A manufacturing company gets an enormous contract. The monthly production needs increase, but the factory doesn’t have more space or employees who have experience or more hours to work during the daytime. An increase in production for a short period is possible, but an additional shift may bring new labor requirements as well as training, supervision, and quality control.
Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Situations like this reveal an important purpose of robotic automation. Robotics doesn’t just mean replacing human workers with machines. In the right application it could alter the way producers use the capacity they have.
Check out the seconds that disappear between the products
Manufacturing inefficiency doesn’t need to be dramatic. A worker could spend 15 minutes positioning the item, then 10 seconds applying materials, and then a couple of seconds moving it to the next step. For a single component, it’s a small difference. If repeated a thousand times these seconds can increase production by a significant amount.
Same goes for waste material. A tiny amount of surplus coating or dispensing material that is multiplied throughout a production run that is high-volume can result in an expense that is significant.
The businesses that are looking into robotic automation Australia can benefit from looking at these small repeated losses prior to decide which equipment to buy. The analysis by ASA’s experts is designed to identify bottlenecks and quality issues, as well as additional constraints and waste within a project.
A Robot must be able to integrate the Process Around It
Making a choice on a robot is only one of the engineering decisions. The system might also require guarding, tooling devices, controls, conveyors, fixtures, electrical integration, as well as communication with existing production equipment. Engineers need to consider the robot’s reach and payload, in addition to how it will interact with its environment and move around.
The FANUC approach of ASA’s approach to robot automation encompasses conceptual development and design including CAD Simulation, offline programming. The digital simulation allows engineers to explore the possibilities of configurations, estimate cycle time and allow them to test the system before it becomes functional on the floor of the customer’s facility. It’s especially useful in situations where there is a restricted amount of space or the new robotics requires integration with a production line.
Painting and Dispensing demonstrates why Repetability is Important
Certain manufacturing processes demonstrate the importance of controlled movements. Imagine coating hundreds, or thousands of components. Making components faster is the ideal outcome. It is crucial to manage the speed, distance and movement of each part from the beginning to the close of the process.
ASA has specialists working with painting and dispensing systems across various industries, including automotive and aerospace. Industrial robotic automation in these industries allows for repeatable motions while reducing the exposure of employees to physical demands or ones that may risk injury.
Reduced waste and the increase in productivity is possible through better control.
The System Needs People After Installation
Automation does not eliminate the requirement for knowledge in manufacturing. It alters the knowledge required to manage and maintain the process.
Employees should be aware of how to operate equipment safely be aware of abnormal behavior to identify faults, fix them, and take care of maintenance. Systems and procedures are able to be changed later if production requirements are changed.
ASA offers training on-site that covers programming, safety, troubleshooting and mechanical and electrical maintenance. The company also provides maintenance and support to check the condition of equipment and taking care to address wear throughout the lifetime of the system.
Capacity is about more than just making work faster
The expansion of capacity for Australian manufacturing companies doesn’t require the purchase of a larger building or adding more labor to repetitive processes. Sometimes, the best question is whether the current production process can be redesigned differently.
ASA has been developing and the integration of automation solutions since 2002, and has been supporting manufacturers in Australia as well as projects in other countries. Its strategy combines analysis of needs along with engineering simulation FANUC integration along with training and servicing.
The goal isn’t to automate for the sake of it. A system that’s worthy of the gold it’s worth should provide measurable benefits to the manufacturer, like greater reliability, higher quality process, more secure processes and less waste.