Over my years of experience designing and project managing robotic projects, I have come to see many of the pitfalls that buyers can fall into when buying automation. Here are some pointers when buying your next robotic automation solution to help avoid some of the typical headaches that sometimes follow.
1. Know your rates – you will need to specify required production rates. When doing so it is important that you differentiate between average rates and instantaneous (peak) rates. Your solution needs to be designed for both.
Where there are large surges in production followed by a lull, it is possible to average out the rate through use of an appropriate buffer. For fairly constant production rates you still need to consider that your current process might be completed over an 8 hr shift, minus lunch, breaks, and product changeover times.
2. Know how you want to control the system. The cost of an automated solution can vary greatly depending on what level of control you desire. To keep the costs down you can use the robot teach pendant to start and stop the system and make product selection changes, however this typically requires well trained operators to run the system.
To make it easier for your operators you can add pushbuttons to start and stop the system from a workstation, or you may desire full diagnostics and the ability to manually control components from a touch screen.
The ultimate solution may include interfacing to a SCADA system with remote monitoring back at your production office.
3. Find the right supplier that can deliver the best solution for your needs.
www.robotize.com.au has over 50 suppliers listed that offer robotic systems in Australia.
Consider:
• What is there expertise, have they completed similar projects in the past?
• Where are they located?
• Do you have a preferred brand of robot?
• Do you need a small company with low overheads where you deal directly with the owner, or
• A national systems provider with a large support network and many project managers and service people to guarantee support in any situation.
4. Consider the essential functions required – The way a process is completed manually often includes steps that are not required for an automated process. Also don’t overlook the simple things in your process that are not a core function. For example; do your operators check for leaking products as they pack them?
The systems functional requirements should be documented in a “Functional Specification”, which should be part of the tender package.
5. Do you have specific requirements for components? Does your company have a document that states what brand and what model components must be used? This might be important to minimize spare parts, and maintenance training costs. Typically you might specify what type of PLC, electrical components and pneumatic components you prefer.
Your robotic automation supplier might also have their own preference for these components, and often are able to offer better pricing if you go with their preferred brands.
6. Redundancy – does the system have a back up? Will this be a fully automatic back up or a manual contingency in the case of a breakdown? It may not make sense to invest big $$$ for a fully redundant system for non critical production. However a few hours of downtime every few months might justify the extra capital cost.
7. Ease of install – Consider the installation. Can the installation take place over a number of weeks without interrupting production or is it important that the robotic equipment is installed and running in just a few days? This will have an impact on the system design and cost.
8. Insist on a FAT. Most robotics integrators will conduct a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). This is your chance to look at the robotic system, make sure the key functions work correctly and ensure you are confident the solution will work before it is delivered to your factory. Changes are much easier and cheaper to make at FAT then after the equipment is installed in your factory.
9. Post project support – Does the supplier have adequate personnel to support your business on an ongoing basis. Do you need a technician on site to help out while you adjust to your new equipment, or do you need remote monitoring to reduce the time it takes for your supplier to respond to breakdowns?
10. KISS – Keep it simple. Try to get solutions that utilize standard equipment as much as possible, complicated solutions will inevitably lead to more project risk & greater maintenance headaches in the long run. Better utilization of robots and implementation of vision systems where practical can reduce complicated fixtures and tooling.
11. Have a concise well written specification before going out to tender. The clearer your documentation is the less chance that your expectations are different to what your supplier intends to deliver.
12. Agree on how the project will be signed off. The supplier should have a clear understanding of your expectations and how you intend on measuring their successful completion of the project.
The implementation of robotic automation when done correctly can reduce operating costs, improve quality, reduce waste, and help your company’s overall competitiveness. Finding the right supplier & getting the project scope right are the first steps to reaping the above rewards. We hope these points have been useful in planning your next big project.
If you would like further support on buying automation for your factory, call Wade Leslie at Robotize on 0411 349 211.
