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How do you elegantly scale manufacturing when your processes depend on handbook steps?
For French producer Alliora, robotic palletizing was the reply…
When 2021 introduced a brand new want for automation for Alliora
It was Might 2021 and Antoine Bruno was the brand new Normal Supervisor at Alliora.
Alliora is a producing firm primarily based in Fougères, France. They specialize within the manufacturing and packaging of inflexible bins. They work with industries corresponding to laptop gaming, cosmetics, and for any firm whose merchandise are packed in such inflexible bins.
Antoine turned the Normal Supervisor of Alliora after buying the corporate in December 2020. A couple of months in and he might see the necessity for automation.
He explains:
“It was actually a method for me to automate the road.
“Our imaginative and prescient is that when the extent of orders is low, we use individuals on the road. When the extent of orders will increase rather a lot, we use a robotic. This fashion, it will likely be simpler for us to reply to the market.”
When handbook processes cease you from scaling manufacturing
Antoine knew they wanted to have a strategy to proactively scale manufacturing to fulfill the altering market calls for.
The issue? That this wasn’t but possible with Alliora’s present setup. Their manufacturing was too depending on handbook work.
Antoine says:
“The primary problem is that we’ve got lots of people. Generally we are able to have between 10 to fifteen individuals engaged on the road.
“The problem for us is to scale back these numbers of individuals. Our goal is 3, 4, or 5 most. It is because of this we have determined to make use of a collaborative robotic.”
Why palletizing? Deciding on the proper process for robotic automation
A typical query individuals have when getting began with automation is which is the most effective process to automate first.
For Alliora, palletizing appeared like an apparent selection.
Antoine says:
“There are 2 causes we selected to automate palletizing.
“Firstly, it’s a very bodily job. The bins are between 5 kg and 12 kg. It is vitally repetitive, it is vitally heavy, and it is vitally bodily. Individuals do not like doing the palletizing process.
“Secondly, typically we’ve got a excessive degree of orders. On this case, we won’t have any individuals on the road.”
Even while you’ve chosen palletizing as your process, there are plenty of diversified options available on the market for robotic palletizing. It may be exhausting to know which resolution to decide on.
Antoine explains:
“Step one was to fulfill plenty of suppliers with totally different options. Afterwards, we made some checks with two techniques with SterkElec.”
Discovering the most effective palletizing resolution on your wants
SterkElec is a French distributor specializing in automation. They’re a companion of Robotiq. When SterkElec visited Alliora’s facility in Might 2021, they got here with a robotic for demonstration.
Antoine explains that this step was essential…
Find out how to proactively sort out worker uncertainty about robots
Worker uncertainty is widespread while you’re getting began with robotics. If staff aren’t conversant in utilizing robots, they are often fearful concerning the expertise and what it can imply for his or her jobs.
Antoine says:
“For Alliora, automation may be very, very new. The individuals in Alliora do not know what automation is. Generally, individuals are fearful of automation they usually do not wish to work with a robotic.
“When an organization like Alliora needs to buy a brand new machine, it is vitally necessary for us to see the machine earlier than buying. And never solely me, because the supervisor, as a result of I can extra simply transfer to your plant or to an illustration workshop to see the robotic.
“It is vitally necessary for the operators, for my individuals, to see what sort of machine I wish to purchase. If I purchase a brand new machine with out the settlement of the individuals working within the line, it will likely be very troublesome to applicable the machine.
“I appreciated it that when SterkElec got here to the plant and we might see the robotic. Then, we noticed it once more in movies. Afterwards, we moved to their workshop to see the machine working once more.
“In the long run, the individuals “claimed” the machine themselves. It was solely doable as a result of, through the course of, the business assist was superb, each from Robotiq and SterkElec.”
Easy vs complicated: Find out how to examine palletizing options available on the market
At Robotiq, we’re clearly very pleased with our palletizing resolution. However, we all know that there are different palletizing options available on the market.
Antoine defined the variations between the Robotiq resolution and the others that he had seen throughout his seek for an answer.
He stated:
“The Robotiq system was quite simple to make use of. That was the primary motive we selected it over the opposite options. You possibly can take any operator on the road they usually can use it. If somebody needs to make use of the machine, we want solely 3 hours of coaching. After that, they will use it.
“The opposite options we noticed are extra complicated. We’d additionally want extra machine components to do the identical factor. I feel this resolution may be very tailored to our course of and merchandise.”
This simplicity and adaptableness are necessary for an organization like Alliora the place their manufacturing modifications rather a lot. In the identical week, they will change the manufacturing twice to deal with two kinds of merchandise. That is straightforward to do with the Robotiq resolution.
Antoine provides:
“The second motive we selected this resolution is as a result of the assist from SterkElec and Robotiq was superb.
“When we’ve got small issues, we are able to name them and we at all times have an answer, at all times a suggestion.
“For instance, we’ve got a bit of drawback now with massive, 9 kg cartons that we can’t transfer with the present setup. We had a name with Robotiq, he requested us about our cartons, he made some checks and gave us an answer. It was very fast. The business assist and the technical assist are superb.”
How lengthy does it take to deploy a palletizing robotic?
We regularly say that the deployment of cobots is fast in comparison with standard automation. However, how lengthy does it actually take to deploy a palletizing robotic to your line?
Antoine says:
“From the time we obtained the machine till we used it… 5 days. Every week.
“It was very, very fast as a result of the system may be very easy. We took it out of the field, we put the machine on the finish of the road, we made some checks for about 2 or 3 days, we put it on-line, and we produce with the machine.
“Over the past two months, we’ve got produced with the robotic daily. And daily the employees are very completely satisfied.”
The Outcome: What advantages have Alliora seen with Robotiq palletizing?
Individuals typically assume that productiveness positive aspects would be the core profit when they’re contemplating automation for the primary time. Nonetheless, with comparatively gradual speeds of about 1200 bins per hour productiveness wasn’t crucial issue for Alliora.
Antoine explains crucial profit they’ve seen:
“We’ve decreased the price of manufacturing by 5%. That is the worldwide value of all the manufacturing. However, not by the pace of the robotic. Primarily it is as a result of we’ve got decreased the numbers of individuals on the road.”
Because of this Alliora can now scale their high-volume orders with out that bottleneck of handbook processing. They’ll maintain their individuals on the decrease quantity traces and reply extra successfully to modifications available in the market.
What’s subsequent for robotics at Alliora?
Antoine is now looking forward to how they will incorporate extra robotic automation into their processes.
Like many new collaborative robotic customers, he can see alternatives for brand spanking new purposes, together with different packaging duties.
He says:
“Right now we solely use it for palletization. However, I feel it will likely be doable to make use of the robotic for an additional operate than palletization as a result of it’s totally versatile. We are able to think about utilizing it for earlier levels within the packaging course of.
You possibly can study extra concerning the Robotiq Palletizing Resolution on our options web page.
What questions do you’ve about robotic palletizing? Inform us within the feedback under or be part of the dialogue on LinkedIn, Twitter, Fb, or the DoF skilled robotics group.
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