The pros and cons of engineering automation
Engineering Automation has been supporting manufacturing companies in drastically cutting down the time that goes into preparing sales quotations, drafting, engineering, and manufacturing.
Technology has brought about a sea change in the way manufacturing was done over the past 20 years. People would initially manufacture and fabricate manually. Now, with the penetration of computers and technology into various industries, manufacturers are fast adopting automation. They are rapidly getting aware of the competitive advantage automation can bring to their operations. Automation has helped manufacturers achieve massive production at astonishing pace and with the same quality and repeatability.
Companies that provide engineering automation services have a proven record of their clients’ raised competence in more than one ways. It aids them in responding to customer queries much faster and brings several other advantages such as the following.
-        Lesser production time: An automated machine has instructions already fed to it, so it goes on with its production following the exact instructions. This leaves no room for errors. Its accuracy is far better than manual work by an employee, however seasoned he is. When a function is automated, it doesn’t stop to think, as it is programmed to perform a task repeatedly. Automation thus ensures better repeatability and saves a lot of time.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Minimizing errors: Every human being is prone to making mistakes, because his thoughts and actions are affected by the changing conditions. But a machine repeatedly performs what it is taught, and without errors.
-        Least dependence on employees: This is one of the biggest advantages of engineering automation. A company will require lesser number of employees if it has automated machines. There won’t be people required for monitoring at various levels. Lesser staff also means lesser number of salaries; also financial savings in the form of employee benefits and perks.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Safer environment: Automated work exposes lesser employees to the gigantic and dangerous machines creating a safer work environment.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Massive production: A company that invests in automated equipment is on its way to build up a valuable resource that will help in large production volumes. And that means increased profitability.
Engineering automation has become a major factor in determining a company’s ability to have an edge in the manufacturing industry. It has been continually setting standards for the industry. However, there are some negatives too. Look at these points.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rigidity: When a company has more machines and lesser men performing tasks for it, it loses on the flexibility and variety that a human being can bring.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Pollutiong: Machines use different gases and chemicals to operate and also release a lot of toxic waste causing pollution in and around workplace.
-        Heavy investment: Automated machines are the most expensive ones. If a company decides to use them, it needs a plan a huge initial budget to buy and create a system to keep them operational. Various types and degrees of automation require costs varying from thousands to millions of dollars. At the same time, machines can sometimes lead to the most unpredictable costs. And these sudden costs – such as R&D, maintenance, operation training -- might be higher than even the costs earned by automation.
-Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Augments unemployment: Engineering automation calls for lesser number of employees, pushing up unemployment rates.
Engineering design today faces a lot of challenges, one of them being the pressure of high costs. To share the risks that large scale projects bring, engineering and procurement companies (EPCs) often strike partnerships with other EPCs. Engineering automation comes as a huge relief for such EPCs, especially when they have to sustain in such a competitive environment.