In the age of AI, Industry 4.0 and Digital Transformation Technology, you could be excused for asking the question ‘what is factory automation?’, especially if you are a well-respected veteran of manufacturing and are receptive to adopting the changes and overtaking of technology.
Factory automation (or industrial automation) is ‘the connecting up of factory equipment to improve the efficiency and reliability of process control systems.’ This in turn leads to lower costs, improved quality, increased flexibility, higher volumes of output, maximised productivity, optimised capacity and less wasted time, money, resources and energy.
With the advancement of programmable technology, machines and full production lines can now be automated, reducing the need for multiple (or as many) operators. The talents of the surplus staff can be utilised elsewhere in the production process. This also caters to the shortages in labour that the sector has experienced, across the globe.
With the help of sensors and coded recipes, operations and actions of a machine, or row of them, can be made to automatically run, from loading at one end to off-loading at the other, at the touch of a button.
Some areas of manufacturing use robotics but they often cost a lot to develop, build and test before being installed. Our range of machines can all be adapted to be automated, as well as tailored to specific dimensions, speed, height and volume, to fit into a limited space, for example.
We offer a whole host of sewing, stitching, cutting, stamping and notching machines, for use in the preparation and build up of the mattress manufacturing process, which can also be used in the making of other upholstered products and components such as furniture, soft furnishings and fabric materials like curtains and flooring. Our slitting and material rolling/unrolling/unbaling machine also supports this industry.
Our options to layer multiple materials and components, with the incorporation of gluing and tamping/pressing machines, and the stuffing of layered or stand alone components (like foam blocks) and closing of seams can also be done by machines in our range.
Our conveyors enable manufacturers to move, turn, rotate, flip, manoeuvre, insect, stack and transport components for use or storage for later use, or finished products to be palletised for logistics, distribution or fulfillment. Again, these can be designed and made to tailored specifications to enable them to fit into tight or fill vast spaces in factories, taking into account the potential need to snake conveyor lines to make best us of the space available. We also have experience in the safe transportation of products down between levels of floors, with a conscious focus on health and safety and prevention of damage to products.
To explore how you could automate and streamline your own operations in production, take a look at our range of machines and conveyors along with some of the recent installation case studies.
