What Is The Difference Between Automation And Robotics?

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Granta

Automation-or-Robotics--

This is a question that is regularly asked by those looking to introduce some form of automation into their production process.

The answer to this question is ‘robotics is a form of automation, so there is no difference.’ But then the question becomes; do I need robotics or do I need some other form of automation?

Let’s look at the different applications…

 

Robotics

Robotics consists of a branch of technology that predominantly deals with the design, construction and operation of robots. An industrial robot is typically a standard machine controlled by an internal or external computer that is able to carry out a complex series of movements automatically. There are a wide range of robots available; from basic robot arms through to completely autonomous vehicle mounted robots.  Robots are often equipped with audio, visual and tactile sensors.  Whilst a standard robot usually follows a pre-determined program, collaborative robots have force sensing built in and as a result are able to follow a person’s movements and work collaboratively with them.

Robots today perform a variety of jobs within factories such as:

  • Palletising
  • Parts assembly
  • Painting
  • Welding
  • Machine tool tending
  • Material handling
  • Pick and place
  • CNC milling

Robots are also often used to substitute humans in dangerous environments including hazardous areas environments, high temperature environments, radioactive environments and areas where there are harmful vapours and gasses.

The main advantage of robots is their adaptability and flexibility.  They are also a known component when designing an automated system with mixed products/requirements. They can also be a very cheap way to automate multiple tasks with a lot of variables that would otherwise need a very specialist bespoke automated system.

 

Automation

There are two main types of automation; software automation and industrial automation.  Software automation performs computer based tasks that would otherwise be performed by a human, whereas industrial automation performs physical activities that would otherwise be done by a human.

Bespoke automation is the term typically used where there is a stable and predictable production processes that needs specialist automation designed specifically to perform that process.

Processes where bespoke automation is often used includes;

  • Quality control inspection
  • Liquid filling
  • Parts sorting
  • Box erection and sealing
  • Box filling
  • Repetitive tasks with few variables
  • Production monitoring
  • Product and carton labelling
  • Safety improvements

The main advantage of bespoke automation is that it can be tailored exactly to a process in the most efficient way. This can often result in faster production speeds, and more effective solutions for repeat tasks with little variation in products or requirements.

 

Robotics or Bespoke Automation – Which do I need?

Now you understand more about robotics and automation, but you may still be wondering which you need! Maybe you need both? This depends entirely on the process you are wishing to automate. Robotics or bespoke automation may be used, but as they are both developed in different ways, it may often be necessary to use both to enable the optimum automation solution to be created.

To summarise, the main difference between robotics and automation is that robots are a piece of equipment that can perform a variety of tasks with programming, whilst bespoke automation is a term that is used for special purpose machines or systems that are designed to perform a specific task.

But in short Robotics are just one of many methods of Automation!

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3 Ways To Reduce Manufacturing Costs

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Granta

3-Ways-to-reduce-manufacturing-costs

If you’re a Factory or Manufacturing Manager, then you will know just how important it is to Reduce Manufacturing Costs to enable you to Boost the Profitability of Your Company.

You will no doubt be very familiar with the usual methods of reducing manufacturing costs such as;

  • Buying cheaper to reduce raw material costs
  • Making cuts to lower overhead expenses
  • Increasing efficiency in your production process to increase throughput

Whilst these are all good starting points for reducing your manufacturing costs, there are also other, perhaps more hidden ways that costs can be reduced.  One of these methods is investment in the right type of automation.

Below, we’ve explored three different ways that automation can be used to reduce manufacturing costs.

 

  1. Bespoke Automation

The problem often experienced by manufactures is that standard machinery doesn’t always meet their specific requirements.  Standard machinery often only performs some, not all of the tasks needed, resulting in multiple machines having to be used. This then increases the production time required and manufacturing costs as parts have to be transferred between machines for different processes.

This is where bespoke automation can be used to reduce your manufacturing costs.  A bespoke automation solution that is tailor made to suit your requirements can be designed to perform multiple functions with one machine. Bespoke machinery therefore reduces the need to transfer parts between machines, improves production speeds and reduces wasted time and costs.
 

