Quality Assurance Isn’t Just a Department; It’s Part of Our Culture!
At Reata Engineering, quality assurance isn’t limited to inspection at the end of production. It’s woven into every step of our operation. From quoting to shipping, quality is a mindset, a process, and a commitment shared across the entire company. We don’t view quality as a box to check, but rather as an opportunity to […]
Why Automation Makes Sense for Low-Volume Production
When most people think of automation in manufacturing, they imagine high-volume automotive production lines with robots working 24/7, cranking out tens of thousands of identical parts. That image isn’t off-base; in fact, many U.S. automakers pioneered the use of automation and robotics on the shop floor. But today, automation isn’t just a means for mass […]
Prototype Machining Services That Don’t Disrupt Production
Prototype processes need to happen quickly, and so should prototype machining services. However, for many shops, prototyping can fall behind full-scale production in the ongoing list of priorities, especially if they lack the technology or processes to handle both simultaneously. At Reata Engineering, we’ve designed our shop floor to ensure prototyping and production can coexist. […]
Our Key to Being a Customer-Focused Manufacturer? Delivering What Matters Most!
Being a customer-focused manufacturer means more than just delivering parts on time. It means understanding the nuances of each project, anticipating priorities, and adapting our process to meet their exact needs—all before we send a finalized quote to the customer. At Reata, we’ve taken a proactive approach to this by embedding short customer surveys directly […]
Are You Including the Right Information in Your RFQs? Advice from Our Colorado Machine Shop
At Reata, we understand that getting the most accurate and timely quotes is key to keeping your projects on schedule. But RFQs sent to our Colorado machine shop often lack crucial details, putting jobs at risk of delays, miscommunications, and sometimes even pricing discrepancies. If you’re an engineer or buyer preparing to request pricing from […]
Manufacturing Engineers Are Problem Solvers—and Contract Manufacturing Is Full of Problems
Across industries and innovations, engineers are the silent problem-solvers behind the scenes. Most of the technologies and infrastructure we rely on daily – from the roads we travel on to the devices we access information on – exist because of engineers. And in precision machining, talented manufacturing engineers aren’t just helpful, they’re essential. Yet many […]
The Global Web of American Manufacturing: Why International Connections Matter
In this country, manufacturing isn’t fading—it’s evolving. U.S. machine shops like Reata are thriving in a global environment where international collaboration, advanced automation, and customer relationships drive innovation and growth. As a precision machining business that ships to countries across various hemispheres, we understand firsthand how American manufacturing is deeply connected to a worldwide network […]
The True Test of a Precision Machine Shop? How We Respond to Mistakes
A precision machine shop typically operates like many others when things are running smoothly. If everything is on time, parts meet specifications, and processes flow seamlessly, customers may not notice much difference between one shop and another. But the true test of a shop’s value is revealed when something goes awry. At Reata, we believe […]
Why “Approximately Correct” Is Better Than “Perfectly Wrong” in Contract Manufacturing
Here at Reata, we’re fortunate to have a team of contract manufacturing professionals who take immense pride in what they do. And while having such fantastic people on board is the opposite of an issue, a few team members have had to work through a familiar challenge: over-perfection. Wait—over-perfection? That doesn’t sound like a problem, […]
Why Your Contract Manufacturing Partner Should Handle Production AND Inspection
In contract manufacturing, producing high-quality parts is only half the battle. The real challenge often lies in measuring components with unmatched precision. Many companies, including some of our customers, manufacture their parts in-house but send them to us for final inspection. The reason? Their own quality departments are prone to bottlenecks, slowing down production. At […]