Keeping costs down is important for manufacturing businesses, and we know this all too well as spring manufacturers. A great way to achieve this is by investing in automation, which can take many forms.
Perhaps you’re looking to install an automatic assembly machine or buy CNC equipment to create wire forms and springs – automation takes many forms, but one thing they have in common is the benefits it offers.
Many companies are already thinking of investing in automation. In 2021, it’s estimated that around £7.7 billion will be used for intelligent process automation worldwide, while investment in artificial intelligence might see a boost of about £2.8 billion.
Help Get the Best of Your Employees
An automated system can handle boring, repetitive and even dangerous tasks without humans, from handling data entry and reporting to assembling a product, for example.
So, when you automate certain processes, your human employees have the chance to focus on other parts of the business that require problem-solving or strategic development, for example. Investing in staff can be expensive, so you want to make sure that you’re getting the most from them.
Make Fewer Mistakes
There’s no denying that mistakes in the manufacturing process can be expensive, so the more you can reduce them, the more money you can save. Manual processes are always vulnerable to human error, especially if staff are having a bad day, have an increased workload, less time to perform a specific task, etc.
However, machines will perform the same action repeatedly without getting tired or distracted and with little to no mistakes. You just need to program them to do a particular task, and they’ll do it as many times as needed.
Increase Quality
But it’s not just the fact that automation leads to fewer mistakes; part of why it’s so important for companies is that it helps to increase the quality of the products because it standardises the processes. All products look exactly the same.
This consistency means you’re not wasting time and money trying to get products right – or trying to find out where they went wrong – so you can make huge savings with automation.
Have a Faster Output
No matter how fast staff are, machines can work at the same speed for hours without stopping since they don’t need to rest. Many pieces of equipment don’t even need to have constant supervision, as they can work without issues for a long period of time.
For example, our CNC equipment can produce thousands of springs and wire forms an hour, something that would be impossible otherwise.
By manufacturing more products every day, you can boost your overall output and get your products to market a lot faster.
Make Better Informed Decisions
When you’re running a business, making the right decisions can be the difference between success and a costly problem on your hands. Automation gives you all the data you need and more. You’re able to collect and analyse data quickly, which allows you to make changes to processes or make decisions that impact the whole company.
You can also predict machine failures, for instance. You can organise production around this, so you don’t have to halt it completely. This will save you money because you’re not dealing with a shutdown or even products with mistakes due to equipment malfunction.
Make the Most of Your Business
As we’ve seen with the pandemic, companies that invested in automation were able to keep up production – and, in cases, even increase it – because it allowed them to carry on working even with limited personnel, time and money.
With automation, you can continue to provide products and services to your customers, so you’re not losing out on profit, and it lets you fulfil big orders even when you don’t have a lot of staff.
Automation also benefits the economy. According to the PwC, the global GDP can be boosted by £12.4 trillion by 2030 just from investing in AI, leading to more jobs.
Ensure Health and Safety
Machines don’t get hurt or tired, so they don’t suffer from repetitive strain injuries or anything like that. There’s only so many manual tasks your staff can do before fatigue sets in, while robots and other machines can technically keep going forever.
Keeping your workforce healthy and safe should be a priority, so certain tasks can be delegated to machines instead, ensuring a consistent production no matter what.
Airedale Springs and Automation
Automation exists in many different forms, configurable to your specific needs, so you can invest in what is best for your company.
We use many CNC coilers and CNC wire formers at Airedale Springs. They allow us to work quickly and without mistakes, so we can create your products promptly and to your exact specifications.
They help us meet our clients’ demands, whether for larger orders or for small springs that start at 0.5mm in diameter. We can manufacture a wide range of products, so browse our website to learn more or speak to us if you’d like to discuss your project.