  1. Production Monitoring and Data Logging Systems

Production monitoring and data logging systems are rapidly becoming recognised around the world for their vast benefits, such as:

  • Reduced downtime – downtime can have a negative effect on your productivity and therefore your manufacturing costs. By having instant fault reporting from production monitoring you decrease your downtime, ensuring your factory is working efficiently all of the time.
  • Accurate efficiency monitoring – Decreased efficiency leads to lower production levels and higher costs. By keeping a close eye on your factory’s efficiency, you can quickly see areas within your production process that are bottlenecks and not producing as efficiently as they should be. This then enables you to make the necessary changes to your process to increase efficiency and thereby reduce costs.
  • Increased accuracy/repeatability of products – this is essential for busy manufacturing businesses who are looking to produce large amounts of identical products. Less defects means less quality control issues which in turn reduces manufacturing costs.

By keeping your manufacturing processes efficient and accurate, you can lower your production costs whilst boosting productivity. The data provided by production monitoring and data logging systems gives you the necessary information to enable you as a manager to improve the performance of your factory.  By making improvements, you are then able to drive further growth.

 

  1. Vision and Inspection Systems

Vision and inspection systems are part of an ever-evolving technology. Tasks that were once impossible to automate can now be highly automated. Not only that, but production speeds can be dramatically increased.  Vision inspection systems are able to quality check products at high speeds which means that there is no need to stop your production process to carry out quality control checks.  This then increases throughput and reduces manufacturing costs.  Some other key benefits of vision inspection systems are:

  • They are a very cost-effective way of implementing quality assurance and control
  • They are able to work at very high speeds and with stringent accuracy requirements
  • Vision inspection is a very simple way to boost the competitive edge of your company to drive further growth

 

Whilst these are the three more common ways automation can be used to reduce your manufacturing costs, it is by no means limited to this.  Automation enables you to remove the ‘hidden’ manufacturing costs such as product recalls, idle machine time, high labour costs, and wasted time in product transfers.  As production processes are so varied there may be other types of automation that are more appropriate to you. Robotic palletising is also another way of reducing your manufacturing costs.

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What Impact Does Automation Have On The Working Environment?

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Granta

What-impact-does-automation-have-on-the-working-environmentWith some of the first forms of automation going back a few hundred years now, we’ve seen technology and automation evolve and change the way people work for decades. Think back to the days of scythes; we now think nothing of Combines, but where would we be if we were still reaping with scythes?  What will the future method be for harvesting crops?  No one knows…

We’ve recently exposed some of the advantages and disadvantages of industrial automation, to help people considering automation for their production processes decide whether it is right for their business or not. Today we are pondering the impact that automation has had in recent years on the working environment and what the future might hold in this area.

 

Creates a Safer Working Environment

One of the most prominent effects of automation in recent times has been its ability to complete tasks that are potentially dangerous for humans and thus create a safer working environment.

For example, hazardous area robots can now be used in problematic areas such as high temperature environments, radioactive environments and other potentially dangerous environments. Therefore reducing the need for humans to enter these hazardous areas and reducing the risk of injury.

Automation of labour intensive, repetitive, manual tasks has been used to eliminate the risk of repetitive strain injury as humans are no longer needed to perform such tasks. Thereby creating a safer working environment.

Boosts Productivity and Efficiency

Another well-known impact of automation on the working environment is the fact that it boosts productivity and efficiency, thus raising staff morale at the same time as increasing profits.

Productivity is boosted by automation as it increases efficiency, enables greater repeatability, improves product quality and allows for faster, more reliable production speeds.  There are many different automation systems that can be used to increase productivity and efficiency such as robotic automation, production monitoring and datalogging systems, bespoke automation solutions and the use of automation to streamline your production process.  How these automation systems effect productivity are outlined in detail in our blog on How to Increase Productivity in Your Factory with Automation. You can also use our downloadable calculators to find out how efficient your current process is.

Improves Staff Motivation

There are many different ways that automation impacts on staff motivation. It can often be frustrating for workers to conduct repetitive tasks using outdated machinery and technologies.  This then has a negative impact on their morale and motivation.  Using automation to upgrade your factory not only helps boost productivity and efficiency significantly, but it’s also a smart way of improving working conditions and creating new, more stimulating roles within your factory. Therefore by introducing automation to do the repetitive tasks within your factory, and moving staff to more challenging job roles, staff become motivated as they feel they are now working in a modern, up to date, 21st century environment.

Production monitoring and datalogging systems also have a large impact on staff motivation as they create a culture of continuous improvement. This, in turn, encourages your staff to always strive for improved performance and makes them feel like they’re contributing to making a difference within the entire company. As we all know, motivated staff results in better productivity which in turn influences the culture of your business and results in an increase to your bottom line.

