Enhancing Lean Manufacturing Environments with Industrial Robotics

In a fast-moving and highly globalised marketplace, competition for a bigger slice of the economic pie is fierce among manufacturing companies, all of whom are hard-pressed to get that extra little bit of value from their work environments in an effort to stay ahead of the game. In an industry where 1% extra can make all the difference, so-called lean manufacturing environments are an ever-evolving goal on the factory floor.

So just what do we mean by “lean”? Lean manufacturing refers to a business model and a set of tactical strategies that are designed to reduce waste from industrial processes. Just as fat is trimmed from lean meat, time wastage, production bottlenecks, faulty workflows and other barriers to ultimate efficiency are trimmed from the workspace in a lean environment.

But there is another barrier that seemed all but insurmountable until the advent of the robotic workforce – human workers do have their limits. Of course, it would be wonderful for business if people could work 24 hours a day at full speed to make the best use of all manufacturing costs, but what workforce would agree to take on that workload? Which employee never gets sick, never requires an increase, doesn’t take coffee breaks, and doesn’t get tired? 

Any human worker will tell you that as pressure and speed increase, work conditions deteriorate. And Any employer will tell you that such pressure also causes a high degree of employee turnover – only adding to the costs of hiring new candidates to replace them. 

Here’s how robots in lean working environments can add so much value that they are rapidly becoming a core component in manufacturing operations around the world.

Speed

Moving heavy weights, performing detailed work like welding and painting, and even packing and palletising are where industrial robots really shine. Any repeatable and predictable task can be performed faster and to a high degree of quality by a well-programmed robotic worker. Robots can be programmed to work at various speeds depending on the output requirements of the facility. Robots can be programmed to work almost non-stop with little human oversight, maintaining high production rates long after the day shift has knocked off. Thanks to today’s advanced vision systems, even more detailed and delicate work, such as packaging and pick-and-place jobs, can be performed through robotic automation.

Space

Rent, electricity, and other business expenses are inextricably linked to the size of your production facility – and in a lean environment, every tool available is used to reduce these manufacturing costs and lower operating expenses. Floor space is a monthly expense, and being able to do more with less is central to success. Including robots to perform some of the repeatable tasks on the factory floor is a great way to save on space as well as labour costs. Robots can replace bulky conveyor belts and make the most of unused floor space to improve the use of every square metre and ensure every spot in the factory is being utilised to the fullest.

Improved Quality

Even the most skilled and experienced worker is not able to repeat their job with exactly the same quality and uniformity. Fatigue and loss of focus can lead to variable quality in work, which can be bad for business or downright dangerous depending on the item being worked on. Robotic workers suffer from no such variability. Once programmed to paint an object, load a pallet, or weld a joint, it’s easy to have these robots performing the same tasks with exactly the same quality output day in and day out. 

The Bottom Line

Lean manufacturing doesn’t happen overnight – it’s an iterative process that is unique to every factory environment. Each business will have its own priorities to meet, whether that is speed improvement, cost reduction, or better use of resources. The good news is that robots are available in so many variations these days that almost any facility can achieve these goals through the addition of robotic workers. 

Staying competitive means becoming lean, and being lean means eliminating wasted time and resources as you gradually watch profitability rise. Just as the assembly line revolutionised production in the 2nd Industrial Revolution, the promise of AI and robotics is set to revolutionise the 4th. 

Contact Yaskawa for more information!