A company is awarded the contract for a significant amount. The production requirement for each month increases, but the factory has no room and employees with experience or additional hours during the daytime. A second shift may help in the short term, but it could create new labor as well as training, supervision and quality control requirements.
Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Situations like this reveal an important purpose of robotic automation. It’s not just about replacing humans with a machine. When used in the right way it could alter the way producers use the capacity they already have.
Check out the seconds between products
Inefficient manufacturing isn’t always obvious. A worker may take 15 minutes putting the part in place after which 10 seconds are spent applying materials, and a few seconds to move it to the next step. On one piece it’s not much of a difference. If repeated thousands of times, these seconds can turn into significant production time.
The same is true for scrap material. A small amount of extra coating or dispensing substances over a long production run could result in an enormous expense.
Companies considering robotic automation Australia projects could benefit from examining these small regular losses prior to deciding what equipment they need. The needs analysis conducted by ASA is designed to identify bottlenecks as well problems with quality, waste and other process constraints which could affect an automation project.
The robot must fit the processes around it.
The choice of a robotics system is only one of the decisions in engineering. Guardings, tools, controls, sensor, conveyors and fixtures may also be needed. Engineers must take into consideration the payload and reach while making decisions about how the robot is going to move through its area of work and interact with everything around it.
The FANUC approach of ASA’s approach to robot automation is to use concept development, system design including CAD Simulation, offline programming. Engineers can look at system configurations and calculate cycles prior to when the system is finally installed on the floor of the factory. This is especially useful in cases of space limitations or when a new robot needs to be incorporated into existing production lines.
Painting and Dispensing demonstrates why Repeatability Matters
Certain manufacturing processes show the benefits of controlled movement especially well. Imagine covering hundreds of components. It’s not enough just to finish each component in a short time. It’s crucial to regulate the speed, distance, and movement of each part from beginning to at the very end.
ASA has experts who work with dispensing applications and paint across various industries, such as aeronautics and automotive. In these industries, industrial robotic automation can provide regular, programmatic movements and reduces employee exposure to physically challenging or potentially dangerous processes.
A better control of the waste material can also increase productivity by cutting down on the amount of waste material that is consumed.
The System Will Still Need People Even After Installation
Automation doesn’t eliminate the need for manufacturing knowledge. It changes the skills required for operating and maintaining the process.
Employees must be taught to safely use equipment as well as to spot abnormal behavior or malfunctioning components, and take care of any maintenance that is required. The production requirements can also alter, indicating that procedures and programs might require modifications later.
ASA offers training on site in programming, safety troubleshooting, electrical and mechanical maintenance. Additionally, the company provides maintenance and ongoing support to monitor the condition of equipment and address issues that may arise during the equipment’s operational time.
Capacity is more than just making work faster
In Australia, increasing production capacity is not always about hiring more workers for repetitive tasks or purchasing bigger buildings. Sometimes, the most important thing to consider is whether the existing production process can be engineered differently.
ASA has been creating and the integration of automation solutions since 2002. It provides support to manufacturers in Australia as well as international projects. Its strategy combines analysis of needs, engineering simulation, FANUC integration as well as training and maintenance.
Automation is not the aim. A successful system must give an industry a tangible return more dependable production, consistent quality, safer processes, lower waste or a larger capacity for the existing factory.
