While the Great Recession may have put a dent in several industries, it did push-start the rise of industrial robotics. The sudden spotlight drew attention from all corners and in 2013 more than 5000 patents were passed for robotic technologies. Plus, the annual order for robotics in North America surpassed its 20,000-unit threshold as a result of increased investment by several venture capitalists.
Lean manufacturing can be a very worthwhile investment, as it can have a very significant effect on your productivity and profitability. But beginning your lean journey is a daunting task and a serious investment, involving a lot of effort and a bunch of money. If not managed properly, a launch into the lean is at risk for serious failure, so keep the following factors in mind to greatly increase your chances of a successful launch.
Safety is a top priority for companies and facilities not only because it protects its workers but it can also protect its machinery. When developing safety and control systems, facilities tend to focus on the machines and products inside the facility, but outside factors should not be forgotten. Companies should look beyond what is controllable in their facility when setting up their motor control centers.
One of, if not the most important term in manufacturing to understand is OEE, or overall equipment effectiveness. In general, OEE is the measurement of plant equipment’s technical performance in accomplishing a task so that the manufacturer can judge the effectiveness of the asset. They can then use this information in order to add value to the business through the analysis of capacity losses or gains through the part.
Control engineers are capable of boosting productivity, profit, quality of products, and overall plant safety. A key aspect to the success of effective control engineering design is exploring sensible controls early in a project's design. Creative ideas are a pivotal point when designing a control system and are crucial to the operation of any manufacturing project.
When do you turn to an automation solutions company — when your current automation system fails?
Many companies regard automation systems with the bare minimum of concern, only closely examining a system when something breaks. Efficiency gets reduced to making equipment run for as long as possible with as little maintenance and attention — and therefore cost — as possible. So when an automation system breaks down, companies often replace the broken pieces with slightly newer parts that function the exact same way.
Every generation of engineers tries to challenge the traditional idea of engineering — it's the nature of engineering to constantly push for more efficient, innovative ways to solve problems. Yet basic fundamentals of entire industries rarely change.
Now, with a new generation of computer-savvy engineers, a tremendous shift has started to transform the manufacturing sphere of engineering.
Some projects seem straightforward and simple in the beginning; more often than not, problems arise that were never considered and end up costing a big chunk of precious time and money. Delays can be avoided by just taking a few steps to minimize risk and increase productivity. In this article we are going to take a look at how uncertainties can derail a project and how to reduce damage to your company’s timeline and budget.
In the first part of How to Adopt OEE More Effectively, we reviewed OEE calculation (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and how it can be used to improve a plant's performance. This week we are going to talk about how to use it properly.
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is used on a global scale to help manufacturing companies improve production and reduce losses. OEE is a measure of how effectively your equipment is being used in your production line. It is not a measure of your plant as a whole, but rather a measure of each machine that is a part of the process.
The goal of OEE is to isolate parts of your production process that can be improved. OEE is best adopted as a measurement tool to help you identify and track the progress of changes in your line. If OEE calculation is about using your equipment effectively, how can you use OEE itself to the best effect?