Navigating Common Misconceptions about Automation

Technologies

Feb 2

As factories grapple with labor shortages and the imperative to enhance production capacity while curbing costs, the allure of automation becomes increasingly enticing. However, despite its potential as a savior, automation is often misunderstood, leading to unmet expectations and unforeseen challenges. This article aims to shed light on five common misconceptions that can undermine the effectiveness of automation solutions.

1. Misconception: Wouldn't it be better to just buy a ready-made solution and import it?

One prevalent misconception is the belief that off-the-shelf automation solutions are universally applicable. In reality, each manufacturing environment is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach rarely addresses specific operational nuances and challenges. Customization is key to maximizing the benefits of automation, ensuring that it aligns seamlessly with existing processes and addresses the specific needs of the factory. Automation is a very complex system. You need to study the end results of the implementation. Maybe you have chosen a certain section of work, such as product packaging, and want to use "robots to replace people" to do it faster and better. But if you want to make more money by effectively using automation in complex factories. Without overall planning, you may find that the robot is always resting (idling) after the introduction. That's because although the robot is very fast, the upstream supply may not be sufficient, so it stops and goes, unable to give full play, resulting in waste.

2. Misconception: Automation means directly replacing things done by humans with machines?

Automation is not merely about substituting human tasks with machines; rather, it involves a thoughtful integration of technology to augment human capabilities. Collaborative robots, or cobots, exemplify this approach, working alongside human operators to enhance efficiency and precision. The goal is not outright replacement but the symbiotic coexistence of human expertise and automated processes. On the contrary, automation is not always a fit for your process. For example, certain specifications of materials are critical to humans, but not necessarily to automation; conversely, specifications that are critical to automation may not have been taken seriously before. In the case of CNC machinery, such as deburring, which may have no impact when inserting by hand, but after automation, since materials have to be positioned in rows, deburring can easily cause material jams, and manufacturing engineers have to be interrupted from time to time to resolve the jams, which will make automation difficult to use.