Frequently Asked Questions

ADAPT is a full service engineering services firm based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. We design products, simulate them, scan and inspect them, build prototypes, and place engineering talent on customer teams. The work usually starts with a problem: a napkin sketch, a stalled CAD file, a part with no drawings, or a program that needs more engineers than the internal team can supply. It ends with a manufacturable solution, a validated prototype, or a qualified engineer contributing to your program. We have been doing this from Michigan since May 1998.

A full service product development firm. We build prototypes and short production runs in-house, and we manage anything from small-volume to higher-volume production through our vetted supply chain network when a program needs it. The shop floor exists to support the engineering, not the other way around. We are not a contract manufacturer.

Eight: Aerospace, Automotive, Consumer Products, Defense, Heavy Truck and Equipment, Medical (devices only, not implants), Tooling and Automation, and Independent Inventors and Startups. Most programs draw on the same core mechanical engineering disciplines regardless of industry. The difference between a UAV bracket and a truck cab structural member is the load case and the quality system, not the engineering approach.

ADAPT is mechanical engineering only. No electrical engineering, no PCB layout, no firmware, no embedded software, no semiconductor work. On the medical side, we design and prototype external devices and surgical instruments but we do not engineer implants. No spinal hardware, no orthopedic plates or screws, no devices intended to remain permanently inside the body. When a program needs electrical or software disciplines, we coordinate with specialist partners and stay in our lane.

ADAPT was founded in May 1998 and has been operating continuously from Michigan for more than 27 years.

ADAPT was founded in May 1998 by engineers who wanted to build the kind of firm they wished existed when they were working inside OEMs: small enough to move fast, deep enough to handle serious programs. Leadership today comes from the same engineering-first culture. The team that runs day-to-day operations has direct program experience across automotive, defense, and medical, which is why the estimates are realistic and the deliverables land on time.

Yes. That is one of the most common calls we get, and we take it seriously. Here is what the engagement typically looks like. We start with an NDA and a brief discovery call to understand what the product needs to do and what constraints matter most: budget, timeline, regulatory environment, manufacturing method. From there we move into concept development, which usually means two or three CAD concepts with enough detail to evaluate form, fit, and function. We pick the strongest concept together and move into full 3D CAD. If the part carries structural load or has a failure mode worth understanding, we run FEA before cutting anything. When the CAD is solid we build a prototype, either additive, machined, or a combination depending on the part. The first working prototype is usually four to twelve weeks from kickoff depending on complexity. At the end you have a physical artifact, a CAD package you own, and a set of release drawings. That is the foundation for a patent application, a manufacturing quote, or a pitch to investors. Our turnkey product development service covers the full path from idea to manufacturable hardware.

Yes. Independent inventors and early-stage startups are a regular part of our customer mix. We size the engagement to the stage. At pre-seed you might need one engineer for six weeks to validate a concept and produce investor-ready CAD. At seed you might need a full concept-to-prototype program with FEA and a working unit for demo day. We have done both. The NDA comes first. The scope comes second. We do not require a minimum engagement size.

Yes, every time. Mutual NDA is the first document on any new inventor engagement. We also work under customer-paper NDAs when that is the preferred form. The only thing we need to get an NDA signed is your name and contact information.

The customer owns all deliverables. That means the CAD files, simulation results, drawings, and any designs developed specifically for the engagement. ADAPT retains rights only to internal tooling, templates, and methodology that we built before the program started and that are not unique to your product. This is standard in every engagement, not something you need to negotiate for.

We do not publish fixed prices because scope varies too much to make a number useful without context. What we can say: a concept-to-working-prototype engagement for a mechanical consumer product at low complexity typically runs in the range of a few thousand dollars for a focused sprint to the low five figures for a full concept-through-prototype program with simulation and release drawings. Complex geometry, tight tolerances, regulated industries, and expedited timelines all push cost up. The most useful thing to do is call us. In a twenty-minute conversation we can tell you whether your idea fits our typical scope range and give you a rough order-of-magnitude before you commit to anything.

We do not do patent prosecution. We are engineers, not attorneys. What we do is produce the CAD, drawings, and technical documentation that a patent attorney needs to file a utility patent application. We can coordinate directly with your patent counsel during the design process to make sure the engineering captures what needs to be protected. If you do not have patent counsel yet, we can point you toward mechanical patent attorneys we have worked alongside before.

