A company is awarded a large contract. Monthly production requirements rise, but the facility isn’t gaining area for floor, skilled employees or even hours per day. Adding another shift might help temporarily, but it could be a source of new labor and training, supervision, and quality-control requirements.

Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au

This situation highlights a major motive behind robotic automation. It’s not just about replacing people with the aid of a machine. It can be used to change the way manufacturers utilize their current production capacity.

Take a look at the seconds that disappear between products

Manufacturing inefficiency doesn’t have to be dramatic. Imagine that an operator has spent 15 seconds positioning a component and then 10 seconds putting it in the material, and a few seconds moving it to the next operation. On one component the difference isn’t that significant. If repeated a thousand times the seconds could increase production by a significant amount.

The same is true for scrap material. A small amount of extra coating or dispensing substances over a long production run can result in substantial costs.

Companies considering robotic automation Australia projects will gain from examining these minor loss events repeatedly before making a decision on the equipment they require. ASA’s needs analysis is designed to find bottlenecks, inefficiencies, quality issues, and other process constraints that could influence an automation project.

A Robot Has to Fit the Process Around It

The choice of a robot is just one engineering decision. Controls, guardings and tooling, sensor, conveyors and fixtures may also be needed. Engineers should take into consideration the reach, payload and how the robot will move and interact in its surroundings.

ASA offers concept development, system design and offline programming in its approach to robotic automation. Engineers can look at system configurations and estimate the number of cycles required before the finalized system is placed on the factory floor. This is especially helpful when there are space constraints or if new robotics need to be integrated into existing production lines.

Paint and Dispensing Shows Why Replicability is Critical.

Controlled movement is crucial in some manufacturing processes. Imagine covering hundreds of components. The end goal isn’t simply the process of completing every component in a short time. The movement, distance, speed, and application need be controlled starting from the beginning of the production line until the end.

ASA has experts working on painting and dispensing applications across a range of industries including automotive as well as aerospace. In these environments, industrial robotic automation can provide repeatable programmed movement while also reducing employee exposure to physically demanding or potentially hazardous processes.

Better control may also reduce the unnecessary use of materials, leading to lower waste alongside productivity enhancements.

The System Will Still Need Personnel After Installation

Automation doesn’t remove the requirement for manufacturing knowledge. It alters the knowledge required to operate and maintain the process.

Employees must be able to operate equipment safely, recognize abnormal behavior to identify faults, fix them, and perform appropriate maintenance. The needs for production may change over time, which means that processes and programs will require adjusting.

ASA provides training on-site for safe operation, programming, troubleshooting, as well as mechanical and electrical maintenance. The company also provides regular maintenance and service to ensure that the equipment is in good repair and wear and tear problems are dealt with.

Capacity is about more than working faster

For Australian manufacturers, increasing capacity doesn’t mean purchasing larger buildings or adding labor to repetitive processes. It’s sometimes more beneficial to inquire about whether the production process can be improved.

ASA has created and integrated automation solutions in Australia since 2002. We also support projects in other countries. Its strategy combines analysis of needs as well as engineering simulation. FANUC integration along with training and servicing.

The goal isn’t to automate for the sake of it. A good system will give an industry a tangible terms of increased reliability and quality, as well as safer processes, less waste, or more capacity from the facility it operates.