Ways to Evaluate Automation

You're either preparing to install an automated system or an installation has been completed and the question now is how to tell if it's working and if the cost of the system is paying dividends.

Here are ways to evaluate the impact of switching to automation.

Increased Production

Using automation to boost production is often associated with manufacturing companies that produce more products per hour. Mennie's Machine Company of Mark, Illinois was able to turn out 120 truck parts per hour with automation versus 80 parts per hour using manual labor.
Companies in the food industry are evaluating their automated systems with positive results.

Another way to evaluate a system is to determine how well it (there is a word missing here…not sure what it should be) different shapes and product quality for packaging. This article, Robots with an Appetite for Food, features the use of robots in the food industry and shows how the shapes of objects like bell peppers, apples, and tomatoes are captured. Sensory systems can kick out the poor quality vegetables and fruits before packaging.

Higher Quality Output, More Sales

Automation allows for consistent results since parts are programmed and the variance of human error like fatigue or distractions is greatly reduced. A welding company will be able to perform more welds and achieve a better cosmetic result. In the packaging industry, the article Automated Packaging Revolution points out that a packaging company will be able to turn out boxes that have the exact specifications in an industry where irregular sizes are common.

Empowered Employees

For companies using collaborative robots, employees should be able to perform tasks faster with robots serving as assistants. A robot's core strengths are speed and repeatability yet it takes people to plan out and supervise the actions. Collaborative robots may be lightweight and single or double-arm, allowing the robot to assist the human worker in varying tasks.

Collaboration can boost morale as noted in the excerpt from an article The Realm of Collaborative Robots—Empowering Us in Many Forms. There's a story about a commercial shelving company in Montreal, Etalex, where the floor supervisor learned how to teach others about robotics. "By taking that workforce and having them work with technology to the point where they can actually see something they’ve programmed work and be productive, it’s thrilling to see what that does for people’s morale.”

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Evaluating System Capabilities

In a production cycle, it's important to know why an automated system is the best choice. A custom injection molder, Triple S, with plants in Texas and Michigan, selected robots based on the trait of zero-backlash.

The company's automation engineer, Alan Krawitz, was quoted in the article Custom Injection Molder Chooses Zero-Backlash Robots and described how a gearing function prevented robots from a half-second "twitch" if over-accelerating. "This feature was a major factor in which robot we chose because it increases the robot's repeatability, while decreasing the cycle time."

Return on Investment

Calculate cost savings and increased sales when determining the return on investment of an automated system. There can be reduced energy use and fewer material costs since there is less waste. Labor costs can be less. Etalex found it had a 40 percent increase in sales without staff layoffs. A company in Escanaba, Michigan Engineered Machine Products was featured in this video segment of Why I Automate and says it is shipping to China and supplying an Asian customer.

Follow this evaluation framework to objectively measure the success and value of installing automation to grow a profitable business.