CONTROL & AUTOMATION
AUTOMATE MACHINE TENDING
FANUC
SEVEN REASONS WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO
AUTOMATE ITS MACHINE TENDING PROCESSES
When it comes to robots and automation in
the workplace, the UK remains far behind
many of its global competitor nations. Many
businesses still regard automation as a “nice-
to-have” that’s only meant for the biggest
players in the market. FANUC UK’s Mark
Schlanker is here to argue that automation
is becoming a must-have for the future of
all UK manufacturing, big or small, and that
machine tending might just be the best
place to start.
It’s finally happened. You’ve invested in a
state-of-the-art, wire-cut EDM machine
that will revolutionise the way you and your
company work. You also have the potential
to increase your productivity, expand the
scope of your operations and improve the
quality of your manufactured components.
Your customers are thrilled that you are
investing in the future. Why, then, is Phil
still standing by the machine, loading
and unloading the parts as they move
from one process to another? It may seem
strange to imagine the latest in automated
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manufacturing technology working
alongside a manual machine tending
process that has been used for decades,
yet it’s one that we’re still seeing on factory
floors up and down the country.
The statistics speak for themselves.
According to a report released by IFR World
Robotics Statistics in 2015, the UK has
only 71 robots per 10,000 manufacturing
employees.
Compare this to: South Korea, where there
are 500 robots to every 10,000 employees;
Germany and Japan, where there are 300;
and Sweden and Denmark, where there
are 200, and you begin to build an idea of
just how far behind the UK is in terms of
automation and robotics. In many cases, it’s
only when directors are gathered around
the table to discuss how efficiency could be
improved, not to mention how Phil’s time
could be put to better use, that the words
“robot” and “automation” begin to make an
appearance.
In fact, whether you want to retrofit a robot
to existing production lines, or build them
in from the start, automating manual,
repetitive processes such as machine
tending comes with a host of benefits to
productivity, efficiency profitability and
competitiveness in the long term. Here are
a few reasons why manufacturers should
consider upgrading their high-volume, low
cycle production processes to the latest in
automation and robotics.
1. Robots are highly
repeatable.
Robots don’t get tired. They aren’t affected
by low energy or distractions, and they don’t
make mistakes.
Once a robot has been programmed to carry
out a task, whether that’s moving a part
from one machine to another, or loading
a magazine for uninterrupted machining,
the robot will perform that task without
hesitation or deviation.