Automation, it seems that word causes many to shudder when spoken. Much of that tends to come from bad information or bad experiences. The video below is what pops in my head when people hear automation and react.
We often get asked about tube finishing here. Tube is one of the materials that seems to be in every shop but no one notices. Some tasks with tube can be super simple and others can be a real pain in the butt. So to keep it short lets look at working with basic straight lengths and some bends.
One of the many labor intensive and problematic operations is dealing with welds. I want to talk a bit about what you can do to remove much of the stress from these operations. I cant cover every single aspect or give every detail here but I want to touch on some of the larger points.
So you looked into automation and are going to take the next step. You get some offers and talk to folks and now you need to make a choice. You have two quotes you like and the only real difference is one of them is "turn key" where the other is not. Turn key sounds like it will be much easier as they are responsible for nearly everything and I wont have to do as much. Well this is the common error many make with automation and I will try to explain why.
One of the common things I hear is "That is how we do it" and more so at older companies.
With so many facilities working with round tube, it seems that giving a little information on how to finish round tube would be helpful. There are all manner of ways people have come up with but there are safe and easy processes you may not know about. I am not going to go over every possible way but rather focus on the safe and simple.
When you look at machinery of any kind cost is always a factor. So how do you save money when you are looking at machinery? I would say its more about not wasting money versus saving money. There is a difference and I will try and explain my position.
The stroke sander is one of the machines that some may not have ever even seen before. Then there are some that will have seen one in the past but were not sure what it was for. Lets dip into what a stroke sander is and what its for. I will just touch the high points to give a general feel for the machine. Never hesitate to ask questions as its the best way to learn more.
One of the benefits of working with so many companies all over the globe is you get to see a lot. I have met some amazing folks and seen so many factories I could write a book. Some of those parts and machines are below. It may be you wondered how it was done or how others do a similar process.
Many times companies will ask about a machine they saw online and want to know some basic information. They get that basic information and head down the path of finding some version of that machine. They might look for a larger or smaller version or one that works with the power they have available. But what went wrong is they never asked if it was what they actually needed. When you go to buy things its not often you would get asked about your reasons for looking to buy something. If you went into a shoe store to buy a pair of white shoes that is what you are there for and no one is likely question you.
