Going into this new year there is many things we can reflect on from 2020. The Covid-19 virus has pushed us further than many people had ever expected us to have to go. Looking back at history though it is not all surprising. In fact this push has ever had some benefits which is hard to believe with all the hardships it has brought. The benefits I am referring too mainly come through two things that change the way we work. Automation and Remote Work.
Automation and Remote Work are not new things in field of plastics or manufacturing. In fact many people were deeply engulfed in both of these things before Covid-19 was even a thought. Covid-19 however has pushed the limits further than before and hopefully for the better.
Automation has a pretty obvious and tight tie with manufacturing. As molding machines spit out part after part they have to go somewhere. Depending on the part this may be falling into a part pin, onto a conveyor or removal with a robot. These have all been common place in molding facilities around the world but once Covid-19 struck the amount of available workers to man the machines fell. This reduction in allowable workforce in an area created a true demand for automation.
Lights out operations are very possible with the technology we have today and are a great way to battle the stifled work force due to Covid-19. Presses can now have auto bagger and boxing machines to automatically package parts. Camera systems with AI can be used for part inspection that once required careful examination. Robots can be used to sort good and bad parts. Assembly processes for multiple parts can be automated to put parts hot off the press in the right location to get welded, bonded, heat staked, pad printed, laser engraved and many more secondary operations.
Remote Work also grew up very fast due to Covid-19. Remote Work does not sound like it makes sense with a manufacturing company and it can be difficult. With technology and tools such as the MoldDB tool database and remote machine monitoring, presses and molds can now be monitored anywhere remotely. This allows your team to always keep track of what is happening now, what work needs to happen next, and what work should be scheduled for the future.
With tools such as the MoldDB spare parts tracker, mechanics working on the production floor can trigger remote support when a spare component is needed. This could be ordering a stock part or having a custom part made. Remote work can even be from the office at the other end of the building or the office at the house across town.
Remote Work technologies allow anyone with a computer connection to work from home. This can even include machinists who usually spend their time on the manufacturing floor in front of a press. A machining technician can take steel parts home to perform polishing, use CNC software to create a future program, or CAD software to review mold designs. With programs reviewed and ready automation can be setup to tend to machining operations while technicians are safely remote.
Automation and Remote Work will only grow bigger as we push into the future. Covid-19 has provided us with the opportunity to embrace it now to not fall behind the pack.