Most manufacturers agree that digital transformation is necessary to remain competitive today and thrive tomorrow. Many large companies have already begun initiatives. But, when asked to quantify the impact of those initiatives on the bottom line, they often come up short.
Symphoni from ATS Automation is a compact, self-contained, pre-engineered automated assembly cell. Equipped with standard servo-controlled devices, including a high-speed delta robot, the cell can be configured to make a wide range of products, from simple two-piece assemblies to complex products having dozens of components and specialized processes.
Greater process control, lower setup costs and simple equipment programming make it easier than ever for manufacturers to build their automation in-house rather than hire a machine builder.
Some questions that manufacturers must address have a simple yes or no answer. Others are not so clear cut. A good example of the latter type is 'Should we build automation in-house?'
Product life cycles are getting shorter. For example, 20 percent of consumers replace their televisions every four to five years; another 5 percent replace their sets every one to three years. Smartphones are even worse. On average, consumers replace their phones about every 2.5 years.
Saving a penny per part or a millisecond of cycle time might not matter to some manufacturers. But machine builder Eclipse Automation knows that even small gains can offer huge competitive advantages for its customers. Greater flexibility and uptime through predictive maintenance are also crucial.
Manufacturers looking to take their operations to the next level often look to automation and robotics to make it happen. This is understandable, for such technology can cost-effectively increase throughput, optimize assembly and testing processes, improve product quality and decrease labor costs.
A manufacturer never achieves success completely on its own. Every company, to some extent, needs help from equipment suppliers, machine builders and integrators.
Every process change made by a manufacturer brings with it one or more unique challenges. Consider, for example, the challenges involved when switching from manual or pneumatic presses to servo models for low-force-pressing applications.
With the pandemic subsiding and consumer spending on the rise, manufacturers are investing in their assembly operations.
December 7, 2021
In February 2020, U.S. manufacturers employed nearly 12.8 million people. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. In an instant, the country lost 1 million manufacturing jobs as governments and businesses scrambled to figure out how best to stop the spread of the disease.
With our newly developed LATC series of precision indexing conveyors, we can achieve and guarantee a +/- 0.04 mm accuracy across the entire system. Similar to the LFA, the LATC is manufactured with an inner structure manufactured from aluminum extrusion and very high-grade aluminum links.