February 2021 Volume 3

AUTOMATION

A Virtuous Cycle Phillips noticed that as automation becomes more sophisticated, it creates a desire for even more sophisticated automation. He compared it to the technologies used in automobiles these days. Conveniences such as rear-view cameras, side mirrors with blind spot indicators, and seats that vibrate when the car drifts too far from the lane’s center are multiplying. All provide driving assistance that simply wasn’t available until recently. Before long, such conveniences become necessities, encouraging further innovations. Automation is a lot like that, Phillips said. The processes that were tricky to automate 10 years ago are easy now, leading the developers to create still more automated processes that often are welcomed by manufacturers striving for more sophistication. This trend works in two ways to help relieve the skilled worker shortage. First, it draws people to manufacturing. “Anything that involves automation involves computers and software, and they draw young people into the industry,” Bochat said. “Automated systems don’t replace people—they create new challenges that young people like to solve.” Phillips concurred. “As people get more interested in automation, they want to use the full scope of the technology, which feeds the need for more knowledge in the various systems and subsystems, whether the principles are electronic, hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical,” Phillips said. Second, as machine operators become more comfortable with these technologies, their job duties grow. “For example, in the old days you’d need a repair technician who could diagnose and repair the machine,” he said, “These days, the HMIs are so sophisticated that they point the operator to the trouble area, and often the operator can swap out the failed component.” Beyond the Future “We’re always on a learning curve,” Phillips said. “I’m always taking training courses and always learning from our customers too.” For the most part, Phillips finds that people in manufacturing environments embrace their roles. “People understand that they can’t be complacent, and many people I meet always want to learn more,” he said. “It’s rewarding to work with such customers.” He does acknowledge that some customers deal in parts that simply don’t generate enough revenue to consider automation. When the profit is just a few cents per part, the contract doesn’t leave any room for investments, so such programs are destined to continue to be manually processed. Still, those tend to be in the minority. Most fabricators have some cash to spend and aren’t too hesitant to spend it, but most should be aware that automating a process isn’t just a chance to remove labor or make a process run more consistently—it’s a chance to rethink a process and upgrade it. “It’s gotta have a little more moxie to it,” Bochat said. An ear for picking up on customers’ desires, an ability to frame those desires

as problems, and the drive to solve them are three components that culminate in better machines. “Engineers think differently” Bochat said. “If someone tells an engineer, or a team of engineers, ‘It can’t be done,’ they’ll find a way to do it. They work diligently to prove that it can be done, whether it’s mechanically, electronically, or a combination of both.” These days, electronics and software give them much more latitude than they had in the past, and the possibilities are growing exponentially, Bochat said. He cites one case, a machine for making panel-style fencing, critical to Innovo, as an example. “A few years back it was customary to make fence rails on two or three individual machines, and even using routers to make notches,” he said. Routers make chips and chips jam machines. “These days a single CNC punching and notching system provides more flexibility, higher throughput, and parts that are cleaner and more accurate.” In applications that rely on several machines from a variety of vendors, Downing and Stokes noted that the role of the integrator has evolved over time. “Wauseon Machine’s role has grown quite a bit over the last 20 years,” Downing said. “In 1999 we developed automated workcells for tube fabrication using only our own equipment. A few years later we were integrating other companies’ equipment with robots. About 10 years ago, we started developing automated workcells for applications other than tubing, and these days the company is a Level IV Certified Vision Integrator and Certified Service Provider for FANUC Robots. In addition to developing the system and commissioning it, the integrator has other responsibilities, like Robotic Industries Association safety compliance.” T-Drill is on a similar path. “We quote systems that incorporate many other equipment builders’ machines, but in the end we have the responsibility for all of it,” he said. “Contracts these days usually specify a single source for all maintenance and repair work.” This means the integrator has many more duties than before, but it streamlines problem-solving and troubleshooting by assigning these roles to a single company rather than diluting the role by spreading it out among every equipment manufacturer that contributed. Stokes’s view, which incorporates a perspective from other industries, is a preview of some concepts and technologies other than automation that likewise have the potential to make manufacturing more efficient. “Construction companies use a lot of rented equipment, like forklifts and scissor lifts, and these days they can use GPS to track movements and utilization,” he said. “Also, by tracking the number of minutes a battery-powered saw is in use, they can determine when they should send a runner with an extra battery or two and some new blades so the worker doesn’t have to stop.” DeWalt’s Tool Connect and Milwaukee’s ONE-KEY have such features, which allow management personnel to track the company’s inventory of tools, equipment, and materials; see who most recently checked out a specific tool; customize the tool’s settings; and perform remote

FIA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2021 22