In this opinion piece, David McStrafick general manager of sheet metal manufacturers Salamander Fabrications writes about how his sector can't live without automation.
Initially, it will typically be how highly skilled people are the real brains behind manufacturing machinery. After all, it’s their innovations that have enabled technology to advance at the rate it has. And that’s certainly the case. However, there is becoming more of a need to ensure that modern-day sheet metal firms’ workshops and factory floors are aligned with digital developments. And that means ensuring those designing these machines understand exactly how they can drive forward an industry such as the sheet metal sector.
Automation meets a massive demand from both customers and the industry’s workforces because items are now having to be produced quickly, on a vast scale – and all to a high-quality spec.
As more products are being built on a global scale – and customer expectations continue to soar – speed and efficiency are at a premium for highly skilled engineers, welders and manufacturers. So, they must understand how to utilise technology to make the necessary impact effectively.
So, what does all this mean? Operating advanced machinery to create designs in seconds, and cutting sheets of metal significantly faster than a human can, are two things. Excelling when completing a high volume of design deadlines to deliver a quality product – no matter the size of the order is another.
From the initial drawings to the creation of a final product, a modern-day manufacturer’s factory must be willing to invest heavily in revolutionary machinery that truly sets them apart from competitors – and always keeps the expectations of the end-user at the forefront.
The benefits of utilising advanced technology
For smart sheet metal manufacturers, it can be commercially advantageous to bring in systems that, together, provide a fully integrated approach to ensure the entire completion of each task.
For example, Radan’s CAD CAM software system – which combines applications for punching, profiling, bending and designing metal – working together with Radan’s E2i intelligence allows factories to enjoy a smarter way to stock take, quote and invoice for projects.
In addition, storing statutory requirements to check machinery and daily internal auditing processes are all streamlined thanks to the advent of tech.
From a product point of view, the latest software can interpret data to create a flat format of a 3D shape in a fraction of the time it would take a more manual process to achieve. As well as the speed, it helps to free up an employee’s time – so they’re not laboured with manually intensive jobs that a smart tool can do, but instead prioritising projects that require that all-important human touch.
Going into a fully automated warehouse system further enables a workforce to monitor a firm’s storage – for example, how many sheets it has remaining, enabling critical stock control.
Additionally, businesses will be able to maintain precision via quality via a Bystronic laser cutter, and welders can avoid repetitive, high volume tasks because modern robots can always be ‘on’, and their work is consistently accurate. Painters are also given the knowledge to use a fully automated Gema powder coating system that automatically sprays components and provides an efficient, streamlined process throughout.
Alongside the efficiency, commercial advantage and competitive edge smart machinery can provide, it should also go a long way towards promoting a sheet metal fabricating workshop that’s motivated and happy because employees are focusing on the jobs they want to do, rather than have to.
With automation, organisations possess the power for its management to monitor all processes, even if they’re not on the factory floor, and tap into a 24/7 service that encourages a modernised approach to manufacturing – allowing businesses to stay ahead of the curve and remain relevant in a saturated marketplace.