Automation offers many advantages to manufacturing businesses. While handmade products are a profitable niche, the majority of manufacturing makes extensive use of automated processes. Most common processes in manufacturing can be automated. One good example is using wafer fabrication equipment. If you are considering setting up your own manufacturing business, it is worth considering investing in automated machinery for these processes.
Forming
Forming is the process of shaping a piece of material without adding or removing any of the material. This can take a variety of forms, depending on the specific material involved and what product or component is being made. Examples of forming include compressive forming, tensile forming, and bending. Unless products are handmade, the forming process is typically carried out by automated machinery.
Casting
Casting is when a solid material is heated and melted down into a liquid that is then poured into a mold to cool and solidify into the shape of a specific product. Casting is often carried out with plastics, but metals can also be cast at higher temperatures. Examples of casting include die casting, centrifugal casting, and investment casting, and these are often carried out by automation.
Joining
Joining simply means attaching one piece of material to another. There is a variety of ways that this can happen, such as adhesive bonding, welding, and press fitting (a form of joining that requires no adhesive). Joining is often automated, for example, when components on a production line are joined through adhesive bonding via batches.
Packaging
The vast majority of manufacturing plants involve the resulting products being packaged. Whether these are household appliances or more specialized products, the need for packaging is usually present. While some products can be packaged by hand, most manufacturing plants that mass produce products use automate packaging processes. Packaging, as well as other common manufacturing processes, often involves the use of conveyors, which can be bought from sites like fluentconveyors.com.
Labeling
Labeling is an important step in most manufacturing processes. Whether it is simply applying a label to a cardboard box containing materials or placing labels on multiple parts of a single product, labeling is usually necessary in some way.
Painting
Many different products that are manufactured need to be painted. Although different materials require different types of paint, painting is typically carried out by automated spraying systems when products are produced in factories. This often entails a layer of primer being applied, a layer (or more than one) of paint being applied, and often a final varnish or protective treatment.
Conclusion
Automation has many advantages. For example, the need for hiring staff is often reduced, and the possibility of mistakes due to human error is also reduced. Automation can also increase efficiency and accuracy.
Although the cost of equipment can be a significant overhead, the long-term benefits to efficiency can be well worth it. However, it can be a mistake to entrust every single process to machines without any human interaction. Making sure that you have human employees to oversee processes can help you to avoid malfunctions and increase productivity.
