The Satellite Review Magazine The Satellite Review Magazine Vol 1 | Page 16

Mass Customization: Modular manufacturing reaches materials handling equipment makers By Guy Prendergast, National Sales Manager- Industrial, Halfen USA Interested in a modular approach to machinery design and fabrication? Engineering and fabricating a one-off solution to match each customer’s specific requirements leads to two main problems. We can’t change that now… Before the design can be completed and fabrication of the machine can commence, the customer needs to know most final specifications of the machine and the work it will be doing, along with the size and capacity of ancillary equipment from other vendors such as bearings, compressors, control equipment and drive motors – in the real world customers are rarely in a position to know everything in advance and this means missed delivery deadlines, or inevitable rework when fabrication commences before all decisions can be made. The second issue is flexibility in-service. Changes in consumer tastes and the competitive environment mean products that customers make on your machines have even shorter life cycles. Customers need production equipment which can be tweaked in-service, preferably at their premises, to produce a wider range of goods. Lipped mounting channel, used extensively in the rolling stock industry instead of welding, or drilling and tapping for mechanical assembly, is helping machinery makers address these problems. Faster design to delivery, plus cost savings… Other benefits become apparent in the shop once this method of connection is used. Hot-rolled mounting channel is welded to a frame or chassis, which is then painted o r galvanized. Equipment or another steel assembly is then bolted on at any point. This allows the machine builder to fabricate one frame or base to suit a range of equipment sizes to meet different client demands. The producer is now 16 The Satellite Review a step ahead of his competitor, who must build the entire machine from scratch. Our machine builder also has a wider range of purchasing options, no longer being locked into buying equipment which suits the original design – differently sized equipment – either a cheaper model or from an entirely different vendor altogether - can be fitted. Access to a cheaper labor force is another key benefit mounting channel brings. Workers only need to fasten a bolt as opposed to laying out and drilling a closely toleranced bolt pattern. We see it frequently – engineers love tight tolerances, but they are expensive, leading to increased labor costs, higher rejection rates and more expensive fabrications. Modular production These machinery makers have now taken a step closer to a key strategic priority – moving from a customized ‘one-off ’ approach to designing and fabricating customer orders, to a modular production system, where a range of (often unknowable) customer requirements can be quickly met with an existing design. A step closer to mass-customization. Conclusions Thinking outside the box – or making any change - can be difficult. But in today’s competitive environment if your machines adapt more easily to meet the varying demands of your customer base this will keep you ahead of your competitors. Industrial mounting channel creates a flexible future. www.WestfaliaUSA.com