A manufacturing company gets an enormous contract. The production requirement for each month increases, but the factory isn’t equipped with more space and employees with experience or additional hours in the daytime. A second shift may help temporarily, but it may also introduce new labor and training, supervision, and quality-control demands.
This situation highlights a major reason for robots. Robotics doesn’t just mean replacing people with a machine. It can be used to change the way manufacturers utilize their existing capacity for production.
Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Watch the second-to-second time between products
Manufacturing inefficiency doesn’t need to be dramatic. For instance, suppose an operator is spending 15 seconds arranging a part, another 10 seconds applying the material, and a few seconds to transfer it onto the next task. With a single component the difference is insignificant. When repeated thousands of times the second can create significant production time.
It’s the same for waste materials. The addition of a tiny amount of extra coating or dispensing materials over a long production run can result in substantial costs.
Companies considering robotic automation Australia projects can benefit from examining these small, repeated losses before deciding what equipment they need. ASA’s needs analysis is designed to pinpoint bottlenecks, issues with quality, waste and other processes that can affect an automation project.
The robot needs to be able to accommodate the processes around it.
The decision to choose a robot is only one of the decisions in engineering. The system may also need tools, guarding control, sensors fixtures, conveyors, electrical integration, as well as communication with existing production equipment. Engineers must take into consideration the reach and payload of the robot while determining how the robot will move about its workspace and interact with everything surrounding it.
ASA provides concepts development, design, CAD simulation, and offline programming as an element of its approach to FANUC’s robotic automation. Engineers can look at system configurations and estimate the number of cycles required before the system is finally installed on the floor of the factory. This is especially useful when space is limited or when a new robot needs to be incorporated into the existing lines of production.
It is crucial to have repeatability in painting and dispensing
Certain manufacturing processes show the value of controlled movement particularly well. Imagine applying a protective coating to hundreds of components. It’s not enough just to finish every component quickly. The motion, distance, speed, and application need be managed starting from the beginning of the production run to the end.
ASA has experts working on painting and dispensing applications across various industries, including automotive and aerospace. Industrial robotic automation in these environments can allow for repeatable movements while limiting exposure of employees to physically demanding processes or those that could be dangerous.
The reduction of waste and the increase in productivity can be achieved through better management.
Even after installation, the system still requires individuals
Automation is not a complete solution to the need for skilled manufacturing. It changes the skills required for operating and maintaining the process.
Employees need to be able recognize unusual behavior and resolve problems, as well as perform the appropriate maintenance. The production needs can change with time, which means that programs and processes will need to be adapted.
ASA provides training on site in safe operation, programming and troubleshooting, in addition to electrical and mechanical maintenance. The company provides continuous maintenance and repairs to ensure that the equipment is in top repair and wear and tear issues are taken care of.
Capacity is more than just working more quickly
For Australian producers, expanding capacity doesn’t always mean purchasing more space or adding workers to repetitive processes. Sometimes, the best question is whether the existing production process can be redesigned differently.
ASA has been developing and integrating automation solutions in Australia since 2002. We also provide support for projects abroad. Its approach combines the analysis of requirements as well as engineering, simulations FANUC robotic integration training, as well as servicing.
Automation is not the aim. An investment-worthy system will provide a manufacturer with tangible outcomes, such as better production reliability, higher quality, safer procedures, reduced waste or increased capacity.