A significant contract is won by the manufacturer. The production requirements for the month increase however, the plant has no room and employees with experience or extra hours during the day. Although adding another shift may temporarily help, it could be a source of new work in the form of supervision, training, or the need for quality control.
Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Situations like this reveal an important purpose of robotic automation. It’s not just about replacing humans with machines. When used in the right way, it can change how manufacturers use the production capacity they have.
Take a look at the time that passes between products
Manufacturing inefficiency doesn’t have to be a major issue. Imagine a person spending 15 seconds locating a component for 10 seconds, then applying the material, then several seconds moving it. On one aspect the difference isn’t that significant. If repeated thousands of times however the seconds could add significant production time.
It’s the same for waste material. A tiny amount of surplus coating or dispensing material multiplied across a high-volume production run can result in an expense that is significant.
The businesses that are looking into robotic automation Australia can benefit by analyzing these tiny repeated losses prior to decide on the best equipment to buy. AAS’s Needs Analysis aims to pinpoint bottlenecks, as well problems with quality, waste and other process limitations that can affect the automation project.
A Robot Must Fit the Process Itself
A robot is one of many engineering decisions. Controls, guardings and tooling sensors, conveyors and fixtures may also be needed. Engineers need to consider reach and payload when determining how the robot will move about its area of work and interact with the environment surrounding it.
ASA offers conceptual development, system design, CAD simulation and offline programming as an element of its approach to FANUC robotic automation. Engineers are able to explore configurations for the system and estimate the number of cycles required before the finished system is installed on the floor of the factory. This is especially helpful when there are space constraints or when a new robot needs to be integrated into the existing lines of production.
The importance of consistency in painting and dispensing
Controlled movement is especially important for certain manufacturing processes. Imagine applying a coating on hundreds of components. Making components faster is what you want to achieve. The distance, movement speed, and application have to be monitored at the beginning of the production process to the time of its completion.
ASA has experts working on paint and dispensing processes across a range of industries including automotive as well as aerospace. In these settings industrial robotic automation may provide repeatable programmed movement while also reducing employee exposure to physical demands or potentially hazardous processes.
Reduced waste and the increase in productivity is possible through better control.
The installation of the system isn’t enough. It is still necessary to have people to manage it.
Automation does not eliminate the need for skilled manufacturing. The skills required to manage, maintain and run the process change.
Employees should be able recognize unusual behavior and resolve problems, as well as do the proper maintenance. The production needs can change in time, meaning that the processes and programs need to be adjusted.
ASA provides training on site that covers programming, safety as well as troubleshooting techniques and mechanical and electrical maintenance. They also provide servicing and support on a regular basis to assess the condition of equipment and to address issues that may arise during the equipment’s operational time.
Capacity means more than just getting faster work done
In Australia, boosting production capacity does not always mean adding more employees to repetitive jobs or buying bigger structures. Sometimes, the more important question is whether the present manufacturing process can be designed differently.
ASA has been developing and integrating automation systems in Australia since 2002. We also help with projects overseas. The company’s strategy combines analysis of needs and engineering with simulation FANUC robot integration Training, and servicing.
Automating just for the sake of it isn’t a goal. An investment-worthy system will provide a manufacturer with tangible results, like better production reliability, higher quality, safer methods as well as reduced waste or a higher capacity.