(?) MFN: What has BCT been focused on in 2025?

(!) C. P.: In 2025, BCT remained focused on strategic growth and consistently exceeding customer expectations. We continue to push the boundaries of innovation with new and improved machine designs, while also investing heavily in our captive foundry to support the increasing demand for parts and service.

A key area of focus has been the automation of our own manufacturing processes. These investments not only expand our production capacity but also ensure that we deliver best-in-class quality across our product lines. From our robotic investment casting line and grinding cells to automated machine tool loading/unloading and advanced 3D printing capabilities, BCT stands apart in the industry with in-house manufacturing resources that very few OEMs can match.

This comprehensive approach allows us to deliver faster, more reliable solutions, backed by the kind of flexibility and quality assurance that today’s market demands.

(?) MFN: What has driven the investment in automation in your manufacturing processes?

(!) C. P.: At BCT, our primary focus remains on continuously improving how we serve our customers—by delivering engineered solutions tailored to their specific needs. While we've placed significant emphasis on enhancing our processes and elevating the quality of our blast equipment, wheels, and parts, everything we do is driven by a commitment to grow and do better for those we serve.

To meet the increasing demand across all product lines, we recognize the need to boost productivity through smart, scalable solutions. The most effective way to achieve this is through automation. By advancing automation within our own manufacturing operations, we not only improve our internal capabilities but also create the opportunity to integrate these same automation and robotics technologies into our shot blast equipment, blast wheels, and system upgrades—bringing greater value directly to our customers.

(?) MFN: How has the investment in automation helped BCT?

(!) C. P.: Our investment in automation has enabled us to maintain a lean operational focus while positioning us for sustainable growth well into the future. As demand for our parts has increased, we identified key areas within our processes that were well suited for automation. This has allowed us to shift operators away from labor-intensive tasks and into critical roles that require human judgment and expertise.

Looking ahead, any task that can be automated is part of our roadmap. This approach not only increases efficiency but also enhances our ability to deliver consistent, high-quality finished parts.

(?) MFN: How has the investment in printers helped BCT?

(!) C. P.: Our 3D printing capabilities have transformed the way we prototype and manage our casting processes. By bringing this technology in-house, we’ve eliminated the quality issues that often came with outsourced castings. Now, we can identify problems quickly and implement corrections in days—rather than waiting weeks or even months.

This agility is critical to keeping project schedules on track and ensuring our customers receive the parts they need without delay. It also allows us to provide critical components that many other OEMs simply can't deliver on short notice. There’s real satisfaction in being able to get a customer back up and running in just a few days, when others might take weeks.

(?) MFN: What prompted BCT to focus on this additional capability?

(!) C. P.: It has always been about anticipating and staying ahead of our customers’ evolving needs. Our commitment remains centered on delivering the highest quality solutions and parts—precisely when they’re needed. We recognize that many of our customers face the same operational challenges we’ve encountered in our foundry, and we're leveraging our firsthand experience to support their manufacturing teams with proven automation solutions.

A key part of delivering successful automation is the strong, collaborative relationships we've built with our customers over the years. These partnerships enable us to effectively apply our in-house expertise to solve challenges around the blast and finishing processes, making automation a natural and valuable extension of our product offering.

BCT thrives when we fully utilize our technical and design engineering teams to work closely with each customer, ensuring every solution is tailored, effective, and aligned with their specific goals.

(?) MFN: What types of solutions can we expect to see from BCT in the future?

(!) C. P.: Our focus is on delivering tailored solutions that address each customer’s unique needs. Whether the priority is safety, productivity, ease of maintenance, electrical controls, work conveyance, automation, or more, we design and engineer a comprehensive, all-in-one solution. Throughout the process, we prioritize accessibility and safety features, knowing that proper servicing is essential to keep the equipment running at peak efficiency.

(?) MFN: Do you feel this gives BCT a competitive edge?

(!) C. P.: We recognize that our customers seek a partner who can deliver fully integrated solutions throughout the entire blast process. This may include feeding the blast system, unloading, material cooling, transfers, and even grinding and finishing operations. Our capability to design, build, fully integrate, and support complete engineered solutions—including advanced controls, automation, and robotics—without relying on third-party providers ensures that we consistently deliver the right solution on time to meet our customers’ needs. So yes, we feel this is a distinct advantage.

(?) MFN: What is next for BCT as it relates to automation?

(!) C. P.: Our core focus remains delivering world-class shot blast equipment built to handle the toughest jobs, along with blast wheels that outperform and outlast the competition. The investment we’ve made in developing our in-house automation team gives us a tremendous opportunity to provide our customers with a single-source solution in and around their shot blasting processes.

Providing great products is only the first step. Providing the critical service and support for our shot blast machines—and the automation we develop—that ensures our customers are fully supported is how we succeed.

For Information: 

Blast Cleaning Technologies

6682 W. Greenfield Ave., 

West Allis, WI 53214, USA

Tel. +1.262.785.7577

E-mail: sales@bct-us.com

www.bct-us.com