Automation is key to appliance manufacturers looking to overcome challenges linked to increased manufacturing complexity caused by shorter product cycles and greater product variance. In a tough and highly competitive global market, managing complexity in an efficient way offers appliance manufacturers means to achieve long-term customer and financial success.
Competitive global markets, short product cycles driven by a never-ending demand for new models and products. Fluctuating and difficult to predict global and local market conditions and growing environmental concerns where sustainable manufacturing is a requirement from governments and costumers.
It is apparent that the business of manufacturing appliances is a tough one. Managing this array of branch unique challenges requires innovation, agility, smarter new products, and sustainable production development. But when achieved, the productivity and profitability rewards can be significant. For those appliance manufacturers who can get all this right, the sky is the limit.
The promise of automated processes in appliance manufacturing
Automation is a key trend in modern appliance manufacturing offering improved assembly line control, quality, and operator ergonomics. Improvements that in turn result in better ROI and profitability. It is a way of getting manufacturing quality right from the very start and throughout the production process.
By introducing proven modular and standardized solutions and platforms, automation addresses challenges related to a growing appliance manufacturing complexity and pressed margins. This higher level of complexity is driven by increased mixed production and product variances but also the need to increase the production rate due to pressed margins. Factors that also are accompanied by an increased risk of human error that can lead to rework and recalls.
Automation drives a more scalable and flexible manufacturing process that increases output, productivity and shortens the time to adapt to product mix changes. All while supporting a more sustainable and safer ergonomic workplace for operators.
Modern automation in manufacturing can be implemented on all levels in the manufacturing process and combines the best of two worlds, the robotic and the human. It is however not only traditional fixture solutions, such as industrial robots, but also software that can help automate production.
The fundamental basic value of a robot lies in its repeatability and reliability, whereas the value of a human operator lies in the ability to adapt to changing requirements and conditions. Taking automation and the interaction between humans and robots a step further, collaborative robots, or cobots, are developed to work alongside humans in production environments. The result is not only the automation of assembly processes, but also the empowerment of the operator.
To learn more about our products and solutions for appliance manufacturers and how we can help automate your processes, get in touch with us today!