Altek Inc., a Liberty Lake-base contract manufacturer and plastic injection molding company, says it has invested in and started using a new custom automation program at its facility that the company claims will improve accuracy of its manufacturing capabilities.

The computerized program provides automated visual inspections of products and automated assembly services on the manufacturing line.

Kathleen Martin, of Portland-based Outlier Solutions, a communications company working with Altek, declined to disclose cost of the program.

Altek claims the new program will speed up the production schedule for projects and provide an overall cost savings for both the company and the customer. Altek says automated inspection detects product flaws, and can be reprogrammed for different products.

Martin says manufacturing projects are evaluated by Todd Baker, Altek's director of quality and productivity, for ways to increase production and create cost savings. During that evaluation, use of the automation program will be considered as an option on the production line.

Altek operates out of a 140,000-square-foot facility in Liberty Lake and employs about 165 people, Martin says.