A significant contract is won by the manufacturer. The monthly production demands are increased, but the manufacturing facility does not suddenly gain floor space, experienced employees or even hours per daytime. An increase in production for a short period could be possible, however adding another shift can bring new labor requirements education, supervision, training and quality control.
Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Situations like this reveal an important purpose of robotic automation. Robotics isn’t only about replacing humans with a machine. It can be used to change the way manufacturers utilize their existing production capacity.
Have a look at the amount of time that is lost between the products
Inefficiency in manufacturing isn’t always so evident. Imagine a worker taking 15 seconds searching for a piece of equipment after which they spend 10 seconds putting the material and then transfer it. For one part the difference appears to be insignificant. When repeated thousands of times however, these seconds can add significant production time.
The same is true for wasted material. The same is true for waste material.
Companies that are considering robot automation Australia projects can benefit from studying these tiny loss events repeatedly before choosing the right equipment. AAS’s Needs Analysis aims to find bottlenecks and the quality of work, waste and other processes that could impact an automation project.
A Robot Must Fit the Process Around It
The choice of a robot is just one of the engineering decisions. It could be necessary to include tooling, guarding and controls, sensors conveyors, fixtures, electronic integration, and communications with the current production equipment. Engineers need to consider the robot’s reach and payload, and how it will interact with its environment and move around.
ASA’s approach to FANUC robot automation encompasses the development of concepts and systems along with CAD Simulation and offline Programming. Engineers can explore system configurations and estimate the number of cycles required before the finalized system is placed on the floor of the factory. It’s particularly useful when there’s a finite space available or when the new robotics has to integrate with an existing production line.
Painting and Dispensing Show Why Repeatability Matters
Certain manufacturing processes show the importance of controlled motion particularly well. Imagine covering a variety of components. The desired result isn’t merely finishing each part quickly. The distance, movement speed, and application have to be monitored at the beginning of the production process until the point of completion.
ASA is a team of experts working with paint and dispensing application across industries, including aeronautics, automotive and aerospace. In these settings industrial robotic automation may offer repeatable programming as well as limiting exposure for employees to physically demanding and potentially hazardous processes.
Better control of materials that are discarded can contribute to productivity improvements by increasing the quantity of materials used.
The System Needs People After Installation
Automation doesn’t eliminate the need for skilled manufacturing. The abilities required to manage, maintain, and run the process change.
The employees must know how to safely operate equipment, recognize abnormal behavior to identify faults, fix them, and perform appropriate maintenance. Processes and programs can be changed later in the event that production requirements shift.
ASA offers training on site in programming, safety, troubleshooting and mechanical and electrical maintenance. The company also provides maintenance and support for checking the condition of equipment and addressing wear and tear throughout the life of the system.
Capacity is more than Working Faster
For Australian producers, expanding capacity doesn’t necessarily mean purchasing larger buildings or adding more workers to repetitive processes. It’s often better to inquire about whether the production process could be redesigned.
ASA has been working on and the integration of automation solutions since 2002, and has been supporting companies in Australia and projects in other countries. The company’s strategy combines analysis of needs Engineering, simulation, FANUC robot integration, training, and servicing.
Automation is not to achieve its own goals. An investment-worthy system must provide the manufacturer with measurable results, including greater reliability in production, better quality, safer processes, reduced waste or increased capacity.