Automation Edmonton

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Automation And Quality Control (QC) Management

The continuous business improvement is no longer an option, but a requisite for survival in this era of ever-increasing competitiveness. Every progressive business puts a lot of effort into increasing market share, improving customer satisfaction, driving down production costs, and managing risk factors more effectively in order to benefit the bottom line.

Automating quality control processes is one of the ways to achieve these long-standing business objectives. Certifying quality within an organization is a critical business strategy. The hurdle, however, is that traditional quality management techniques do not meet the requirements of a demanding business environment.

Initial cost is probably the biggest factor that discourages manufacturers to invest in automation solutions. It might be costly in the short-run to adopt new QC technologies to improve the quality of products. However, implementation of modern technologies is essential to streamline every single production process in order to remain competitive and profitable. Automated quality control systems can help a business grow by reducing or eliminating costs associated with manual inspection.

Benefits of using QC in manufacturing

In a competitive environment, customers always demand and expect high-quality products. Manufacturers with a proper quality control system in place are less likely to deal with product recalls and customer dissatisfaction. This is why most of the companies today perform quality checks at almost every stage in the production process. Managing compliance is now a major aspect of running a successful business. By using quality control in manufacturing, a company will not only increase customer loyalty but also gain high return on investment.

Implementation of QC in manufacturing

 In order to integrate an effective quality control mechanism in the  manufacturing processes, conduct a thorough research to complete the following steps:

 ●       Defining quality standards for all products

●       Defining number of products that will be inspected

●       Developing appropriate QC methods

●       Training employees for QC management

●       Creating a communication channel to process data

●       Handling of rejected items

 Automated inspection controls

 Manual inspection is a slow process which involves chances of error. An automated system, on the other hand, can perform inspection with great precision and speed. It enables a company to set the standards and perform real-time tracking through vision cameras, sensors, and other automated QC devices.

 Industrial automation technology can help manufacturers improve quality by improving inspection and safety while increasing consistency and reducing bad parts. By creating greater workflow efficiency and saving money on wasted materials, automated QC systems boost bottom line and increase the overall efficiency of a working environment.  

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New Technologies: A Solution to Improve Profitable Growth

The quick pace of technological advancements explains clearly why manufacturers focus on getting innovative products to market. An insatiable drive for innovation creates a strain on companies and make them look constantly for new techniques to manufacture products. Taking this into account, how can you profitably satisfy your customers and grow your business?   The following discussion will help you understand how you can achieve profitable growth when incorporating new technologies into your new and existing products.

Your customers always want to gain an edge from the latest technological updates no matter your customers are individuals or businesses. As a manufacturer, the only solution you have is to add new methods of production as efficiently and as quickly as possible and ensure on-time delivery. Innovative and modern manufacturing techniques can be associated with lighter materials, energy-efficient designs, faster processors, more efficient software or hardware features, etc.

A robust product lifecycle management system will enable you to integrate manufacturing processes, supply chain, and procurement.  It will eventually lead to an increase in the efficiency of your business. Fundamentally, innovation means implementing something new to your business. It could be associated with:

Adding value to existing products and services in order to gain a competitive edge

Developing improved products and services to meet emerging consumer needs and requirements

Improving or replacing traditional business processes to materialize higher productivity and efficiency

Extending the functionality and quality of existing products

Before you invest in any technology, carry out a careful assessment to determine which industry-specific solutions are best suited to your business. From accounting and supply chain management to human resource and enterprise resource planning, you can find readily available and affordable manufacturing solutions. Every business has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. You need custom engineering and management solutions to meet your unique requirements. In order to achieve sustainable growth, a business must carefully examine its sense of purpose and make sure the organization serves it well. An inspiring purpose is all about: 

A strong engagement within a company and its stakeholders

Non-stop, pragmatic innovation

A consistent and constant sense of focus 

Automation is the single most significant factor that can help manufacturers meet their production and growth objectives. Automated machines, industrial robots, intelligent sensors and control systems, advanced quality control (QC) systems are few examples of innovative manufacturing techniques. If you want to build a scalable business, you have to understand how critical it is to build and implement efficient machines capable of operating intelligently and independently.  The right technology can dramatically improve how you manage your business. Consult a reputable manufacturing and engineering solution provider in order to eliminate complexities and inefficiencies from your production system and achieve profitable growth. 