To Conclude

Despite some people’s fear that the introduction of automation results in higher unemployment rates, research has proved that this doesn’t have to be the case.  After all, unemployment is currently at the lowest it’s been for years.

Whilst it’s true that there are some jobs that may become redundant, as automation technologies are implemented, there is still always the need for people to manage the complete production processes.  As your business grows due to better production, there will always be the need for more people in order to support that growth.

Automation, when implemented correctly actually has a positive impact on the working environment and we’ve even seen instances amongst our clients where implementing automation has been critical not only to help them grow their business, but it has actually meant that their business could stay in the market where it would otherwise have been at a competitive disadvantage. Read our blog ‘Does Automation Really Wreck People’s Lives and Cause Unemployment?’ for more details.

From the research we have done, we believe that automation is a key way that factories will be able to improve the working environment, and enable the UK to increase productivity and become the Innovation Powerhouse it needs to be.

To learn more about automated palletising and the different types available, get in touch with the Granta Automation team of experts on helpline@granta-automation.co.uk or by calling 01223 499 488.

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Two Types of Automation That Improve Machine Throughput

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Granta

Automation-to-increase-machine-throughput

Are you looking for innovative ways to improve the throughput of the machines in your factory to enable you to meet your deadlines and achieve your business goals?

If you answered yes, then read on for two of the best ways to boost your machine throughput and increase productivity, staff motivation and factory efficiency using automation.

There can be many factors affecting machine throughput, and listed below are just a few of them;

  • Machine is not able to run at full speed as there is not the capacity to remove the finished product from the machine at this speed.
  • Workers take breaks leaving the machine idle.
  • Some parts produced by the machine are defective.
  • Machine stops due to a fault and no-one notices.
  • There are bottlenecks within the process but you’re unable to identify exactly what is causing the bottleneck.
  • Machine cannot be run 24/7 as it would need human input and this would cost too much.

All of these problems and more can be overcome by automation.  Two of the most commonly used types of automation for improving machine throughput are outlined below.

 

  1. Robotic Machine Tending and Assembly

To enable a machine to run at full capacity it is very important to have a system in place that can load and unload the machine as quickly as the machine can run. A robotic machine tending and assembly system is a fantastic way to do this as it enables your machine to run with very little human interaction. Parts can be automatically loaded and/or unloaded from the machine, assembled, palletised and wrapped. As the system is bespoke it can be fully configured to meet your exact requirements and will also be designed to seamlessly integrate into your factory layout.

Robotic machine tending and assembly systems can be designed to include many features such as:

  • Robots – these load/unload parts in and out of your machine and assemble them before stacking them onto pallets.
  • Vision systems – these check the quality of the finished product and allow the robot to reject any faulty parts.
  • Touch screen control systems – alert you to plant stoppages and enable you to monitor your machine throughput remotely.
  • Pallet feeder – this feeds the pallets into the palletising system automatically.
  • Stretch wrapper – this automatically stretch wraps the pallets.
  • Conveyor – when the pallets are finished, they are automatically fed out of the system via a conveyor.

 

  1. Downtime and Efficiency Tracking

Another essential step towards improving machine throughput is implementing downtime and efficiency tracking systems. This is guaranteed to keep you on top of plant stoppage and factory downtime. With systems such as these in place, you can keep your machines running for as many hours as possible, ultimately boosting productivity for your business. With downtime and efficiency tracking, you can:

  • Identify bottlenecks in your process and potential areas for improvement.
  • Log in remotely at any time to check up on your machinery and identify faults.
  • Improve the accuracy of your products.
  • Receive accurate production forecasts.
  • Use the data collected to calculate OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).
  • Run staff bonus schemes from the results.
  • Display the results on a dashboard to incentivise staff.

 

With these systems in place, you can improve the machine throughput for your factory, and ultimately enjoy optimum levels of production and efficiency.

If you need more guidance on ways to improve your machine throughput, feel free to reach out to a member of our team. You can contact us via phone on 01223 499 488 or email helpline@granta-automation.co.uk and we’ll be more than happy to answer all your questions.

Don’t forget to check out our online project builder which you can use to create an automated palletising quote in just a few minutes!

 

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OEE Calculator Download

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Granta

To make it easier for you to calculate the OEE of your machinery or process we’ve created a downloadable OEE Calculator.  All you need to do is click here to download the calculator and then start analysing your process.