For a straightforward mechanical part or assembly with no tight regulatory constraints, a working prototype is typically four to eight weeks from a signed scope. That includes CAD, any simulation we run before cutting, and the manufacturing and prototyping phase itself. Complex multi-part assemblies, parts requiring special materials, or programs with regulatory documentation requirements run longer. We will tell you the honest timeline in the quote, not the optimistic one.

Yes. Once the prototype validates the design, we can coordinate production tooling, supplier qualification, and low-volume runs through our partner network. We write the specifications, manage the suppliers, and inspect the first articles. You do not need to find a manufacturer on your own. The production path is part of the same program structure, managed by the same team that built your prototype.

Yes. We place engineers on-site at customer facilities, off-site from our Auburn Hills office against a customer program, or fully remote. Contract, temp-to-perm, and direct placement are all available. Engagements range from one designer for three months to a team of many running alongside a customer engineering group for a multi-year program. Our technical resources service covers the full staffing model.

CATIA V5 and V6, Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, and Autodesk Inventor. Aerospace and automotive exterior work is predominantly CATIA. Automotive interior and supplier work splits between CATIA and NX. Defense work runs across CATIA, Creo, and SolidWorks depending on the prime. We staff to the customer’s platform, not ours.

Standard contract placement is two to four weeks from kickoff. Urgent fills from our existing bench have started in under a week. Permanent placement runs four to twelve weeks depending on role and clearance requirements.

Yes. CATIA V5 and V6 are core to our design staffing pool, especially for automotive exterior and Class A surface work. A typical engagement on a side panel runs one to four designers embedded with the customer team, working in the customer’s PLM environment and attending the customer’s design reviews. We handle recruiting, pre-qualification, and W-2. The designers show up as part of your team.

Every CAD, CAE, and metrology candidate runs through a skills assessment calibrated to the customer’s platform and role before placement. We do not send a designer to a CATIA seat without verifying CATIA proficiency first. We also verify work history and references before submitting a profile to the customer.

Yes. Stalled programs are a recognized scenario we scope for. The first step is understanding why it stalled: missing resources, a design problem, a scope that grew without a plan, or a team departure. We do a brief audit of the current CAD and program status, identify the gap, and propose a recovery path. The turnkey product development model works well for recovery because it puts one program lead across all disciplines rather than asking the customer to coordinate separate workstreams.

Yes. A common engagement shape is a customer with completed or partially completed CAD but no in-house simulation capacity. We pick up the CAD, build the FEA model, run the load cases you specify, and deliver a report with stress, displacement, and margin results. If the results show a problem, we propose the geometry change and re-run. Our simulation service covers structural, thermal, fatigue, crash, modal, and CFD analyses.

One to two weeks from receipt of CAD and load cases, for a standard structural analysis.

Yes. This is one of our most common inbound scopes. The customer ships the part, or we scan it on-site. We use FaroArm and laser scanning to capture the full geometry, reconstruct the CAD in the customer’s platform, and deliver a clean drawing package. Tolerance recovery on most machined parts lands inside 0.002 inch. Older castings, worn parts, and organically shaped geometry take more interpretive work, and we flag that in the quote so there are no surprises. The full reverse-engineering workflow is part of our metrology service.

Yes. Our engineers work inside customer PLM environments routinely. We do not require customers to adopt our tools or workflows. Embedded engineers check in and out of the customer’s vault, follow the customer’s change management process, and attend the customer’s release reviews. PLM fluency is part of the screening process for any embedded engineer.

Yes. ADAPT supports defense programs including vehicle structures, occupant protection analysis, specialty mobility builds, and UAV mechanical structures. We are registered in SAM.gov. CAGE Code: 5LA13. UEI: LY7KDRALJX98. We are built to meet CMMC Level 2 requirements and operate under ITAR-aware processes for controlled programs.

ADAPT is built to meet CMMC Level 2 requirements and operates under controls aligned with NIST SP 800-171. We are not yet formally assessed and certified by a C3PAO, but the practices, policies, and technical controls that CMMC Level 2 requires are in place. For programs where a prime needs to review our posture, our compliance documentation is available directly to program offices and contracting officers.

