CONTROL & AUTOMATION A MORE AGILE BUSINESS MODEL
EU AUTOMATION
Automation cells and the standardisation of manufacturing components
The COVID-19 pandemic , a tense socio-political global climate , and an increasingly demanding customer base have all contributed to a growing need for flexibility in manufacturing . As a result , manufacturers need equipment that can be quickly and easily reconfigured , rather than fixed production lines where every change may require weeks of downtime . Here Neil Ballinger , head of EMEA at EU Automation , a global supplier of quality automation components , explains the role of automation cells in transitioning to a more agile business model .
Customisation and high-mix low-volume ( HMLV ) production are not new concepts in manufacturing . Both have risen to prominence in the last decade , with the demand for increasingly personalised products and services . These trends require manufacturers to rapidly adapt to changing market conditions , and to reconfigure their production and assembly lines accordingly .
The need for adaptability intensified during the pandemic , when many production plants experienced a boom in demand and needed to set up extra lines to produce critical supplies such as respirator components and personal protection equipment ( PPE ). On the other hand , some companies needed the flexibility to switch their production to entirely new items — from alcoholic drinks to hand sanitiser , from luxury fashion to medical gowns .
THE SOLUTION IN A NUTSHELL
In this context , closed-loop automation cells have become increasingly popular . Automation cells , or robot cells as they are often called , are closed systems containing equipment that can automate several stages of the production process . For example , they may include robotic arms that load and unload the parts to be machined , in-feed and out-feed conveyors , and machine vision systems that determine what part is being fed-in , and that measure and inspect post-processed items .
Compared to traditional production lines , automation cells offer unprecedented
Another great advantage of automation cells is that they can be placed in any building where there is enough floor space .
flexibility . Since the days of factory pioneer Henry Ford , manufacturing plants have worked in a similar way — with long , linear production lines where items pass from station to station , being processed and finally inspected and shipped . In these lines , every change requires the intervention of multiple experts and can lead to several weeks of expensive downtime .
On the other hand , automation cells allow for a modular and easily scalable factory structure . These cells can be quickly rearranged on the factory floor whenever manufacturers need to restructure the production process — some models even come on wheels .
Another great advantage of automation cells is that they can be placed in any building where there is enough floor space . This means facilities like empty warehouses can be easily repurposed to set up a new production plant in record times .
This approach is perfect for manufacturers that need to establish a new production line very quickly , for example to respond to a sudden surge in demand . However , it will also facilitate those who are planning to bring production closer to the final customer to save on logistics costs , reduce lead time and minimise the company ’ s overall carbon footprint .
For example , British electric vehicles ( EVs ) start-up Arrival uses flexible automation cells in its microfactories , which are smallscale production plants that the company is planning to set up on the outskirts of cities worldwide . The use of automation cells allows the company to set up new production lines very quickly , so instead of relying on production sites overseas , Arrival has chosen this innovative approach to reduce costs by bringing production closer to where its vehicles are needed .
A further advantage of automation cells is that a factory structured this way can be very easily scaled up and down according to market demand , by simply adding or subtracting cells . This is a great approach for start-ups and smaller manufacturing companies who might not be in the position to invest in a huge and cost-prohibitive facility but want to give themselves space to grow .
A LOOK WITHIN — STANDARD COMPONENTS
The beauty of automation cells is that they contain everything the plant needs to automate the production process — or at least some of its core aspects — in an extremely compact architecture . Like Lego building blocks , the components in the cells are structured so that they all fit together to occupy the least possible space .
36 PECM Issue 57