A manufacturing company gets the contract for a significant amount. While the demands for production have increased, the factory isn’t suddenly equipped with more flooring or experienced workers. It is possible to add another shift temporarily, but it may be a source of new labor and training, supervision, and quality control requirements.
Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Situations like this reveal an important purpose of robotic automation. Robotics doesn’t just mean replacing human beings with machines. When used in the right way, it can change how companies use the capacity they already have.
Check out the minutes that vanish between the products
Inefficient manufacturing may not be apparent. For instance, suppose an operator is spending 15 minutes putting a piece of equipment in place, another 10 seconds applying material, and then a few minutes transferring it to the next process. For one part, the difference seems insignificant. These seconds add up when multiplied by thousands.
The same is true for wasted material. A tiny amount of surplus coating or dispensing material multiplied throughout a production run that is high-volume can result in an expense that is significant.
Companies that are thinking about robotic automation Australia will benefit from looking at these small repeated losses prior to decide which equipment to buy. The analysis by ASA’s experts is designed to pinpoint bottlenecks and quality issues, as well as additional constraints and waste within a project.
The robot should fit the processes around it.
A robot is only one of many engineering options. The system might also require guarding, tooling devices, controls conveyors, fixtures electrical integration, as well as communication with existing production equipment. Engineers should consider reach and payload while also determining how the robot is going to move through its area of work and interact with the environment surrounding it.
The FANUC approach of ASA’s approach to robot automation includes the development of concepts and systems including CAD Simulation, offline programming. Digital simulation lets engineers explore configurations and estimate cycles before the system is put into operation at the factory floor of the customer’s. This is particularly helpful when there are space constraints or if new robotics need to be integrated with the existing lines of production.
It is crucial to have repeatability in painting and dispensing
Certain manufacturing processes highlight the importance of controlled movement. Imagine coating hundreds of parts. It’s not enough to finish each component in a short time. It is crucial to manage the speed, distance, and movement of each piece from the beginning to the close of the process.
ASA has experts working on painting and dispensing solutions across a range of industries including automotive as well as aerospace. In these environments industrial robotic automation can provide regular, programmatic movements and reduces exposure of employees to physically challenging or potentially hazardous processes.
Better control of waste material can also help improve productivity by reducing the amount of unnecessary material consumed.
The System Still Needs People Even After Installation
Automation doesn’t substitute for manufacturing expertise. The skills required to manage, maintain, and manage the process are changing.
Employees need to know how to operate equipment safely identify abnormal behavior, troubleshoot faults, and carry out the correct maintenance. Programs and processes can be changed later in the event that production requirements alter.
ASA provides training on site covering safety, programming troubleshooting, mechanical and electrical maintenance. The company also provides servicing and ongoing support to check the condition of the equipment and deal with issues that may arise during the equipment’s operational duration.
Capacity is about more than simply working faster
For Australian producers, expanding capacity doesn’t necessarily mean buying larger buildings or increasing the amount of labor required to perform repetitive tasks. The best question to ask is whether the present manufacturing process can be improved.
ASA is designing and integrating automation solutions since 2002. It assists manufacturers in Australia as well as international projects. The approach is a combination of needs analysis as well as engineering simulation. FANUC integration training, and service.
Automating for automation’s sake isn’t the objective. A system that is worthy of its weight in gold should be able to provide tangible benefits for a manufacturer, such as more reliable production, better quality manufacturing processes, and safer ones. It also means less waste.