A book I read in 2015, “Rise of the Robots,” by Martin Ford, talked about the threat many people see that robots present to the employment marketplace. At the time, I was working with several different equipment manufacturers and clients on their automated/robotic equipment applications for the LBM and component industry, so from my perspective I saw process improvement and a healthy balance between people and machine in any operation. As I continue to work with clients on robotics and advanced computerized equipment, I refer to this book and others as reference for owners when they are presented with this dilemma.
Each process in our component plants or lumber yards needs to be efficient and eliminate waste. When a company reviews any process the first question should be “why?” Why does the process exist? Is it efficient? Does being more efficient give the customer (or next user/process in line) what s/he wants? We can also look at robotics with these questions and assess it from two perspectives – one operationally (the lean process) and the other as a long-term investment.
The Lean Manufacturing Process
Companies do not stay in business by being unproductive and inefficient. Companies in manufacturing industries want to maintain as many efficient processes as they can. Industrial robots integrated into lean manufacturing processes provide a way for companies to increase efficiency and quality while decreasing waste. Implementing lean methods involves changing a facility’s layout and procedures to reduce unnecessary steps, movements, and other waste. Waste, as we have discussed, occurs when tasks that are not “value-added tasks” take place. A value-added task physically adds to or manipulates a product in a way that increases its value. For example, walking to and from an office to get the right paperwork for a truss batch is not a value-added task—the time away from the gantry is considered waste. Eliminating as much waste as possible and focusing on value-added tasks is the heart of lean methodologies.
Rosie the Robot on your Manufacturing Line
This is where robots enter the automated process and lean manufacturing. Robots can move product more efficiently than humans without excessive movement during the process. Robots do not shut down during shift changes. Robots also remove the possibility of defects that occur with human manufacturing. Most importantly, the decision to use robots must be justified by a return on investment (ROI) analysis. Small and large manufacturers have proven today’s robots can significantly improve the ROI in a manufacturing environment, especially when implementing robots in support of a lean initiative—but again, planning is critical. The robots must be properly incorporated into the overall lean manufacturing environment to achieve the desired results.
Robots are not as costly as human workers, and robots eliminate overtime. Robots work 24/7 with no breaks, which can increase productivity significantly, while higher throughput increases profits. Manufacturing robots produce products much faster than conventional manufacturing methods by decreasing part cycle times. Manufacturing robots lend themselves to creating a leaner, more efficient manufacturing cycle.
There has been a long-standing myth that industrial robots will lead to substantial unemployment; but that is just not true. The choice is robots or continuing to hire very low cost, low skilled laborers, producing poor quality product; and that is assuming you are able to find those employees. By utilizing robots, manufacturing will remain competitive, as costs will be reduced as much as 60%. Labor will not be eliminated completely but rather elevated to a higher skill quality. With robotic work cells, there is still a need for people to operate the robots—the book by Martin Ford includes this point and I want to emphasize it too.
One of the greatest challenges I hear often with my clients is the tight labor market. Robotics provide not only a lean advantage but also a balanced approach to providing you the ability to compete and continue to expand market share. Not only are we competing with each other for assemblers, sawyers, forklift operators, material handlers, etc., but we compete with our customers in the field for the same individual. In a tight labor market that does not appear to be changing in the next generation, automation and robotics provide a logical solution for your operation.
Examples of How Robots Make the System Lean
- No wait time for operators – A material handling robot can be set up to multi-task, performing additional processing tasks between operations.
- Negligible downtime –Manual operations tend to be error-prone and inconsistent in terms of production rate, shifts, work breaks, etc., but robots have minimal production loss and “no smoke breaks.”
- Lower operating expenses – Robots are less expensive to operate compared to human labor (especially when overtime is required) and robots’ return on investment can be quickly realized when there is high demand for the manufactured product.
- Higher quality – Robots are capable of highly accurate, highly repeatable tasks, which results in lowered scrap parts once the robot tasks are optimized.
- Lower impact of environmental conditions – Robots do not get fatigued and are not subject to heat, dust, humidity and other challenging work environments.
- Ease of multi-tasking – Today’s robots can incorporate tool changers to allow the robot to handle more than one task. With one robot now able to perform multiple functions, the manufacturer will see improved utilization and the ability to create a leaner manufacturing environment overall.
The Future Lean Robot
Lean manufacturing is thinking “out of the box.” Removing time, effort, and cost from the manufacturing processes is the solution to lean manufacturing and competitiveness. Robotic applications mean flexibility in design and capabilities—not just motion. Designing lean robotic applications is important to achieving ground-breaking solutions to ordinary manufacturing tasks. Many times our industry has been, shall we say, behind the curve when it comes to technology advances. But over the last fifteen years, we have seen multiple advances in several areas. Even so, we need to fundamentally change our thinking and change how we are manufacturing a truss, a wall panel, etc., if we are to remain relevant and competitive. Robotics is one piece of the puzzle that will assist us.
In May 2000, I wrote an article for WoodWorks Magazine, “Maximizing Your Investment in State-of-the-Art Equipment.” Back then, I was already encouraging manufacturers to look at labor and consider equipment investments for the future. Wow! Oh, to have our current knowledge, get in my “way back machine,” and invest even more heavily then. But the point remains the same—a company must have a strategy each year of evaluating the equipment it will need. You may need to work with your financial institution, other investors, or the equipment manufacturer, but you will need to make the capital investment in advanced technology equipment to meet the needs of the future.
If you have not explored incorporating robotics into your operational environment lately, it is probably time to take another look. With a lower cost, more capabilities, and a large number of successful manufacturing implementations, robots can increase your return, improve quality, reduce costs, and help you eliminate waste. Remember, if we can be of assistance to you, it would be our pleasure to help you, give us a call!
Ben Hershey is the CEO of 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC, the leading provider of Lean Management and Manufacturing Consulting to the Structural Component and Lumber Industry. A Past President of SBCA, he has owned and managed several manufacturing and distribution companies and is Six Sigma Black Belt Certified. Ben has provided consulting to hundreds of Component Manufacturers, Lumber Dealers, and Millwork Operations, and is highly recommended throughout the industry. You can reach Ben at ben@4WardConsult.com or 623-512-6770.
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