Global competition is tough!  Once we truly understand and accept this, we can deal with it.  Many manufacturing companies are finding ways to compete on U.S. soil by reducing the labor content in their machining operations.  They are turning to automation.

Every manufacturer in the world has access to the same sophisticated, high tech machine tools.  The direction for most machine tool manufacturers is to build machines that process the part complete in one set-up.  This eliminates all the handling and inefficiencies related to manufacturing a part. What is still missing in this impressive "picture of productivity" are all of the processes before and after the machine tools machine the part (deburring, marking, cleaning, grinding, inspection, packaging) that still require labor.

Most American manufacturers rely on an operator to push the cycle start button before any production can start.  We manufacture the part fast, only to have it slowed or even stopped at the next bottleneck (like deburring).  Then many are bold enough to think they’re efficient because they run 6,000 hours a year in three shifts.  The problem is that there are 8,760 hours in a year!  That means American manufacturing is utilizing only 68% of the available hours.  Why are we throwing away 32% of our available time to earn a profit?  Is this American manufacturing’s destiny?  I believe, no, if we are going to survive as U.S. manufacturing companies.

If you believe you got it right, ask these questions:

• Are our parts being processed from raw material to finished product ready for shipment?
• Are we utilizing all of the 8,760 hours in a year?
• Is our efficiency above 95 percent?
• Have we eliminated all secondary processing and handling?
• Is quality measured on every part we make?
• Is our operation process driven versus operator driven?
• Are we so efficient that we can compete anywhere in the world?

Answers to the above questions need to be a big “YES” if you expect to be manufacturing in the future.  If you answered “NO” to any of the above questions you are probably in the crosshairs of the global competitor.  It’s only a matter of time before they pull the trigger on your market.

Automation is no longer a means to just run volume; it is an every day process that can be applied to almost every quantity and aspect of manufacturing.  It takes more than just sliding a robot in front of a machine. True automation takes a proven system to encompass all operations which utilize the robot for more than just loading/unloading the machine tool.  Interface Innovations has developed a pre-engineered robotic system to do just that with the Productivity Platform.  The Productivity Platform is a single cell with the ability to service either one, two or three machine tools and have the flexibility to include all secondary operations to get parts from raw material to finished part ready for shipment.  These optional operations include but are not limited to part marking, deburring, cleaning, coating and inspection.

Is automation complicated and not for everyone?  Absolutely not at all!  Automation does not have to be an expensive custom engineered and built cell.  Interface Innovations, Inc. has developed a “standard solution” that is pre-engineered and delivered in weeks, not months.  Included with the Productivity Platform package is an automation turnkey for one of your parts, Motoman robot, conveyor system, one robot tool change and an Ethernet system that is pre-wired for easy add on accessories.  The system can be shipped in two weeks and installed in two days. The only engineering required is the design of your part holding and handling, which is included in our competitive price.

The Productivity Platform can service up to three machine tools and is available in eleven robot sizes from 6 kg to 500 kg weight capacities.  We offer three platform sizes (7’ x 7’, 7’ x 9’, and 12’ x 12’) and three choices for in and out conveyance of material.

Please visit us at www.interfaceinnovations.com and click on “Productivity Platform"!