Seven steps to improve your manufacturing automation

Manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand have faced unprecedented headwinds in recent years, with many challenges still ahead. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major effect on manufacturing. 

Supply chain disruption, labour shortages, inventory uncertainty as well as soaring raw material and energy costs continue to cause headaches for manufacturers – and those issues are far from resolved. 

To succeed now and in the future, businesses must overcome these challenges, improve their processes and identify efficiencies. They must embrace the latest automation technology to take their business to the next level and remain competitive. 

Advances in automation technology not only address many of those major problems they can also provide outstanding opportunities. 

Smart companies investing in the latest technology remain quick and agile when responding to future disruptions. 

The experts at Omron have identified seven key steps to help you improve your manufacturing automation: 

Maximise productivity  

By improving operational efficiency, manufacturers can maximise their productivity. 

Manufacturers must adopt proven new automation technology to streamline manufacturing processes, reduce waste, and optimise the use of manpower. 

Automation improves throughput, reduces errors and rework, and improves quality. It can also minimise downtown and reduce workplace injuries.

Improve product quality with smart traceability solutions  

Choosing the right process technology is the key to an efficient and successful supply chain. 

It’s vital for Australian manufacturers to choose technologies they can implement within their business that will drive efficiencies and reduce costs.

To maintain accuracy and efficiency, manufacturers must move away from manual low-tech processes across their supply chain. 

Automation holds the key to the future. 

Technologies such as vision sensors should be considered to better control the end-of-the-line manufacturing processes, including coding, labelling and packaging. 

Vision sensor technology has been a game changer in modern manufacturing. 

With vision sensors manufacturers can better monitor and control production quality and eliminate product recalls – particularly in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical and packaging industries. 

Minimise costs and downtime with predictive maintenance  

Machine maintenance is one of the biggest challenges now facing manufacturers. 

To streamline production and meet product demand, manufacturing plants must carry out regular maintenance on their machines.

Aging equipment is one of the top causes of unplanned downtime, so manufacturers experiencing high maintenance costs must consider new preventative strategies.  

A Predictive Maintenance program reduces the need for frequent inspections and can significantly cut maintenance costs. It should therefore be high on your priority list. 

Unlock the power of data analytics  

Data analysis is essential to help manufacturers innovate and improve. 

Data has always existed in the manufacturing environment – in the temperatures, pressures, sounds, and appearance of machinery – but can be difficult to access. 

It’s becoming much easier to gather and store. The key is finding efficient ways to analyse the data to understand your processes and identify trends. 

Smart, IoT (Internet of Things) devices should be installed strategically throughout the supply chain to drive your operation.  

See how Omron can help you develop new strategies to harness the power of your data. 

Integrate smart robotic solutions  

Industrial, mobile (AMRs) and collaborative robots can now be found in smart factories across the globe to tackle the most demanding applications. 

Robotics have transformed the manufacturing industry by becoming an alternative source for repetitive, labour-intensive tasks. This means machine operators can now focus more on important tasks to further improve productivity.   

Industrial robots can produce a consistent and regular product to improve both quality and consistency in manufacturing. 

Improve workplace safety  

Manufacturing automation not only increases throughput, it can improve workplace safety and minimise risk of injury. 

Advanced safety solutions include: 

• Safety sensors and laser scanners to detect the presence of operators near hazardous machines. 
• Safety light curtains and single beam safety sensors that can warn of potential danger and stop machines to prevent workplace injury. 
• Safety door switches to detect the opening of guards or doors for prevention of access to hazardous areas and safely stop machines. 
• Safety mats to detect presence of workers in hazardous areas. 
• Emergency stop switches to stop equipment and facilities in emergencies. They can be used in safety circuits in combination with other safety controllers such as safety relay units. 

Check out Omron’s vast range of safety solutions here.

Use professional engineering services  

When it comes to manufacturing automation, it pays to seek professional advice. 

At Omron, we don’t just sell quality products, we offer high value services for those products, to help you achieve your goals. Our professional services range from consultancy, training, engineering, programming and more. 

If you’re looking for expert engineering solutions click here to learn more. 

Omron’s integrated systems provide beginning to end automation solutions for your business and can give your business a serious advantage. 

If your business involves machines, our solutions can help.  

Omron’s end-to-end industrial automation solutions will make your machines smarter, faster, more flexible and more reliable so that you can maximise productivity and sharpen your competitive edge. 

At Omron, we make sure that all our technologies are designed to work seamlessly together as complete, end-to-end factory automation solutions.  

Contact our expert team to find out more.