The manufacturing landscape is continuously evolving, presenting both challenges and opportunities for businesses seeking to enhance productivity and reduce operational costs. A significant hurdle, as highlighted in the accompanying video from Okuma’s Open House, is the ongoing struggle to find a qualified workforce. This shortage, coupled with the relentless demand for parts, compels manufacturers to explore innovative ways to maintain output and efficiency.
Consequently, the integration of flexible automation solutions has become not just an advantage, but a necessity for modern machine shops. These solutions are designed to streamline processes, improve consistency, and free up skilled labor for more complex, value-added tasks. At the recent Okuma Open House, hundreds of attendees were observed learning about and revisiting these crucial technologies, showcasing the industry’s widespread interest.
Navigating Modern Manufacturing: The Imperative for Automation
Today’s manufacturing environment frequently encounters a scarcity of skilled workers. This challenge has pushed automation to the forefront of strategic discussions. Automation is seen as a vital tool to bridge the labor gap and ensure production demands are met consistently.
The concept of addressing the “dull, dirty, and dangerous” tasks through automation is frequently discussed within the industry. By automating repetitive or hazardous operations, worker safety is enhanced, and job satisfaction among employees is typically increased. It is generally understood that automation does not eliminate jobs but rather shifts them, allowing human operators to transition into roles that require higher-level thinking, such as programming robots or optimizing processes.
High-Volume Production: Precision and Speed with Automated Lathes
For operations demanding high-volume output and continuous production, specialized automation solutions are often deployed. An example of this is the Okuma 2SP-2500H, a twin spindle horizontal lathe system.
This advanced machine is equipped with dual robot gantry arms on each side and 16-station stockers. Such a configuration allows for unattended, long-running production, which is particularly beneficial for industries like automotive manufacturing. The system is designed to handle successive operations, such as OP10 and OP20, or even run parallel operations from either side, ensuring a steady stream of finished parts with minimal human intervention.
Conquering Grinding Challenges with Simple Automation
Historically, grinding operations have been performed manually, largely due to the critical nature of the finishing process. Parts at this stage typically have significant time and monetary investment, meaning operators are often hesitant to introduce any potential for error. This preference for manual loading has, however, created a bottleneck in many shops.
Simple automation solutions, like Okuma’s Load & Go system, are now being introduced to address this specific challenge. This system is noted for its ease of setup and teaching, allowing it to be quickly deployed in front of virtually any grinding machine. The objective is to function as a consistent “operator,” ensuring accurate and repeatable loading while mitigating the risks associated with manual handling of delicate, high-value parts.
Versatility for High-Mix, Low-Volume Production: The Daifuku Cell
While high-volume production benefits greatly from dedicated automated systems, the manufacturing industry increasingly faces demand for high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) work. This requires automation that offers extreme flexibility and rapid changeover capabilities. The Daifuku cell, observed connected to two Okuma MB-5000 horizontal machining centers, exemplifies this versatility.
This extensive cell features 27 different pallets, which can be configured for 27 unique jobs, multiple jobs on a single tombstone, or numerous iterations of the same job. Contrary to initial assumptions, such a system is not exclusively for high-volume needs; its strength lies in its adaptability. Shop owners can utilize their skilled operators during the day to set up and prove out parts on each pallet. This preparation then allows the entire cell to run unattended throughout the evening, effectively eliminating the need for second or third shifts and maximizing the productivity of high-value personnel.
Collaborative Robotics: Rethinking Human-Machine Interaction
Traditional industrial robots are often enclosed within safety cages due to their power and speed. However, the rise of collaborative robots, or “cobots,” represents a significant shift in human-machine interaction on the shop floor. FANUC cobots, for instance, are designed to work safely alongside humans.
These cobots typically feature visual indicators, such as green stripes, and are equipped with torque motors that are less aggressive. If a cobot comes into contact with an operator, it is designed to stop instantly, prioritizing safety. Their compact and mobile cart setups allow them to be easily moved and taught to perform various tasks in front of different machines, providing flexible support for operators without extensive safety reconfigurations. Cobots are most effective in roles requiring interaction or where safety fencing is impractical, enhancing productivity in a user-friendly manner.
Maximizing Space and Intelligence with Vertical Automation: Fastems Cell
Floor space is a premium in many manufacturing facilities. For businesses facing vertical challenges but possessing vertical space, solutions like the Fastems cell offer an intelligent approach to automation. This modular system, which was previously showcased at IMTS connected to an MB-5000, can be configured in a horseshoe layout with six pallets stacked three rows high.