OEE-Calculator

 

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Basic Productivity Calculator Download

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Granta

 

To make it easier for you to calculate productivity in your factory or process we’ve created a downloadable Basic Productivity Calculator.  All you need to do is click here to download the calculator and then start analysing your process.

Basic-Productivity-Calculator

 

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Automation

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Granta

If you’re considering introducing automation into your production process, then you should consider both the advantages and disadvantages of automation, before making a decision. Read our blog to find out more about the pros and cons of industrial automation.

 

Advantages of Automation

 

  1. Improved working environment

With the use of automation it is possible to improve the working conditions and safety within your production process or plant.  Automation can reduce health and safety risks, eliminate manual handling and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury.

 

  1. Increased competitiveness, sales and profit

Automation enables to you to become more competitive in your market.  This is because as your production process is more automated, human error is reduced, product quality become more consistent, and cost per part goes down due to increased production speeds and the reduction in resources required to produce the goods.

 

  1. No labour crisis

Finding labour for mundane, repetitive tasks is becoming more and more difficult, and is likely to become more difficult in the UK after Brexit.  Unemployment in the UK is currently at the lowest it’s ever been since July 1975, so many factories are struggling to find factory workers, especially for heavy manual work. Automation can eliminate the need for staff to perform these types of tasks.

 

  1. Increase production capacity

Automation increases your production capacity as machines can be set to work 24/7 unmanned.  Automated machines do not have breaks, sick leave or holidays, and therefore even if they are only running during normal shift hours, this alone can often lead to a production increase of 140%+. Automated machinery can also typically run faster and produce more accurately made products with fewer defects.

 

  1. Compliance consistency

Automated manufacturing is inherently more consistent and accurate in production quality. In order to meet market demands these days, product quality has to be better and more consistent than ever before, often the only way to achieve this is with automation. Automated inspection systems can be installed at the end of a manual or automated production process using sensors and vision systems to automatically check products for defects and compliance with specification.  This enables faulty products to be rejected, eliminating defects and costly product recalls.

 

  1. Increased factory productivity or OEE

With all the benefits of automation in the points above your process becomes more streamlined and efficient with lower running costs and faster production speeds, and better quality production. This dramatically improves your factory productivity. For some real life examples read our testimonials page.

 

Disadvantages of Automation

 

  1. Capital expenditure

Whilst automation can prove highly effective and bring you a positive ROI, it may also require a fairly high capital cost. That’s why, before making a decision we recommend considering both the investment needed and also the ROI you expect to achieve. When calculating the ROI it is important to include increased throughput value, reduced labour costs and the reduction in defects/recalls along with the capital expenditure before deciding whether or not there is a business case for investment. With the help of an automation project calculator you will be able to calculate your estimate payback and view finance estimates.

 

  1. Gets rid of jobs

It is true that with the introduction of automation there are some jobs that may become redundant, but this does not necessarily have to be a negative implication of automation. Instead of staff performing mind-numbing, monotonous or unpleasant tasks, they can be trained to transfer to working in other areas of your business.  Many companies have found that after installation of automation they have seen sales rise, thus creating more jobs in different parts of their business.

 

  1. Bespoke automation becomes redundant when production processes change

As with any type of machinery, if you change your production process or product you are manufacturing so that a particular machine is no longer part of the process then the machine becomes redundant.  Therefore it is very important to future proof any automation you install into your production process. A skilled automation company will design your automation system to enable it to be easily adapted to suit changes in your product design or production process. For example; by using standard flexible automation such as robots, these can be easily used somewhere else in a manufacturing process even if the existing process becomes redundant.

 

Conclusion

The advantages of automation often outweigh the disadvantages but every case needs careful consideration to ensure that the right decision is made. There will sometimes be situations where automation does not justify itself. Equally if you don’t automate and stay as you are without carefully assessing the benefits of automation you could be missing out on some significant advantages.

 

We hope this blog has given you some insight into the aspects you should consider before introducing automation into your company. However, if you need any more guidance or you’d like to find out more about the benefits of robotic palletising systems and how they could be applied in your production process then please don’t hesitate to contact our team of automation experts who are always happy to help. Give us a call on 01223 499488 or email helpline@granta-automation.co.uk.

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What Type Of Automation Should I Choose To Increase Factory Staff Motivation?

