Having industrial automation is a necessity, but there's a lot of gray area when it comes to calculating the benefits. And part of that gray area is due to how well a facility's automation is set up.
Automation technology alone isn't enough to ensure that all of a facility's procedures and objectives are met. Here's a closer look at how good automation technology may benefit facilities.
The first advantage of good simple automation technology is that it leads to higher production rates. This is because good automation technology is designed to optimize processes and workflows, making it possible to produce more in less time.
What can we do with what we've got? It's worth thinking about the entire system design, identifying bottlenecks, and attempting to overcome them when it comes to increasing production rates. A good automation system addresses many of these concerns.
A simple example of a production bottleneck is in how ingredients are metered. Say you have a product that is made up of ten different ingredients, and the current system meters each ingredient individually. An automation system that meters all ten ingredients at the same time will increase the speed of every single production run.
Manufacturers can hire hundreds of workers and keep them working around the clock to boost production. Even after that, the plant must be shut down for maintenance and repairs, as well as holidays. As a result, achieving a 100 percent uptime is impossible.
The benefits of Industrial IoT automation are that it allows you to achieve almost 100 percent uptime by working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. It leads to an enormous increase in production levels. IIoT's predictive maintenance technology helps businesses deal with failure better and minimize operational downtime.
Good automation technology in manufacturing can improve productivity by reducing or eliminating the need for manual labor. This not only saves time but can also reduce costs associated with hiring and training workers to operate interface machines.
Think of this: With your current automation system, how long does it take to identify a failure or fault in the system and remedy the situation?
Often, boosting productivity entails decreasing downtime since when you're down, you aren't producing.
With a proper setup automation system, a fault or failure can raise a notification to appear and notify your facilities manager there is a problem. A solid automation system not only diagnoses issues but may also solve them. Solving production problems before they become serious might improve productivity by a lot.
Having good automation technology means having lower costs. There are two ways to look at how automation lowers costs:
Through automation, the complex process of fabricating a product can be simplified to its most basic components.
Automation systems can be improved indefinitely until they are as efficient as possible in terms of generating little waste heat, utilizing the fewest amount of power, easily integrating with one another, and focusing on precise and controlled movements. All of this results in greater efficiency, which lowers costs while increasing profits.
How consistent are your results? Product quality is increasingly determined by precision and repeatability these days. If your production ways are inconsistent over time, product consistency will be damaged.
A good automation system will assist you in maintaining product consistency on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis while monitoring for faults or failures in product quality and consistency.
Remember, robots, EOATs and automated machines do not experience fatigue or become weary, like people. They do not get bored and lose concentration. As a result of this, they don't make many mistakes.
Industrial automation reduces errors and helps to enhance quality standards.
Are you keeping your workers at a safe distance? Industrial automation systems are critical in ensuring that employees are kept safe.
Working in certain industrial sectors may be hazardous. Many industrial processes employ powerful chemicals and/or high electrical voltage to create items. In certain situations, workers' and operators' safety must be considered. Work-related accidents may result in large financial settlements for businesses in some cases.
Industrial automation systems ensure that operators can work in a safe environment. Robots perform all dangerous tasks. The more you automate, the further away you keep people and allow conveyors and hoppers to fill grinders and mixers with the material.
Industry 4.0 also enables better safety precautions through digital protection via cyber-security, providing more data and personnel security.
At Nevatio Engineering we know how to build machines and we know how to automate them. Our team is compressed of manufacturing engineering experts who will work with you every step of the way, from design through installation, so your project is completed on time and within budget.
Automation can help increase productivity by up to 500%. It can also reduce costs by as much as 80% when compared with manual labor. And it’s not just about saving money – automation makes workers safer too! You can rest easy knowing that our experienced engineering team will get your job done right the first time around.
So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
Nevatio Engineering is an agile design and engineering consulting team capable of on-demand mechanical and electrical engineering, functional prototyping, engineering documentation, and machine retrofits. We are experts in machine design, special devices, industrial products, jigs and fixtures, plus automation and controls. Our added knowledge in industry design standards such as ASME, ANSI, ISO, NFPA, NEC and BS allows us to quickly integrate our services with your existing standard design processes, keeping your resources free from unnecessary rework.
We specialize in helping industry leaders solve difficult engineering and design problems. Our mission is to empower our clients with the tools and skills necessary to create solutions to their technical problems. With our expertise, clients can address any technical design problems that stand in their way.
We believe in being consistent with our deliveries. This means that we are always on time and able to work for your business needs, no matter what they may be.