AUTOMATION EQUIPMENT
presents his supervisor a proposal for an automation project, sells the idea, and grossly underestimates the cost of the project. Now to save the stituation, the manager and his/her subordinates spend their time looking for the right price rather than the right solution. Without fail, this approach will force someone to shortchange the actual objectives and compromise where ideally one should not. The better alternative in such a situation would be to get a quote before floating the idea before the concerned team. Most automation houses would prefer to be involved at the earliest possible level. A good consultative problem-solving session with a potential automation supplier (or suppliers) will help all parties involved to work through the best approach; it may even lead to several different options. As long as someone is reasonably serious about pursuing a project, it should not be difficult to get a quick cost estimate before going to the concerned authority. In fact, careful planning, even if the initial quote seems more expensive, will invariably save money later.
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LACK OF TECHNICAL CAPABILITY IN-HOUSE
Often, companies purchase a piece of automation without considering the technical expertise required to maintain the equipment on a daily basis. Therefore, it is essential to consider all the costs associated with new and unfamiliar technology. It has been observed that quite a few companies decide to save the cost of system integration upfront, only to have to hire them later, after the project has already suffered unacceptable delays. If one is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on new automation, getting it up and running fast helps in recouping investments faster. This way, one can ensure that he/she does not put the market launch of a critical new product in jeopardy.
5
FAILURE TO INVOLVE THE PRODUCTION PEOPLE
The people responsible for ultimately operating a piece of automation can impact the functioning of the machine. Hence, it is necessary to allow the production people to get involved in the project at an early stage, let them play an active role and give them a chance to take ownership. In today’s manufacturing environment, where many people have been involved in process
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One should not allow the automation vendor to ship the machine before it is ready. Allowing this to happen usually prolongs the automation machine from performing as desired and puts the vendorcompany relationship at stake. improvements and lean manufacturing projects, factory personnel offer a great source of creative ideas. And since they are the closest to the process, they can save hours of wasted time by identifying problems early. By taking a lean approach, one might also discover that there is no need for as much automation as one originally thought. Or it would be just enough to repurpose or reconfigure existing equipment as part of a lean concept.
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NO CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH THE VENDOR
Even after a detailed equipment specification has been submitted to the vendor, constant constructive communication must be maintained. The word ‘constructive’ holds great significance here. Simply documenting all conversations and responding to written correspondence for the sake of maintaining good records is not enough. A company and its chosen vendor must form a team. It is important to review the progress of the project in detail with the vendor at certain points in the project and notify them of any perceived problems as soon as possible. Besides, one should take advantage of modern technology, too. With the availability of the outstanding 3D solid modelling software, net meetings and videoconferencing, it is possible to meet frequently and get a good look at what the automation vendor is designing. It is also possible to spot errors early and ensure a superior final result.
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ONLY SHIP COMPLETE AUTOMATION EQUIPMENT
One should not allow the automation vendor to ship the machine before it is ready. Allowing this to happen usually prolongs the automation machine from performing as desired and puts the vendorcompany relationship at stake. Re-engineering and troubleshooting after
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installation are the biggest source of cost overruns with any project. If this happens, one will end up paying not only for the onsite fix, but also for any lost revenue from the product one was hoping to introduce.
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FAILURE TO SUPPLY THE VENDOR WITH UP-TO-DATE DETAILS
Maintaining proper and up-to-date documentation is an ongoing challenge for most companies. Failure to supply the vendor with sufficiently up-to-date drawings of the project will cause expensive delays. Even the best automation houses will not always detect non-conformance from the parts to the prints until it is too late, making rework inevitable. Supplying parts that are within specification is also important.
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FAILURE TO DESIGN FOR AUTOMATION
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USING THE WRONG TECHNOLOGY FOR APPLICATION
Some products are not designed to be manufactured or assembled automatically. Some process components cannot be fed automatically, and depending on how frequently the product mix changes, it might not be feasible to economically produce the part automatically. When automation is difficult, perhaps a semiautomatic or even manual solution would be more feasible.
The failure of a project engineer to do his/ her homework may result in the least efficient use of equipment, especially if it is not purchased as part of a long-term strategy. It is important to contemplate on certain questions such as can the anticipated system accommodate future change without having to start from scratch each time; is there an ‘off-the-shelf’ piece of equipment available for the given application; should one employ flexible automation or hard automation? Some other areas of concern include whether one should opt for lean manufacturing or manual production or go for automation, etc. These questions should be answered before building a machine or investing in automation. By adopting a careful approach, one can be sure to have a successful experience when he/she finally starts producing parts with the new equipment. Courtesy: Bosch Rexroth