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Lean Manufacturing and Automation - Are You Being Left Behind?
Reduce waste, get products to market efficiently and keep finding ways to improve are among the guiding principles in lean manufacturing. Companies aren't always sure how to use automation to meet lean manufacturing goals. Misunderstandings may lead decision-makers to dismiss automation while other managers may think they've just installed an automated system and now they're fine.
Read on and learn about advances in automation and what it means to stay lean.
Flexibility
Lean manufacturing aims to reduce or eliminate defects in production, excess inventory and cut waste in areas like transportation.
Finding and eliminating unnecessary motion is part of the concept. Automation can mean less material waste but companies may not know that it's possible to improve automated systems and further reduce the time needed to make a product. Flexible systems are growing in demand compared with fixed workstation equipment.
A process like spot welding has typically required several stops along a conveyor so robots working independently can apply different parts. This article "Robot Safety Trends in Automotive" compares older designs with new trends and describes in detail how flexible automation systems use vision guidance to allow robots to pick through parts of different sizes and shapes and complete a task. This reduces conveyance and uses fewer motions to finish a process.
To learn more about robot safety, plan on attending RIA’s National Robot Safety Conference Oct. 14-16, 2014 in Ann Arbor, MI.
Adaptability
Retailers are under pressure to deliver goods at any time and from any location to stay competitive. Creating large distribution centers has become necessary to meet demands. Packages come in all shapes and sizes, requiring automated systems that adapt to the variables.
More managers are turning to material handling robots for their lean processes and it's the first time they've seen robots in use. Selection is based on mobility and the ability to handle mixed-loads. Units can be installed in modular fashion to meet current needs and allow for future expansion.
Loading and unloading from the dock is one of the most labor-intensive areas in the distribution of goods. Systems that can function independently are now being used to unload trucks to reduce shipping costs. Wynright Corporation of Elk Grove, Illinois developed a Robotic Truck Unloader (RTU) that was named a winner in the 2013 Game Changer Awards. The RTU combines many of the latest trends in robotic material handling, including mobility, 3D vision and sophisticated algorithms.
Video game enthusiasts may understand the development. Alfredo Valadez, Vice President of Business Development & Sales for the company's Robotics Division, says the vision sensor is the same technology that the Xbox Kinect uses. “It’s a robot on a mobile platform that autonomously navigates into a trailer or ocean freight container and unloads it automatically.
"The container is a foreign environment to the robot but the vision system gives the robot a sense of perception to navigate. It’s able to tell the robot specifically where the product is, so the robot can locate it, pick it and unload it.” His full quote is in the article "Material Handling Robots in the Mix."
People
Automated systems are fascinating, but the people who work for any company are the most valuable resource. An enterprise can't succeed without committed employees.
Reducing errors isn't only about implementing automation but also letting people speak up when work runs into obstacles. Creating a mistake-proof culture means letting employees say they've made a mistake without fear of retribution.
Patricia Wardwell is Chief Operating Officer of the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP), and in "Poka-Yoke: The Art of Mistake Proofing" she describes how a well-run company creates an environment where people let managers know a problem has occurred. This allows for teamwork in mistake-proofing tasks.
Stay up to date to benefit from trends in automation. It's a dynamic environment where systems are designed based on user needs and input.
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