- By Jessica Steeley
- April 20, 2022
- Feature
- Sponsored
Summary
Implementing automation into CNC machine shops increases productivity, improves employee retention and enhances customer satisfaction.
Zoberis had a lot of success using collaborative robots in his own machine shop, and, seeing an opportunity in the industry, transformed his business to offer integration of the same type of solutions for other machine shops. Seeing how the industry is struggling to attract the next generation of machinists, Zoberis says automation is the answer to the growing skills gap in CNC machining.
“The next generation of machinists loves the idea that companies are automating—and that’s an attractive type of company for them to be hired by, so that they can actually focus more on cerebral tasks,” Zoberis said. “Automation allows for them to do the creative work behind CNC machining rather than the routine work required to operate a CNC machine.”
Employee attraction and retention are just two of the benefits of automation. Another main benefit for machine shops is a 30% to 50% increase in productivity. Robots don’t take breaks and can continue working despite unpredictable workforce disruptions, such as the pandemic-related shutdowns.
Automation also allows for predictable output, so shops know exactly what production numbers they will reach each day. There’s no unpredictable human element that might cause delays. This leads to more satisfied customers, because their production needs and quality requirements are consistently being met.
Aside from this customer retention benefit, automation can also attract new customers to machine shops. As automation helps increase productivity, machine shops have more availability to take on new customers.
Zoberis says several traditional machine shops are at maximum output capacity and can’t add more work. Machine shops with automated production don’t have that limitation. Plus, business customers want to ensure the machine shops they work with have workforce sustainability plans.
“Machine shop customers of ours are being looked at critically,” Zoberis said. “Their customers want to know future plans, and what is the plan for the next five years to maintain production levels.” Instead of expecting you to train a new workforce, he says customers want to know what you’re doing to automate.
Zoberis also explains that automation has improved the manufacturing industry, saying automation has created more jobs within the United States and is helping the U.S. manufacturing industry to compete globally.
With all these benefits, it’s easy to see why automation is so appealing to manufacturers. According to Zoberis, manufacturers looking to implement automation should see it as a journey that happens one phase at a time.
“Start small and get everybody in your organization accustomed to what a culture of automation might look and feel like,” he said. “You have to ease into it. The most successful companies automate one process at a time. It takes time to create a culture of automation.” The best ideas on how to automate, he adds, usually come from production employees in shops or factories.
Zoberis also advises manufacturers to reach out to other companies or colleagues in the industry that have already implemented automation, and see what was successful for them.
“Have peers in the industry that have automated, and lean on them,” he says. “There’s a lot of success to be found in a community of manufacturers that are looking out for each other and helping each other, pointing out what went wrong and what went right when automating.”
About The Author
Jessica Steeley is Digital Marketing Specialist with Smart Manufacturing Experience.
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