ADAPT operates under ITAR-aware processes for defense and controlled aerospace work. Current ITAR registration status is shared directly with primes and program offices as part of the qualification process, not published on the open web.

Yes. Occupant protection simulation, including crash load cases, seat and restraint analysis, and structural intrusion modeling, is part of our simulation practice. We have done this work on defense vehicle programs. We run the analysis in the same FEA tools used for automotive crash: results are documented in report format compatible with program review standards.

Yes. UAV and drone airframe work uses the same engineering disciplines as aerospace structures at a smaller scale: CAD in CATIA or SolidWorks, FEA on composite and aluminum structures, CFD where airflow matters, additive prototyping for fast iteration, and fixture build for assembly. We have extended this work from manned aerospace programs to unmanned platforms. We do not do flight controls, firmware, or avionics. We stay on the mechanical side. Our technical resources team can also place CATIA-qualified engineers on UAV programs that need embedded support.

Yes. We run first-article inspection on our metrology equipment and deliver AS9102-format documentation. Balloon drawings, dimensional results, and characteristic accountability are all part of the standard AS9102 deliverable package.

We do not disclose customer names without permission. What we can say is that our aerospace and defense experience includes manned aircraft structures, military vehicle programs, specialty mobility programs, and UAV mechanical development, across both prime and tier relationships. Program references are available on request, subject to NDA.

Yes. Low-volume vehicle work is one of our recurring program shapes and one of the more comprehensive things we do. On a specialty vehicle (mail truck, military transport, mobility conversion, or specialty Class 8), the scope we typically cover includes: structural CAD in CATIA or SolidWorks, occupant protection and crash simulation, interior and exterior surface development, durability analysis, prototype build, fixture design, and first-article metrology. We have supported defense vehicle programs and specialty mobility programs across that full scope. We run the engineering and the prototype build under one program lead. Volume production tooling is coordinated through our partner network when the program is ready for scale.

Yes, on external devices and surgical instruments. Design, FEA, scanning, and prototyping for devices that operate outside the body. We do not engineer implants. No spinal hardware, no orthopedic plates or screws, no devices intended to remain inside the body permanently. That is a deliberate scope choice and we hold it firm regardless of the specific anatomy or application.

Implant engineering sits at the intersection of structural, biological, and materials science in ways that demand a team built specifically around that practice. We chose not to build that team. Our medical practice is focused on external devices and surgical instruments, where our mechanical engineering depth is most useful and where we can take programs to successful prototypes with confidence.

Yes. Surgical instruments are a good fit for our capabilities: precise mechanical geometry, functional prototypes for usability evaluation, and a clean drawing package that supports regulatory submission. The engagement follows the same structure as our turnkey product development path: concept, CAD, simulation if relevant, prototype, release drawings. We sign a mutual NDA before any technical discussion and take confidentiality on medical programs seriously.

We handle the engineering side of the compliance process. We produce the documentation, dimensional records, and design history file inputs that regulatory submissions require. We do not operate a certified test lab and we do not manage regulatory submissions directly. For electrical safety, EMC, and biocompatibility testing we coordinate with qualified test labs and CROs. Our engineering deliverables are structured to support those processes.

The same as every other engagement: mutual NDA first, customer owns all deliverables, ADAPT retains no rights to your device geometry or design intent. Medical programs often carry additional sensitivity because of patent position and regulatory strategy, and we treat that with the same discretion we apply to defense and automotive work. If your legal team needs specific contract language, we work from your paper or modify ours.

All three, depending on what the program needs. Fixed-fee works well when the scope is clear and bounded: a single FEA run, a reverse-engineering job, a defined prototype build. Time-and-materials fits programs where scope is likely to evolve, or where the customer wants flexibility to redirect effort between tasks. Retainer arrangements work for customers who need a standing pool of engineering hours each month without re-scoping for every task. Most multi-discipline programs combine models: a fixed-fee milestone for the CAD deliverable, T&M for the simulation phase, and a fixed prototype build cost at the end.

There is no formal minimum. We have scoped single-day metrology jobs, one-week FEA runs, and individual drawing cleanup tasks.

Multi-year, multi-discipline, multi-million-dollar programs. The structure scales: a program lead, the right engineers on the right CAD platforms, simulation running in parallel with design, prototype build coordinated with the engineering, and metrology gating the deliverables at each milestone. We have run programs at this scale for OEM and defense customers. The ceiling is not headcount. We expand the team to the program, not the other way around.

