COVID-19 era is time to automate

Although these are most uncertain times, it is nonetheless advisable for machine shop owners to take advantage of automating their shops. As a robot integrator, Fusion OEM’s customer base has doubled during COVID-19 from implementation of robotic CNC machine tending.

Due to an unpredictable workforce, many companies have noted increased motivation to add automation rather than more CNC equipment. A typical comment heard by resellers of CNCs is, “I would love to buy another piece of equipment from you — if you could provide a reliable person to operate it.”

Aside from concerns about whether machine operators will show up tomorrow, our customers have shared many benefits with us, including:

• Increased uptime and capacity and predictable, constant daily output. Robots keep pace with CNC machine processing and are not interrupted by rest and meal breaks or distracted by co-workers and other influences while capital equipment sits idle.
• Increased quality. When programmed correctly, robots lessen the chance of improper loading, which costs money, time and even customer confidence due to increased lead times.
• Lights-out operation. Running a CNC when off shift or extending a CNC process for a few more hours after a team has punched out for the day has yielded double-digit production rate increases.
• Skills gap aid. To sustain business for years to come, it is paramount to rid your team of dull, repetitive tasks and focus your seasoned professionals on giving on-the-job training to the next generation of machinists. For years, shadowing senior machinists has been the most effective way for my company to teach apprentice machinists.
• Workforce attraction and retention. Happy employees lead to better morale. Workers focused only on routine, menial tasks never will be productive enough for a company. Applying automation enables more cerebral aspects of business, which will result in employees feeling positive about work — and ultimately being productive.

As a shop owner, I realize that machine shop jobs involve a number of activities that are routine, repetitive and mundane. Formerly a necessary evil, these day-to-day tasks are ending because of widespread implementation of robotics. As a result, shops that have embraced and applied automation find that it is providing a significant competitive advantage.

To view a video of this robotic automation at www.ctemag.com, click here: cteplus.delivr.com/2gsc2