by Emily Newton
With more facilities becoming highly efficient and scalable, many decision-makers want to optimize stamping automation production lines to further realize the potential gains. Although they must take individualized approaches for the best results, following well-established practices and tips helps them capitalize on the benefits regardless of their more specific goals. What are some of the best ways to proceed, and what makes them stand out for driving results?
Simulate Workflows Before Committing to Changes
Executives involved in high-volume metal stamping may envision specific process changes that seem beneficial in their imagination but are less valuable in reality. This occurs because most people cannot account for all the potential variables that may affect the results.
Vendors address that shortcoming by offering specialized simulation tools that allow people to see the effects of particular changes before implementing them. Doing so in a controlled environment provides them with more freedom to test various possibilities before selecting one or more to enhance automation in a stamping line.
One simulation software provider for metal stamping applications enables users to consider specifics such as the distribution and maximum pressure of press forces or how effectively a press closes the associated tools to keep production flowing smoothly.
People interacting with the software can also make numerous adjustments to achieve the expected surface quality, allowing them to optimize processes within the platform before applying them to daily production workflows. That flexibility increases leaders’ confidence, especially when they must consider whether now is the best time to invest in new automated machinery or continue to maximize output with the available equipment.
Optimize Stamping Automation Production Lines With Training
Even once stamping operations become heavily automated, many companies still require employees to supervise equipment and intervene if problems develop. Providing these workers with extensive training improves outcomes by helping them know how to react during certain situations. A workforce that possesses that knowledge can act faster and more competently due to its previous preparedness measures.
Virtual reality training can be an excellent way to develop new skills with highly interactive methods. Although many companies still use alternatives such as online modules, virtual reality content can often reflect location-related details, including the placement of equipment within a factory and the specific models used. Those realistic elements provide learners with skills they can apply immediately. Research also shows that people retain up to 80% of knowledge about complex tasks learned through VR, compared to 20% through other methods.
Regardless of the educational techniques used, training administrators should remain mindful that many manufacturing workers lack offices or other private areas where they can complete training. A temporary space for people to learn with minimal disturbances may need to be created.
Coordinators should also request feedback from workers to hear about which aspects of the automated stamping process caused the most confusion or uncertainty. Their answers may reveal the best areas to target as companies increase automation investments.
Maximize High-Volume Stamping With Continuous Improvement
Some decision-makers initially believe that automation equipment can overcome systemic process issues. Although high-tech equipment may reduce some known problems, leaders will get the best results by exploring how ongoing progress optimizes the return on investment.
One popular and proven approach involves continually improving standard processes and quality objectives to elevate customer satisfaction. Executives can also increase accountability throughout manufacturing plants by encouraging employees to consider how quality affects every stage, from the procurement of raw materials to the distribution of products to customers.
Leaders should also strongly consider using data analytics tools to establish a baseline for optimizing stamping automation production lines. This approach enables them to discover what the company already does well while highlighting the weaknesses. Tackling the shortcomings with automation may provide employees with more opportunities to work on tasks that fall outside the current technological capabilities.
Manual or error-prone processes are typically among the best candidates for automation. However, those scrutinizing the workflows should also evaluate how specific machine settings could improve or detract from the outcomes. For example, most manufacturing leaders considering how to reduce waste may ponder what to do with scrap metal. They should realize how waste manifests as unproductive seconds, such as the time employees spend waiting for a robot to complete a task that requires a manual step afterward.
Plan Strategic Equipment Replacements
Manufacturing professionals with budgetary authority cannot always afford to replace all nonautomated equipment with automated versions. The next best approach is to assess assets that will need replacement soon and prioritize associated automation investments when possible. Companies can then optimize expenditures while gradually becoming more future-proof.
In one example, leaders from a contract manufacturer of metal stamping and assemblies became interested in better ways to manufacture brake spiders, which are safety-critical components of drum brake systems. They reached that point once the existing process required seven skilled employees to assemble, inspect and package the component. Aging equipment and an ongoing challenge of hiring and retaining workers complicated things.
They hired a system integrator company with a reputation for a strong background in automation. Representatives analyzed all current processes before developing ideas of how to automate them. They eventually came up with an end-to-end approach featuring a semi-automatic system that required two skilled workers to load parts and robots to move those between each station. Using it takes only 20 seconds from the first step to the last.
Leaders still recognize that they must invest in the employees’ technical skills to maximize technological utilization. Even so, they appreciate the additional flexibility that allows them to use the other five employees elsewhere in the plant.
Prioritize High-Volume Metal Stamping
Decision-makers may find it initially challenging to determine what to automate within their metal stamping lines. However, it’s in their best interest to do so. Applying best practices to those associated with the highest product volume unlocks new scalability and provides relevant companies with opportunities to please current clients while attracting new ones. This enables companies to get the most value from their processes and continue innovating for the future.
