St. Paul, MN (July 24, ) &#; (from Peter Zelinski, Editor-in-Chief, Modern Machine Shop)
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Productive uses of automation often involve people and technology working in parallel to complement one another. Automation in manufacturing is a means to keep the process moving from step to step from cycle to cycle without a human being having to intervene. We hear automation and we think&#;robots? Manufacturers are using significantly more robots, but five axis machining is also automation.
Is Automation replacing people?
Rarely would an employer say, &#;I can&#;t find someone to fill this job, therefore I&#;m going to automate.&#; One is not a replacement for the other. Manufacturers use automation to bridge gaps in which employees don&#;t produce. An example is a line or a cell that keeps on running into the night after the employees have gone home. Another is a highly repetitive automated process that keeps on running so that the employees can turn away from it, walk away from it here and there to tend to other tasks. The employer that learns to succeed with automation this way, using it to leverage what the employees can do, often is able to expand production without expanding staff. But, at the same time, many employers have added staff after automating because the multiplying effect of the automation makes each incremental employee that much valuable.
Is unattended production the only reason to use automation?
Beyond unattended production another reason to use automation is repeatability. A process that is more consistent from cut to cut or from piece to piece.
Another reason to automate, predictability. Know precisely how many parts you&#;re going to produce within a given period-of-time. Also, safety even comfort. Some operations, maybe some polishing or deburring operations are either hazardous enough or tedious enough that it&#;s difficult to have an employee do them.
Why are manufacturers using automation now?
The move to greater use of automation is one of the most important trends in shaping manufacturing. Today automation is accessible for two reasons. One, technology. Automated systems are easier to program, easier to install and use than every before. Two, manufacturers are ready for automation. An automated device needs a defined system to plug into. In the last generation or so manufacturers have made considerable advances at defining and structuring their processes. A process that is better understood is a better candidate for automation.
What is the future of automation?
The future is enterprise level automation. When you hear data driven manufacturing, Industry 4.0 that&#;s automation, but it&#;s not automation of moving parts or sequences of operations. Its automation of decisions related to scheduling, ordering, maintenance. We&#;re not there yet, but we&#;re getting better at data gathering. We&#;re getting better at sharing data across supply chains. Eventually, the promise of this is going to be processes and plants that can keep on producing effectively without waiting for human beings to make decisions even at some of the higher levels.
Matsuura Automation and Advanced Technology Provide Engineering Solutions. According to the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, 45% of manufacturers added AUTOMATION over the past year to increase PRODUCTIVITY.
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Matsuura has been the leader in automating manufacturing. Our vertical pallet changers for MAM72 and H.Plus models and our new simple pallet changers for the MX series set the standard for automating machining centers. In addition to Matsuura &#;built-in&#; automation solutions our distributors can integrate robots with Matsuura machines.
Automated, LIGHTS OUT PRODUCTION is the future of PROFITABLE manufacturing. Matsuura Machinery USA and your exclusive Matsuura Distributor have the product range, the industry partners and real-world experience to seamlessly integrate profitable automation into your business.
Manufacturing in North America continues to become more complex, requiring multi-axis machining solutions. While most industries maintain a higher part mix and smaller batch production, reduction of inventory is an imperative initiative. Additionally, with pressure on pricing and margins, customers realize they must discover methods to reduce labor costs.
Matsuura&#;s state-of-the-art automated manufacturing processes add unmanned shifts and guarantee profitability.
Matsuura Machinery&#;s exclusive distributor network works alongside Matsuura to define the ideal manufacturing method and automation solutions. We oversee the complete project &#; from concept to production, from training to after sales technical and service support.
Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc., located in St. Paul, MN is the U.S. subsidiary of Matsuura Machinery Corporation in Japan. Since , Matsuura has been the forerunner in designing innovative technology and manufacturing solutions to a variety of industries around the globe. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. delivers unmatched excellence in 5-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor, multi-tasking CNC machine tools and machines with a powder bed metal AM platform with machining capability. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. provides the service, applications and technical field support that have always been the Matsuura standard for business. For more information on Matsuura products, contact: [ protected] or visit: www.matsuurausa.com.
It is important to have any machinery maintenance and service considered in the scope. While IoT can reduce unplanned maintenance and even reduce planned maintenance, machines will need maintenance at some point in time during its lifecycle.
At this point you have written your scope of work. Now it is time to go through a formal procurement process. You should strive to get three quotes from interested companies. Make sure the three quotes come from companies that are actually interested in your project. Integrators that are too busy or not a great fit may just send you a high price out of courtesy. Choosing the quote with the lowest price is not necessarily the right way to go. Either way, it is important to examine each quote to ensure that you are comfortable with the concept. Some websites allow you to post projects for interested companies to approach you.
4. Check references and experience. This step is critical to the purchasing process. Have potential integrators provide you with a couple of customer references that have similar systems. Then make sure you also call former customers of theirs that they don&#;t give you. It is no different than when you are hiring an employee. The references on a resume are set up by that candidate beforehand to ensure a positive review. Integrators do the same thing with potential customers. Find a few of that integrator&#;s customers that they didn&#;t provide to you. Call them and learn about how their experience was.
5. Be specific with components. You need to be specific about the parts and components you want quoted in your machine. This includes: PLCs, vision cameras, robots, sensors, servo motors and drives, HMIs, and more. If you don&#;t say anything, integrators will select the cheapest option or the brand that they have experience with. Survey your engineering team to see what brands they are comfortable with. Talk to distributors to find out what components are readily available in case of a failure. Websites like Source ESB allow you to search your parts across multiple distributors. You want to stay consistent throughout your facility, if possible.
6. Who owns the intellectual property? The vast majority of companies that invest in automation don&#;t even think about this issue. The reason is that there is no clear-cut answer. The majority of integrators bury their right to retain the intellectual property in the terms and conditions. An easy way to think about it is if you hired a computer developer to design a website for you. Developers will retain the IP so that they can use some of the code they developed for you on other projects. Integrators do the same thing. They retain the right to reuse the design of your system so they can make it easier on themselves for future projects. This may be okay depending on how much input your team gave during the design process. It is rare that an integrator would sell a carbon copy of your machine to one of your competitors, but I&#;ve seen it happen. Just make sure this discussion takes place before the purchase order.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Automation Equipment Precision Parts. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
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