ARE YOU READY FOR AUTOMATION?
Many manufacturing companies have decided to switch from manual to automated packaging machinery.
While the ROI of automation is undeniable and this decision may seem quite simple, you need to be aware of the following considerations, to make sure this transition goes smoothly and that you get the most out of it.
– As part of installing automated equipment, consider hiring new employees experienced in the care of robotic equipment. Even if you’ve provided your current employees with training, it’ll take time for them to learn to troubleshoot equipment they haven’t encountered before.
– Don’t underestimate the knowledge required to operate automated equipment. Yes, the equipment does a lot by itself, but employee training becomes more important than ever before when dealing with automation.
– With manual packaging, employees are being a big part of the production line. Once the line is automated, they’ll be there to ensure that equipment operates properly instead of doing the actual work themselves. Some employees may see this as a challenge and an opportunity to gain experience in a constantly evolving field.
– Automating your packaging line may expose you to challenging situations and require long training sessions. Your equipment supplier should be able to help you successfully navigate this transition. Search for the trustworthy supplier that will help you optimize your automated line.
– Develop a training plan that accommodates your employees’ learning curve. This plan will give you an idea of the length of time needed for training before your line reaches maximal efficiency.
– You need to consider the other steps in your line. If your team is not able to maintain the production rhythm because automated equipment is too fast for them, all your efforts to optimize the line will be lost.
– To optimize automated packaging, you’ll need to standardize as many elements of the line as possible. This includes plant humidity as well as product density and granularity, for example.
– Think about your current production capacity and goals before automating your packaging. Knowing what you want to achieve will guide the decisions to automate your processes.