MANAGING AN INFLECTION POINT

They point to a Greenwood, IN, manufacturer of measuring instruments that dramatically improved productivity after adopting lean strategies. It reorganized and reduced inventory by 27 percent, became much more nimble in responding to customer demands, and improved its cash flow — something dear to a struggling small shop that deals with tight margins. They also recall a Columbus, NE-based manufacturer that used employee feedback to drop its lead time from days to hours and product changeovers from 30 minutes to under a minute. Quicker response to customers is a mandate for small shops struggling to compete on delivery.

Regardless of what happens in the near future, it’s obvious that small but lean shops generate better cash flow and compete on delivery more effectively than traditional shops.

AUTOMATE, AUTOMATE, AUTOMATE
Labor skills shortages are sweeping across our country. The power of technology has never been greater. The costs to automate have never been lower. Small shops must connect these dots and automate their operations with robots everywhere that makes sense. Automation must start now in preparation of the coming transition, not just for productivity, but to also offset future healthcare and labor-related burdens.

For example, I recently attended “Celebrate Manufacturing,” a two-day technology forum hosted by Ellison Technologies Automation (ETA; Council Bluffs, IA) that featured robotic demonstrations and technical seminars focused on productivity-enhancing solutions for metal manufacturers. “This event helped a wide range of companies learn about the latest robotic technologies and how they can be applied to achieve higher levels of quality, efficiency and cost-savings,” said John Burg, president of ETA. “They heard how other manufacturers have remained competitive in the toughest recession in recent history by implementing automation solutions in their production facilities. We addressed the unique issues facing metals, machine tools, and other industries.”

The event combined robot system demonstrations, informative seminars and operating systems for machine tool tending, arc welding, picking, packing and palletizing applications. Other sessions covered 2D and 3D robotic vision, force sensing, offline programming, simulation, customer support services, and robot programs for education. Two of the most attended seminars involved morning sessions on robotic machine tool tending and material handling.

In the first one, Dick Johnson of FANUC Robotics America, Inc. (Rochester Hills, MI) explained why U.S. companies should automate their machine tool operations and how robots can increase productivity up to 20 percent. He shared insights into how workman’s comp should be captured in the ROI on robot payback and explored the overall benefits of using robots for machine tending, including the technical facets of automated error-proofing with robots.

In the other session, Ken Miller of ETA approached robotic press brake tending as one way for small shops to bring parts back in-house. He examined the economic advantages of using automation to compete in the global economy, pointed out how skilled labor remains a big issue in the U.S., and expounded on “10 Reasons To Automate Your Press Brake,” including how to expand press brake operations off shift, through breaks and lunch, etc.

Live demonstrations on the shop floor at ETA included a Lincoln Electric arc welding cell with a FANUC ARCMate robot and other 4-axis and 6-axis pick-and-sort robots. Regardless of what happens in the near future, robots are emerging as a symbol of improved productivity, reduced operating costs and less labor-related headaches.