Technological integration is slowly embedding itself into almost every aspect of manufacturing. Gone are the days when every job was done by hand through hours of intensive labour. Technology is an incredible aspect of modern society, and with technological integration, the speed and efficiency of business outcomes can be improved drastically.
It doesn’t take much for a discussion in manufacturing to lead to a conversation regarding robotics and automation within the sector. Some businesses are adapting well and integrating automation where possible, while others are more hesitant and prefer a more people orientated production, even if their production output isn’t as high.
However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the demand for automated products and self-service equipment has significantly increased, maybe quote or source. There is no question that further automation will play a big role in what many now refer to as the ‘new normal’. Any high-touch areas that would now need to be sanitised and cleaned constantly for you to provide your employees with a safe workplace are looking to be removed to avoid the possibility of infection. Many businesses are looking to automation and robotics as a solution to getting back to a normal workplace faster.
Basically, the more automation, the better. Now is not the time to push back on technological integration, and there is no need to be afraid of automation.
One of the best places to add in automation and robotics is to paint finishing jobs. Paint finishing facilities can be a valuable asset to a business of any size, as they create a safer working environment, provide consistent finish quality, and reduce bottlenecks and downtime at the end of the production line.
It’s also a great addition because many companies that haven’t yet moved in this direction are struggling to find enough painters to offset increased production capabilities, of the other machinery within their production lines. Some companies still rely on the manual labour of a few key finishers to prep and coat parts in finishing systems, even as production and quality expectations continue to increase.
Many believe this is because painting and finishing are largely thought of as dirty, dangerous and repetitive tasks. The new generations are not choosing careers in finishing, because they know it can be automated, and the people that did choose it, are starting to retire, which all adds up to a real problem for manufactures who continue to manually paint and finish.
Technology and automation systems drastically increase the production capabilities of businesses. Paint finishing facilities can become an extension of the existing production line, and the team, to multiply their efforts for the company to accomplish more.
These companies who are yet to automate the paint and finishing sections of their production lines are likely to need custom equipment to ensure that their facilities tie in perfectly with their existing production lines.
Bespoke engineering companies such as DRYSYS Spray-Cure, are one of the leaders in bespoke engineering of paint finishing facilities. They understand that many manufactures require custom facilities to suit specific requirements, and they will design them especially to their needs. This is also a great way to make integrating new technology into your business a seamless experience and less of a shock to the system, including to the workers who aren’t too fond of automation. The benefits of having automated facilities within your production line are endless, not only will avoid unnecessary high touch zones that are more likely to spread germs during the pandemic, but they can reduce operating costs, increase output quality and ensure a consistently high output quality is kept.
There are many great reasons to automate your paint finishing, but now more than ever, it has become extremely important to the health and safety of your employees. We all need to adapt our ‘new normal’ in one way or another, and a great way to do this is to adjust to technological integration and automation. Now is not the time to step back, now is the time to step forward and automate.