A company is awarded an enormous contract. Even though the production needs for each month have grown, the plant doesn’t suddenly have more floors or more experienced workers. Although adding another shift may temporarily improve the situation, it may also create new jobs in the form of supervision, training, or the need for quality control.
These situations reveal a very crucial reason for robot automation. Robotics does not only replace people with machines. It is able to modify the methods that manufacturers employ to use their existing production capacity.
Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Look at the Seconds That Change Between Products
Inefficiency in manufacturing isn’t always so significant. Suppose an operator spends 15 minutes putting a piece of equipment in place, another 10 seconds applying the material, and a few minutes transferring it to the next operation. It may appear to be a small difference for a single part. Those seconds add up when multiplied by thousands.
The waste material that is discarded is not different. A small amount of extra coating or dispensing material that is multiplied over a large-scale production run could result in a significant expense.
Before deciding on the equipment that they require, businesses looking into robotic automation Australia can gain from analysing the tiny losses. ASA’s needs analysis is intended to identify bottlenecks, problems with quality, waste and other process constraints that can affect an automation project.
A Robot must be able to integrate the Process Around It
The selection of a robot is a single decision in engineering. Controls, guardings and tooling as well as conveyors, sensors and fixtures are also needed. Engineers should consider the robot’s reach and payload as well as how it interact with its surroundings and move around.
ASA provides concept development, system design, CAD simulation, and offline programming as part of its approach to FANUC robotic automation. Digital simulation lets engineers explore configurations and estimate cycle times before the completed system is put into operation at the factory floor of the customer’s. This is particularly helpful in cases of space limitations or if new robotics require to be integrated into the existing lines of production.
Painting and Dispensing demonstrates why It’s Important to Repeat
Certain manufacturing processes show the importance of controlled movement particularly well. Imagine coating hundreds or even thousands of parts. It’s not enough just to finish every component quickly. It’s important to control the speed, distance, and movement of each component from beginning to close of the process.
ASA is a team of experts working with dispensing applications and paint across all industries, including automotive and aeronautics. In these environments industrial robotic automation may allow for repeatable, programmed movements while reducing exposure of employees to physically demanding or hazardous processes.
The reduction in waste and the improvement in productivity can be achieved through better control.
The installation of the system isn’t enough. Still, you need someone to keep it running.
Automatism isn’t a substitute for manufacturing knowledge. It changes the skills required for operating and maintaining the manufacturing process.
Employees must be taught to operate equipment with care, identify abnormal behavior and troubleshoot malfunctioning components and take care of any maintenance that is required. Systems and procedures can be adjusted later if production requirements change.
ASA offers on-site training in programming, safety as well as troubleshooting techniques and mechanical and electrical maintenance. The company offers servicing and assistance for assessing the condition of equipment and taking care to address wear and tear throughout the life of the system.
Capacity is more than working more quickly
For Australian producers, expanding capacity doesn’t always mean purchasing more space or increasing the amount of labor required to perform repetitive tasks. The more important question to consider is whether your current manufacturing process could be improved.
ASA is designing and the integration of automation solutions since 2002. It supports companies in Australia, as well as international projects. Its method of analysis connects needs and engineering with simulation FANUC robot integration Training, and servicing.
Automating for automation’s sake isn’t the goal. A system worth investing in should provide a company with quantifiable outcomes, such as increased reliability of production, improved quality, safer procedures as well as reduced waste or a higher capacity.