robotic investment.
Industrial systems are only as valuable as their uptime. When a control system faults, a drive fails, or a robotic cell goes down, the cost of standing still adds up fast. At Premier Automation, service is not an afterthought. It is a core part of what we deliver, and it is backed by the same engineering depth that goes into every system we design and integrate.
Robots are becoming more accessible to manufacturers of all sizes. As labor challenges grow and production demands increase, many small to mid-sized manufacturers are considering robotics as a way to improve efficiency on the plant floor.
But one of the most common misconceptions is that buying a robot automatically leads to better productivity.
Premier Automation’s PanelShop.com specializes in custom, build-to-print panel manufacturing, supporting customers who may lack in-house manufacturing capabilities or need to scale beyond them.
For decades, the United States has relied on foreign-built harbor cranes—particularly from China—to move the cargo that keeps the economy moving. Today, those cranes sit at the center of a national security, industrial, and supply-chain transformation, and the industry is preparing for historic change.
In industrial environments, motion is everything. From conveyors and cranes to rolling mills and production lines, drive systems sit at the heart of how facilities operate and how reliably they perform over time. At Premier, those systems are supported by a team with deep technical expertise, hands-on experience, and a clear understanding of day-to-day plant operations.
Robotics is transforming the way modern manufacturers address labor shortages, safety risks, and production bottlenecks — and at Premier, that evolution is driven by leaders who’ve spent decades solving real problems on the plant floor. One of those leaders is Erik Shafer, manager of the robotics team.
Innovation drives everything Premier delivers—from power systems to panel design to advanced automation and robotics. Within that larger mission, the Automation Group plays a vital role in developing intelligent control systems that help manufacturers modernize and optimize production.