Manufacturing shops built on manual or semi-manual workflows are increasingly looking at automation and robotics, and the reasons are compelling. Increased productivity, enhanced quality and consistency, insightful data analytics, and less labour fatigue for workers.
But achieving those benefits demands a significant investment, even before you make the decision to automate.
Training, adoption, process readiness and cultural change are all very necessary – and very human – steps before you make the leap.
Analyze your current workflow and layout before you incorporate an automation solution. You need to assess whether your manufacturing facility, your processes, and your organization are ready. Map out your current processes including manual handoffs, cycle times, buffer zones and material handling.
Identify which of those operations are best for automation (repeatable, high volume, constrained tolerances, long cycle times) and which may resist automation due to high variability, frequent mix changes, or low volume.
Will your floor layout, power, lighting, ventilation and infrastructure support the new equipment (floor flatness and load ratings, ceiling height and crane access)? And don’t forget ancillary requirements like air, cooling, safety fences, wiring, grounding, consumables and fixture interfaces. For example, Novarc’s SWR™ Spool Welding Robot has the smallest footprint in the industry, allowing the cobot to effortlessly utilize every inch of the shop floor.
Estimate ROI and Throughput. Determine how many hours per shift the automation cell will actually run, factoring in setup, maintenance, changeovers and unscheduled breakdowns.
What is your breakeven point – how many diameter inches or hours until you recoup your investment?
Compare automation vs an incremental improvement of current methods. Sometimes boosting throughput or quality in the existing process is more efficient than adding a full robotic solution. For example, Novarc’s collaborative welding robots integrate with up to five positioners for maximum productivity.
Assess your process stability and repeatability. A robot or automation system will magnify any inconsistencies in upstream or downstream processes, such as material tolerances, fixturing or parts variances. Before automating, you should “stabilize” processes first by reducing variation, standardizing fixturing and refining material handling.
Change management is key. Gauge whether your organization has the leadership, potential “change champions”, and workforce buy-in to accept this dramatic shift. Automation projects often fail for reasons that are outside of technology. Resistance to change is often the result of a lack of clarity and inadequate training.
Spread the responsibility of reviewing potential vendors with a carefully chosen team that will likely spread the word across your workforce. Assessing robotics, and vendors, from different perspectives within the
company can prove to be a valuable exercise.
Be transparent with your full team. Explain that automation is being considered to increase capacity and improve quality, and to help employees be more reproductive, and safe; certainly not to replace employees. Even the best machine is only as good as the people who run, maintain and monitor it. And training will build automation skill sets across the board.
According to Arash Nejad, Novarc’s Chief Revenue Officer, “the implementation of robotics and automation in metal fabricating companies isn’t just about the technology; it is also about the people. By cultivating a supportive culture, managing change adeptly, and fostering trust at every level, companies can not only adapt to the future; they can weld it onto their vision.”
Choose User-Friendly Systems. When evaluating vendors, emphasize the human/machine interface and ease of programming. Systems with graphical interfaces, drag-and-drop logic, built-in safety checks and guided calibration routines are easier for newcomers to robotics. Vision systems, force sensing, and adaptive algorithms can also dramatically shorten the adoption phase for operators. Novarc’s SWR and NovAI™ suite of welding solutions bring machine vision and real-time adaptation to articulated robotic and mechanized welders, allowing ultimate control over weld quality while performing welds through something that resembles a gaming console.
Also, plan for a gradual, staged roll out starting with one island of automation – instead of attempting a full shop transformation all at once. It’s also more likely to be approached with curiosity rather than a threat.
Automation is not a one-time capital purchase. It’s an evolving ecosystem combining robots, people processes and feedback loops. Done thoughtfully, with respect for the human element, the transition can unlock new levels of productivity, consistency and innovation that will benefit everyone in your shop. Not to mention your clients.