The decision to invest in automated manufacturing is a big one that needs a lot of consideration. With our clients, we sit down and establish if automation is what their business needs and put together a plan with costings.

Here are some of the key considerations to help you decide if automated manufacturing is the right move for your business.

Do you have a lot of dangerous or repetitive processes?

Automation is incredibly well-suited to manufacturing when there’s repetitive processing involved. Where human workers may become bored, or make mistakes, automation frees up that worker to concentrate on more challenging and interesting tasks that add more value to your business and increase your worker’s job satisfaction.

Automated manufacturing is also perfect for replacing human workers on potentially dangerous tasks. Why take a risk on safety at all, when that process can be automated?

One of our clients successfully automated their repetitive precision cutting process, with the new machines producing the equivalent of one pen nib each second.

Is quality an issue?

Are you experiencing a high degree of variability with a manual manufacturing process? Human workers are capable of producing high quality, but inevitably there will be some margin of error. If you’re subject to stringent quality controls, this can lead to waste that could be avoided by automating your manufacturing process.

In the medical device industry, for example, manufacturers are subject to strict guidelines, and human error can become a real issue. Automation can eliminate that concern by removing the risk of human error and allowing for highly sophisticated programming to meet all the necessary regulatory and safety requirements.

Are you producing large volumes?

When you’re manufacturing large volumes, speed and precision are crucial and those are two elements that automation can really help with.

We’ve worked with many clients, including ITW Imagedata to help them reduce their manufacturing costs via automation of their highest volume products. Working alongside their in-house team, we were able to implement a solution for high volume processes that fit in perfectly with their existing workflows.

Is automated manufacturing more cost-effective?

After the initial investment, automation can reduce your operating costs by increasing output and productivity.

However, it’s important to work out your initial cost justification. Establish pay back periods to build a picture of what you can afford to spend, and make sure your automation partner is willing to work closely with you to identify your unique requirements and provide full costings.

Could your business benefit from investing in automated manufacturing?

Here at Innomech, we work closely with our clients to help them make the right decision. If your business is the right fit, we then move on to providing you with an efficient automated manufacturing system so that you can divert your attention where it is needed the most – growing your business.

For more information on how we can improve your services, contact us here.