Yes, every time. We will not start a program without a written scope and a cost and schedule estimate attached to it. The format depends on the complexity: a simple FEA job gets a one-page quote with a number and a delivery date. A multi-phase program gets a statement of work with milestones, deliverables, and a payment schedule tied to milestone completion.

Net 30 is standard. We also work with purchase orders under existing supplier agreements for OEM and government customers.

Yes. ADAPT is a privately held small business registered in SAM.gov. Our SAM.gov socio-economic certifications include Minority-Owned Business, Women-Owned Small Business, Women-Owned Business, Asian-Pacific American Owned, and DOT Certified DBE. Reference CAGE Code 5LA13 and UEI LY7KDRALJX98 in your procurement file. Current certification documentation is available on request.

Yes. ADAPT carries general liability and professional liability insurance. Certificates of insurance are available on request to qualified buyers and procurement teams.

For ongoing or multi-project relationships, we establish a master services agreement (MSA) that covers IP ownership, confidentiality, liability, and billing terms. Each project then runs under a statement of work (SOW) that specifies the scope, deliverables, timeline, and price. For single, well-defined engagements, a single combined contract document covers everything. We work from our paper or the customer’s, depending on what the procurement process requires.

Yes. Class A surfacing is part of our automotive and consumer product practice. We work in CATIA ICEM and Alias when the quality standard requires it. Typical engagements are automotive exterior trim, interior visible surfaces, and consumer product housings. We handle the surface, the underlying engineering structure, and the link between the two. Our design service covers Class A alongside production-intent mechanical design.

Yes. Sheet metal design including bend allowances, flat patterns, and tolerance-correct release drawings is part of our standard design practice.

Yes. We design plastic parts for injection molding, including draft analysis, wall thickness optimization, rib and boss geometry, parting line planning, and gate location input for toolers. We do not design the injection mold itself, but we design the part to be moldable and we communicate directly with toolers to resolve design-for-manufacturing issues before the tool is cut.

Yes. GD&T per ASME Y14.5 is standard practice. We produce complete drawing release packages: fully toleranced detail drawings, assembly drawings with BOM, and revision-controlled documentation ready for a customer’s PLM vault or a supplier RFQ. Packages can be produced in the customer’s title block format and drawing standards. Our design deliverables are release-ready, not just visualization CAD.

Structural FEA, thermal analysis, fatigue and durability, crash and occupant protection, modal analysis, and CFD for external and internal flow problems. We scope each analysis to the load cases and acceptance criteria the program requires. Deliverables are engineering reports with methodology, results, and margin summaries. Not just images. Our simulation service covers the full range.

Yes. We operate an in-house prototype shop in Auburn Hills that handles additive manufacturing, machined prototypes, and fabricated assemblies. For processes we do not run in-house (castings, complex composites, high-precision five-axis machining), we have a vetted partner network we have used on real programs, not just a vendor list. The in-house shop lets us build fast for early concept iterations. The partner network handles production-representative prototypes. Both paths are managed through our manufacturing and prototyping service.

FDM, SLA, SLS, and material jetting, available through our on-demand manufacturing service. Process selection depends on the application: FDM for fast, low-cost concept models; SLA for fine feature resolution and smooth surfaces; SLS for functional prototypes with good mechanical properties; material jetting for multi-material or high-resolution appearance models. We recommend process and material based on what the part actually needs to do, not on what’s fastest or cheapest.

Yes. CNC machined prototypes in aluminum, steel, and engineering plastics are available through our manufacturing and prototyping shop and partner network.

We operate FaroArm portable CMM and laser scanning systems. These handle both dimensional inspection of machined and fabricated parts and full-surface scan-to-CAD reverse engineering. For parts with features too large for the arm’s reach, we use scanner setups or on-site visits. Our metrology service covers first-article inspection, reverse engineering, and comparison reporting against nominal CAD.

Inside 0.002 inch on most machined parts. Castings, worn parts, and organic surfaces require more interpretation and we document that in the report.

Yes. Fixture and gauge design is a standard deliverable, particularly for aerospace and automotive programs where first-article inspection and production measurement requirements are defined in advance.

