by Mike Albrecht
Automation will maximize fabricating efficiencies and reduce operating costsThere is no denying the incredible impact technology has had on our lives over the past two decades — it has changed the traditional workplace and reshaped business expectations.
Technology offers countless opportunities to maximize efficiency within your business operations, and therefore, save you time. And time is money, right? The ways you adopt and integrate technology can play a major role in business innovation and productivity improvement.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Adding automation, at any level, from basic bar feeders to advanced robots, can bring immediate benefits to manufacturers both large and small. It will increase production, decrease setup time, reduce operator error and fatigue, and eliminate excessive scrap.
From adding a simple automated material feeder or a programmable stop to a current machine or integrating a fully automated process, there are many options for incorporating automation into your shop. An easy way to add automation in your shop would be to start with how you measure–quit pulling the tape and automate with a programmable length controller. Or, take your semi-automatic saw to the next level by coupling it with a pusher/feeder system; which will give you the benefits of automation, but still leaves you the ability to manually miter. Turn your machine into a true production saw by adding an advanced feed system.
Circular cold saws are already amazing machines, but by adding a little automation to your current process you will see a big increase in efficiency and productivity while lowering overall cost of doing business. A productive workplace is a profitable one!
Eliminate operator error by programming your cut list. Get precise cuts no matter who is operating your machine.
Go fully automatic. If you are looking for a programmable sawing system that will maximize flexibility and improve accuracy you will want a fully automatic machine. With this technology you can sit back and watch it work for you or spend your time working on other tasks.
Automatic machines also improve safety conditions for operators because they are able to keep a safe distance away from the sawing operation. Full auto greatly increases production because it allows for unmanned operations, sometimes outside of the normal shifts.
Whether you are adding a little automation into your shop or going to a fully automatic process you can expect to see increased production, improved accuracy, while at the same time improving the safety of your operators.
Even with all of these benefits, it is important to note that automated systems can be expensive, compare these additional costs with overall cost reductions in the long run. SMT
Mike Albrecht is national sales manager at Scotchman Industries.
