A manufacturing company gets the contract for a significant amount. Although the monthly production requirements have increased, the facility isn’t suddenly equipped with more flooring or experienced workers. Adding another shift might help temporarily, but it can create new labor, training, supervision, and quality-control requirements.

Image credit: automatedsolutions.com.au
Situations like this reveal an important purpose of robotic automation. Robotics does not only mean replacing humans with machines. It could be utilized to alter the method by which manufacturers use their existing capacity for production.
Take a look at the time intervals between the products
Inefficient manufacturing isn’t always evident. An operator could spend 15 minutes positioning the item, then 10 seconds applying materials, then a few seconds more to move it to the next step. On one piece the difference isn’t that significant. It’s a lot when multiplied by thousands.
The same is true for wasted material. Similar is the case to waste materials.
Companies that are considering robotic automation Australia projects can gain from examining these minor regular losses prior to choosing the right equipment. ASA’s analysis of requirements is designed to reveal problems with quality and bottlenecks, as also any other limitations in a project.
The robot has to fit the processes around it.
The selection of a robot is only one of the decisions in engineering. The system may also need tools, guarding devices, controls, conveyors, fixtures, electrical integration, and communications with the existing production equipment. Engineers should consider the payload and reach while making decisions about how the robot will move through its workspace and interact with the environment around it.
ASA’s approach to FANUC robot automation is to use concept development, system design as well as CAD Simulation and offline programming. The digital simulation lets engineers examine configurations, estimate cycle times, and to test the system prior to it becoming operational on the customer’s floor. This is especially useful when space is limited or if new robotics need to be integrated with existing production lines.
Dispensing and Paint Shows Why Replicability is Critical.
Certain manufacturing processes illustrate the importance of controlled movements. Imagine coating hundreds or even thousands of components. The final result doesn’t come from the process of completing every component in a short time. From the moment of starting production all the way to the finish, the movement, speed as well as the distance to be applied must be controlled.
ASA has experts who deal with dispensing applications and paint across various industries, such as aeronautics, automotive and aerospace. In these industries, industrial robotic automation provides predictable, controlled movements. It also decreases the risk of exposure for employees to physically challenging or potentially dangerous processes.
The reduction in wasted materials and an increase in productivity could be achieved by better control.
The System Will Still Need Personnel After Installation
Automatism doesn’t replace manufacturing knowledge. Automation changes the skills needed to manage and control the manufacturing process.
Employees must be taught to operate equipment with care and to recognize abnormal behavior and troubleshoot malfunctioning components and carry out necessary maintenance. The demands for production can shift with time, which means that programs and processes will need to be adapted.
ASA offers on-site training in safe operation, programming and troubleshooting, as well as maintenance for electrical and mechanical components. The company also provides maintenance and support to check the condition of equipment, and dealing with wear throughout the system’s lifetime.
Capacity is about more than just getting faster work done
For Australian producers, expanding capacity doesn’t always mean purchasing a larger building or continually adding more workers to repetitive processes. The best question to ask is whether the current manufacturing process is able to be improved.
ASA has been working on and integrating automation solutions since 2002, and has been supporting manufacturers in Australia and projects internationally. The method is based on analysis of needs as well as engineering, simulations FANUC robotic integration, training, as well as servicing.
Automation is not to achieve its own goals. A system worth investing in should offer a manufacturer measurable results, which include better production reliability, higher quality, safer processes, reduced waste or increased capacity.