Yes. We run dimensional studies on our metrology equipment and deliver PPAP-format documentation including balloon drawings, dimensional results, and capability summaries on critical features. IMDS support coordination is available as part of the package when the program requires it.

Auburn Hills, Michigan is our home office: 2901 Auburn Road, Suite 100, Auburn Hills, MI 48326. Engineering staff are placed on-site at customer locations across the United States and work remotely from Auburn Hills on customer programs. Phone: +1-248-844-0900. Email: contactus@adapttechnology.com.

A core engineering team in Auburn Hills sized to move quickly, with a staffing arm and a network of specialist partners that extends our reach across disciplines and geographies. That structure is how a focused shop supports programs for Fortune 500 OEMs, defense primes, tier suppliers, and independent inventors simultaneously. We do not publish a headcount. The relevant question is whether we have the right engineers for your program, which is what the scoping conversation is for.

Both, in whatever combination the program needs. Embedded engineers work on-site at customer facilities. Project-based engineering work runs from our Auburn Hills office, remotely, or on-site for kickoffs and design reviews. We have run programs entirely remote and programs where our engineers were on the customer floor full-time for two years. The model follows the work.

Eastern primarily, with on-site coverage wherever the customer program is located.

Yes, routinely.

Call +1-248-844-0900 or use our contact form at https://adapttechnology.com/contact/ with a brief description of what you need. We will set up a call, ask the right questions, and turn a written scope and estimate around quickly.

The more context you give us, the more accurate the estimate. The basics: what you are trying to build or solve, what CAD you already have if any, what the end deliverable looks like, what the timeline constraint is, and what quality or regulatory standard the program is working to. For staffing requests: the CAD platform, the role, the number of engineers, the on-site or remote requirement, and the program timeline. You do not need a formal spec to start the conversation. A paragraph and a phone call is enough to get an estimate on most jobs.

Call +1-248-844-0900, use our contact form at https://adapttechnology.com/contact/, or email contactus@adapttechnology.com. For federal and defense opportunities, reference CAGE Code 5LA13 and UEI LY7KDRALJX98 in your outreach.

We re-scope. If your project changes direction after work has started, we stop, document where we are, and write a revised scope for where you want to go. We do not run up charges against a stalled scope or ask you to pay for work that is no longer useful. The revised SOW covers the delta: new deliverables, revised timeline, and any cost change. Pivots are normal on development programs and the contract structure accommodates them.

Yes. Once a design is validated and the program is moving toward production tooling, we can help evaluate suppliers: reviewing quotes against the engineering requirements, assessing tooling capability, and flagging suppliers whose processes are not well matched to the part’s tolerance and material requirements. We do not take commissions from suppliers. The advice is ours. We can also manage supplier relationships through first articles if the customer prefers one point of contact.

Yes, when you have the legal right to do so. We scan the part, reconstruct the geometry, and deliver dimensional and feature comparison against your reference design. We do not advise on the IP question. That is for your counsel to evaluate before we begin. Once you confirm you have the right to reverse-engineer the part, we run the metrology work and deliver the comparison report. We see this scope regularly in product benchmarking, warranty analysis, and competitive teardown programs.

Yes, as part of an engineering engagement. We produce assembly instructions, installation documentation, and technical specification documents as part of the drawing release package or as a standalone deliverable. We do not operate a technical writing practice separate from engineering. The documentation comes from the engineers who built the design, which means it is accurate and specific rather than generic.

They assume that because we are in Auburn Hills, we are primarily an automotive shop, and that everything else is a sideline. The automotive work is deep and ongoing: CATIA staffing, Class A surfaces, PPAP, durability simulation, all of it. But the same engineering disciplines that build a truck cab structural member also build a UAV airframe bracket, a surgical instrument, a defense vehicle interior, and a startup’s first working prototype. We have been doing all of those in parallel for more than 27 years. The second thing people get wrong is scale. They look at us and assume we are sized for small jobs or simple scopes only. We have run multi-year, multi-million-dollar programs. The team that shows up is sized to the program, not to a fixed headcount. The third thing: prospects sometimes call after spending months trying to piece together a program across four separate vendors: a CAD shop, a simulation firm, a prototype house, and a staffing agency. We do all four. One program lead. One contract. One team that knows what the other disciplines are doing because they are all in the same building working the same program.