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Industrial Processes And Emerging Technologies

Technology has been playing an incredible role in transforming the way industrial processes are performed. Whether it is a machine-to-machine communication or augmented reality, technology has been helping industries in every possible way to streamline and automate their work. Emerging technologies, like 3D printing, robots, algorithms, etc., have the power to completely transform the existing manufacturing processes. Or, in other words, modern technology has the potential to make our lives better. A rapid increase in the level of sophistication in technology has a strong impact on the workforce.

Robotics  

Robots are being increasingly used to perform all sorts of industrial tasks. The developed parts of the world have witnessed a sharp rise in the demand for automated machines and equipment. Approximately, there are more than 2 million robots in use and the number is expected to rise quickly in coming years.  Japan is leading the list of countries with the most number of robots. Recent years have witnessed a major decrease in the costs of automation and robotics.

Additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is an emerging technology that enables industries to manufacture three-dimensional objects. It is a process of building complex products by adding ultrathin layers of materials one by one. Currently, only selected items are being created out of a single material, for instance, medical implants and plastic prototypes. Comparing 3D industrial technology with that of traditional, additive manufacturing enables industries to manufacture new shapes without worrying about manufacturing limitations.

Autonomous technology

Autonomous technology, such as unmanned cars, is stretching the possibility of producing highly sophisticated industrial machines capable of performing the unthinkable. It has a great potential in making industrial processes seamlessly smooth with hardly any human intervention. Autonomous robots have already been deployed by a number of industries worldwide to perform quality control and inspection related tasks.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality is about the augmentation of the elements of physical world. By using handheld sensors, people can simulate various situations or, in other words, augmented reality enables us to create an illusion of reality. This technology can help engineers build incredible industrial solutions. One of the practical applications of this technology is the training of military recruits where they are tested with various virtual situations.

Conclusively speaking, new technologies are enabling engineers to develop intelligent machines that can perform multiple industrial tasks with great precision and speed. Companies need to invest in automation technology in order to maintain competitiveness and meet growing demand for innovation and modernity.

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A Short Introduction to Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)

The term programmable logic controller (PLC) refers to the industrial digital computers that are designed for controlling various manufacturing equipment such as industrial robots, escalators, power stations, and assembly lines. PLCs are used for production processes where dependable controls, flexible programming, and ease of troubleshooting is of immense importance.

The significance of PLCs increases in applications where precision with zero error is critical.  Initially, it was the automotive industry that utilized PLCs in order to replace cam timers and hard-wired relays. Now PLCs have become a vital part of industrial process control and factory automation.

Unlike personal computers, PLCs are capable of performing in harsh industrial environments where temperature, humidity, dust, mechanical shocks and other hazards are prevalent. Manufacturers need a variety of equipment in order to produce a product and make it work for the end users.

All the equipment or devices working on producing something in a facility needs to be organized in terms of time intervals. For instance, in the automobile industry, one device or a set of devices works on painting car exterior and the other machine works on engine parts. One of the functions of an industrial digital computer is to set the specific time frame for machines so that all the processes can be performed in a perfectly harmonious manner.

PLCs were introduced in the 1960s and before that, manufacturers relied on cam timers, relays and other similar kinds of devices to streamline their manufacturing processes. PLCs control a wide range of applications from small production systems to large processing plants. Some of the advantages of PLCs include:

●       Ease of maintenance and installation

●       Accuracy and dependability

●       Cost-effectiveness

●       Low power consumption

●       Higher flexibility and integration

Central Processing Unit (CPU), memory, and input & outputs are the three fundamental component of an industrial digital computer. Like in the personal computer, CPU plays the part of a brain in PLCs as it performs all the communication, arithmetic, logical and memory related operations.  The memory component in PLCs operates almost the same way as that of personal computers.

As mentioned earlier, the ability to perform effectively for years in harsh industrial environments is what makes PLCs different from personal computers. A PLC has to be flexible and configurable. The 21st Century process control expects functional flexibility, superior performance, and a smaller form factor from a PLC.

The rapid development in the industrial automation technology has made it possible for manufacturers to produce high-quality products cost-effectively and at large scales. Powerful industrial computers, robots, sensors, intelligent and automated devices are the present and the future of modern industries. It would be hard for industries to stay competitive in future without embracing the modern industrial technologies.