The manufacturing workforce is evolving, especially at the level of small and medium-sized companies. The melding of new automation tools with a more highly trained staff has become essential to achieving a competitive edge. With these advancements, manufacturing in the USA is not just surviving, it's thriving.
Below are three videos that feature a round table discussion involving engineers at PBC Linear. Hear what these industry insiders have to say about collaborative robots in manufacturing, augmented reality training, and the advantages of automated storage and retrieval systems from our innovative Applied Cobotics brand.
During past job fairs, we have witnessed a lack of interest in manufacturing booths because of the stigma of dirty, direct labor. Now at our booths, when they see a 3D printer on the table or a robot arm moving, that stigma is turning into esteem.
Our workforce has changed dramatically over the last few years. Initially, the factory floor at PBC Linear consisted of a group of machine tenders and operators focused on specific machines, trying to keep up with production schedules. There wasn’t much time for cross-training new hires.
More recently, PBC Linear has been integrating new tools like augmented reality, cobots, and the innovative ASRS into their manufacturing processes. These tools have allowed machinists to get production up and running more quickly and efficiently, and get quality sign-offs. Most importantly, we are now able to devote time and training resources in other areas of production while concurrently setting our cobots and ASRS automation tools in motion.
Together with AR training, the team of cobots and ASRS are empowering workers to engage in multiple projects, playing the role of a manager of three or four machines. This sense of ownership and expanded knowledge leads to a more rewarding work environment, making it easier to hire and retain workers.
The Augmented Reality (AR) training process is revolutionary. We start by taking videos, pictures, or interviews with veteran machinists. We then author in that content and upload it to an augmented reality headset. A trainee can now put on the headset and run a machine as if an experienced operator were standing right there with them.
The Covid crisis left our shop depleted of personnel, and unable to attract new hires. This labor shortfall forced us to create a plan to keep up with productivity. Out of this chaos came the idea of the ASRS. Simply put, this machine would keep feeding parts to the cobots, and potentially keep our production running overnight. In addition, machine operators could now run three or four machines at once. This tool substantially increased productivity without increasing our workforce.
When we began the automation process, our machine operators were concerned that their jobs were going to be replaced. That thinking runs contrary to what we know: that factory workers are irreplaceable. Instead of eliminating jobs, these automation tools increased worker efficiency and their employment value.
Augmented Reality (AR) has been implemented into our workforce training methods. Since many of our skilled machinists are over the age of forty-five, there was an urgency to capture their knowledge and preserve it in its entirety. Now, new hires can consistently benefit from that instruction. Augmented reality was key to solving that problem.
Consider the machines on the factory floor. Those pieces of capital are paid for, but will only make money if the spindle is running. Every hour the ASRS is loading parts into that machine, the more the company benefits. Productivity has increased substantially, growing by a third without needing to rely on additional head count.
PBC Linear has about 80 CNC machines at their manufacturing facility. Most of the type of work spent on those machines is pick-and-place type of material handling. Traditionally, this type of process included a worker picking up parts from a bin and then loading them into the machine. Once completed, they were placed back in a finished area.
Most cobots in our shop fulfill this type of task. On average, a cobot may run for thirty minutes to an hour with a single tray of parts. Our Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) allows the cobot to cycle through up to 17 trays. Without an ASRS, the cobot will sit idle until trays are restocked. This potential for lights-out automation is the biggest benefit of the ASRS.
Using our Online Calculator, it's easy to see how quickly the ASRS and cobot can pay for themselves. Just punch in your current productivity and costs, and the number of shifts to find your sweet spot for automation success.
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