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Granta

What-Type-Of-Automation-Should-I-Choose-To-Increase-Factory-Staff-Motivation

The fact that automation is one of the ways you can incentivise and motivate factory staff is no longer a secret. But with so many different types of automation available today, it might seem like a daunting task choosing the best type of automation to help you achieve optimal results, not only when it comes to increasing your staff’s motivation, but also to boosting overall productivity and efficiency. Worry not! The Granta team are here to help. We’ve prepared a useful guide below that can help make this decision easier.

 

  1. Automated Dashboards and Scoreboards

An automated dashboard or scoreboard is a screen that is mounted in your factory or office, visible to all staff, showing live data relating to KPIs, bonuses or any other appropriate information that is going to motivate your staff.

Automated dashboards and scoreboards are by far one of the most effective ways of motivating your factory staff, by encouraging a healthy kind of competition amongst different teams. It can also turn abstract figures into a visual incentive that can demonstrate how all their hard work is paying off by reaching and even surpassing certain targets. Using dashboards and scoreboards to display relevant KPIs and targets can also become a useful reminder for everyone as to what they’re working towards and can add a sense of purpose to their work.

 

  1. Production Monitoring and Datalogging Systems

Production monitoring and datalogging systems consist of inputs throughout your production process, which can be in the form of sensors, detectors, encoders or HMIs, where data is automatically or manually input into the system.  This data can then be used to help identify areas within your production that require improvement; such as bottlenecks, reliability issues and product defects.

Whilst production monitoring and datalogging systems primarily help to boost your factory’s production efficiency, they can also be used as a great way to motivate your staff by creating a culture of continuous improvement. This, in turn, can encourage your staff to always strive for improved performance and feel like they’re contributing to making a difference within the entire company. Production monitoring and datalogging systems can also create a perpetual awareness of problem areas and help people focus on improving processes.  It is also important to appropriately reward any innovations or significant improvements that your staff perform, in order to sustain this type of culture.

 

  1. Downtime and Efficiency Tracking

Downtime and efficiency tracking systems monitor your plant 24/7, giving instant notification of plant stoppages and downtime.  With the more advanced downtime and efficiency tracking systems it is possible to log in remotely to your plant to see exactly where the faults are and what needs to be done to rectify them.  When used with a production monitoring and datalogging system, it is also possible to use this data to calculate OEE (overall equipment effectiveness).

By investing in downtime and efficiency tracking systems, you can give your staff the tools they need to work faster and smarter and create improvements in working conditions, which is another factor that plays an important part when it comes to staff motivation. You can also use this kind of technology to assess performance and then make executive decisions based on that.

 

  1. Automated Palletising

Autoamted palletising solutions enable you to reduce downtime and remove the risk of RSI occuring.

Installing and automated palletising solution can help transform working conditions and improve your production throughput. From standard pick and place palletising of bags or boxes through to high speed layer forming palletising, the Granta GA15 palletising system is a very versatile and flexible option for all your palletising requirements. Automated container unloading and palletising is also made possible thanks to the quick and easy programming software.

 

These are just some of the main types of automation that can help you increase factory staff motivation. If you’d like more information about the Granta GA15 palletising system and how we can help you achieve with automation, get in touch today on 01223 499 488 or use our unique project builder to get a quote online in just a few minutes!

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How Do I Incentivise And Motivate Factory Staff Who Are Doing Repetitive Tasks?

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Granta

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If you’re a factory manager, then you probably know how important it is to motivate your workers as it has a positive impact on how efficient and productive they are, and thus influences the entire business.

Below we’ve provided a few useful tips and tricks to help you incentivise and motivate your factory staff so you can boost productivity and morale.

Constant communication

It’s important to have open and constructive communication with your staff. Start by giving them feedback and praising good performance, which is a good way to incentivise them, but also listening to their feedback and taking into account any suggestions they may have for improving the overall work environment.  No one knows better how to improve a working environment than those who actually work in the environment on a daily basis.

Keep a live scoreboard

It is a known and proven fact that a live scoreboard or dashboard is one of the most effective means of staff motivation. When a team’s speed of working and success or failure rate is displayed live to everyone in the factory, unit or team, it motivates staff beyond any other method.

Offer rewards whenever appropriate

Whether it’s the occasional company party or dinner, a well-deserved bonus for excellent results or putting in place a rewards scheme for your factory staff, any type of reward gives staff an extra incentive and something to work towards.  The results always show that incentivised and motivated staff result in an improvement in productivity.

Reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury

Motivating staff can prove to be a challenging task, especially when their job involves mundane, repetitive tasks that may lead to issues such as repetitive strain injury (RSI).  (Not sure how high the risk of RSI is in your factory? Download our repetitive strain injury risk assessment form and find out now!)  Following this assessment you may find some areas where you can make small changes to reduce the repetitive strain injury risks your workers are exposed to and make their jobs easier or more comfortable.

Update your processes

Use automation to upgrade your factory. This not only helps boost productivity and efficiency significantly, but it’s also a smart way of improving working conditions and creating new, more stimulating roles within the factory. It can often be frustrating for workers to conduct repetitive tasks using outdated machinery and technologies.  Therefore by introducing automation to do the repetitive tasks within your factory, and moving staff to more challenging job roles, staff become motivated as they feel they are now working in a modern, up to date, 21st century environment.  As we all know, motivated staff results in better productivity which in turn influences the culture of your business and results in an increase to your bottom line.

Encourage training

If possible, it’s good to set aside some time and resources to ensure that your staff are cross-trained within certain areas of your production or throughout your whole factory.  This then offers you and your staff more flexibility as you have several staff who are all fully trained to do a particular job.  Rotating job roles every shift gives your staff variety which helps to increase job engagement and reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury, whilst reducing the boredom of doing the same repetitive task all day every day.

 

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How do I Identify a Bottleneck in My Production Process?

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Granta

Often we are all too aware that there is a bottleneck in our production process, but to actually find and eliminate the bottleneck is usually a complex and time consuming task.

How-do-I-identify-a-bottleneck-in-my-production-processLet’s start by looking at what a bottleneck is and why they happen.

A bottleneck occurs where part of a process has lower throughput capacity than the rest of the process. The bottleneck is then limiting the speed of throughput through the whole process. For example; if all the machines in a production process are capable of a throughput of 100 parts per hour apart from one machine that can only process 75 parts per hour, then the 75 parts per hour machine will be the bottleneck in your production process.

Following the steps outlined below will help you to quickly identify the bottleneck in your process and enable you to establish the necessary measures you need to take to remove or exploit that bottleneck.

Step One – Identify the bottleneck in your production process

Bottleneck machines or processes are often easily identified as they have a build-up of parts waiting to be processed by them.

If your bottleneck is not so obvious, then it is best to create a flow chart showing the step by step processes that are involved in producing the particular product or part you believe may be part of a bottleneck process. Having completed a flow chart, you will then have an idea as to where in the process the bottleneck may be occurring, and you will be able to investigate this area further to see exactly where the bottleneck is.

Think broad, for example it may not be the speed of the machine when it is actually running, it may be the changeover time that drags a machine’s overall throughput down.

Step Two – Exploit the bottleneck

Having identified the bottleneck, it is important to do everything you can to ensure that the bottleneck machine or process is working to maximum efficiency.

The first and simplest way to do this is to quality check the parts entering the bottleneck for defects and reject any that are substandard before they enter the bottleneck machine or process. This ensures that the bottleneck is only working on good quality parts.

Check to see if all of the products going through the bottleneck have to go through it. Could some be processed in another way? Reducing the load on the bottleneck increases the overall throughput of your factory.

Increase the capacity of your bottleneck. Do you need to add another machine or more staff to this part of the process to help increase the capacity of the bottleneck?

Ensure that your bottleneck is working all of the time. Plan staff breaks or automate the process to ensure that the bottleneck never stops working except for maintenance or tool changes. If you are not already running the bottleneck machine or process 24/7 then consider doing so to increase capacity.

If you would like help and advice as to the best way to exploit the constraints of your bottleneck, one of our automation advisors will be happy to advise you as to how automated palletising systems can be of benefit to you. Contact us on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk .

Step Three – Go back to Step One

Having identified and exploited the bottleneck in your production process, it is important to begin the identifying and exploiting process again. You may find that the bottleneck has now moved to a different machine or process, or indeed you may have a wandering bottleneck in your production process.

Therefore, to enable maximum efficiency, it is very important to keep on reviewing where your bottlenecks are and exploiting these constraints.

For a more comprehensive overview on how to identify and eliminate bottlenecks we recommend reading ‘The Goal’ by Eliyahu M. Goldratt.

If you would like further help and advice on how to exploit the constraints of your bottleneck by using an automated palletising system, one of our automation advisors will be happy to assist you. Contact us on 01223 499488 or helpline@granta-automation.co.uk.

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Bag Palletiser

Bag Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Barrel Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Box Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

Crate Palletiser

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Tray Palletiser

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