Tom Bouchier, Managing Director, FANUC UK, discusses connectivity and how it’s optimised for the digital age.
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To remain competitive, manufacturers in the medical industry need to produce more goods, to higher quality, in less time. This is hard to achieve with human personnel alone, especially given the current skills shortage. The way to resolve these pressures is through automation – using robots to do the monotonous and dangerous jobs and freeing up workers to complete more value-added tasks.
Although the UK was slow to the robotics revolution compared to many other industrialised nations, robotics and automation specialist FANUC UK is reporting an uplift in enquiries across the UK and Ireland, and especially from SMEs who have not, historically, been major users of automation. One of the factors helping to make automation a more attractive option than ever before is connectivity.
Driven by data
Machine tools and robots are becoming more intelligent. Industry 4.0 means that all devices in the factory are interconnected. An inevitable consequence of this is a trend towards standardisation of CNC applications across a range of manufacturing technologies. At the same time, availability of data from machines in operation, in real time, is helping to improve quality, reduce unscheduled stoppages and boost productivity. These things are in reach of even smaller companies.
Digital twins
Digital twinning is another trend that is proving beneficial to larger and smaller medical manufacturers alike. Developed in conjunction with a physical system, the digital twin can help firms that are looking to scale up, alter or enhance their production lines. By running a virtual version of any changes through the digital twin, they can have confidence that their automated system can handle them before investing in any new equipment, boosting uptime and eliminating the risk of ending up with a system that is not fit for purpose.
Prioritising FAT
Another factor to take into consideration when integrating any new smart manufacturing solution into your production line is the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). FANUC UK had noticed that many of their customers lacked the technical expertise to complete Factory Acceptance Testing themselves, delaying installation and commissioning. FANUC UK has therefore developed its own in-house Factory Acceptance Testing facility at its headquarters in Coventry. Launched in June 2022, the FAT unit was constructed using ultra-hygienic cleanroom materials and encompasses a total area of more than 200m.
“As a result of growing global supply chain issues, we noticed that many of our customers are bringing their manufacturing processes back to the UK, after years of relying on production capabilities in the Far East, Asia or Eastern Europe,” says Dave Raine, FANUC’s ROBOSHOT Manager for the UK & Ireland.
“However, after offshoring their manufacturing for so long, many have not managed to retain members of staff with the process validation, project management, technical compliance and robotics integrations skills required to complete in-house Factory Acceptance Testing when purchasing a new, smart, injection moulding machine. This is only being compounded by the post-Covid labour crisis currently facing the sector.
“Without the required skill set, plastics manufacturers run the risk of prolonged downtime and incorrectly specified machinery, both of which can seriously impact their bottom line. In response, we have developed our own, dedicated on-site FAT facility specifically for our injection moulding clients. Here, they can take advantage of our best-in-class validation and certification expertise, safe in the knowledge that their machine will operate exactly as required, and to the necessary industry standards, from the moment it is delivered to their factory.”