Its modular design allows customization based on pallet height and production needs, offering one, two, or three rows. A key feature of the Fastems cell is its smart cell controller, which possesses significant built-in intelligence. This controller can make autonomous decisions regarding the next job to run, taking into account available programs, tooling, and even production scheduling software based on due dates. This intelligence offloads decision-making from shop floor personnel, allowing them to focus on their core competency: producing quality parts, while the cell manages workflow and optimizes machine uptime, often operating lights-out during off-shifts.
The Unseen Advantages of Horizontal Machining
Horizontal machining centers offer several distinct advantages over their vertical counterparts, particularly concerning chip management and efficiency. Because the spindle is horizontal, gravity becomes an ally in chip evacuation. Chips are efficiently flushed downwards and out of the work zone, preventing accumulation on the workpiece or fixtures.
This contrasts with vertical machines, where chips can pile up on the table, necessitating frequent cleaning to maintain accuracy and prevent re-cutting. Furthermore, systems like the 2APC (two-pallet changer) on horizontal machines represent a simple yet highly effective form of automation. One pallet can be loaded or unloaded externally while the machine actively processes parts on the other, dramatically increasing spindle uptime by virtually eliminating non-cutting setup time. The versatility of horizontal machining is further enhanced by the B-axis, enabling the use of tombstones to present multiple sides of a part to the cutting tool, thus increasing the number of features that can be machined in a single setup and extending unattended run times.
Precision Beyond Manual Tuning: Software-Driven Surface Finish Optimization
Achieving a superior surface finish, especially on complex or one-off parts, has traditionally been a time-consuming process involving significant trial and error with speeds, feeds, and depths of cut. However, innovative software solutions are now revolutionizing this aspect of manufacturing. Okuma’s Surface Guide and Hyper-Surface software represent a significant leap forward in optimizing surface quality.
Surface Guide analyzes CAM software output, identifying imperfections and irregularities in the tool path. Subsequently, Hyper-Surface, an intelligent control software, makes real-time decisions to smooth out these inconsistencies. This technology is capable of producing a better, more consistent surface finish “right out of the box,” even for highly intricate parts that may take 18 hours to run. The system provides visual feedback, such as a color map on a display, allowing operators to see potential divots or irregularities before machining. This predictive capability translates into substantial time and cost savings by minimizing the need for extensive fine-tuning and rework, ultimately leading to higher quality parts with the first attempt. The software allows for different settings for various stages of machining, such as roughing with looser tolerances for faster material removal and tighter tolerances for finishing, all while predicting the final outcome with remarkable accuracy.
The Future Workforce: Embracing Automation for Growth
The consistent message conveyed across these diverse flexible automation solutions is the profound impact on the manufacturing workforce and overall business profitability. Automation is not presented as a replacement for human skill but rather as an enabler, allowing skilled machinists and engineers to redirect their expertise.
By delegating repetitive or high-volume tasks to automated systems, human operators are empowered to engage in more creative and problem-solving activities. They can focus on complex setups, innovative part design, and the “works of art out of metal” that initially drew many to the trade. This shift not only enhances job satisfaction but also directly contributes to increased profitability by maximizing machine utilization, reducing labor costs associated with monotonous tasks, and achieving higher quality output. Embracing these technologies ensures that manufacturing companies remain competitive, adaptable, and sustainable in a rapidly changing global economy.
Cutting Costs, Boosting Efficiency: Your Flexible Automation Q&A
Why is automation important in manufacturing today?
Automation helps manufacturers address the shortage of skilled workers and meet high production demands. It improves efficiency and reduces operational costs.
What are ‘flexible automation solutions’?
These solutions are systems designed to streamline manufacturing processes and adapt to different production needs. They help improve consistency and free up skilled workers for more complex tasks.
What is a ‘cobot’ and how is it different from a traditional robot?
A cobot, or collaborative robot, is designed to work safely alongside humans without requiring safety cages. It can stop instantly if it comes into contact with an operator, prioritizing safety.
Does automation eliminate jobs in manufacturing?
Automation typically shifts roles rather than eliminating jobs, allowing human operators to focus on higher-level tasks like programming and process optimization. It frees them from dull, dirty, and dangerous activities.
How does automation help with different types of production?
Automation can be used for high-volume production to ensure continuous output, or for high-mix, low-volume jobs by offering flexible systems that can quickly adapt to many unique tasks.