Automation and Motion Control Blog

4 Easy Steps to Automate Your Production

Written by Kelly Howe | Sep 5, 2017 1:00:00 PM

This post is brought to you by OptoForce

BRINGING AUTOMATION CLOSER

Automation is a hot topic nowadays and innovation is the driver of progress in industrial automation. The OptoForce company, based in Europe works to bring force control to the masses in industrial automation, by producing multi-axial force/torque sensors with a revolutionary, optical technology. OptoForce equips industrial robots with a sense of touch so that more tasks can be automated in a time saving way. A well-equipped, automated production line is crucial to shift to Industry 4.0. OptoForce can help in this process, with only keeping the following 4 steps in mind.

STEP 1 – UNDERSTANDING YOUR NEEDS AND POSSIBILITES

A lot of companies are considering the process of automation but are unaware of what kind of tasks can be automated and what the possibilities are in the market. First you need to break your production into separate steps and analyze which processes are the most time consuming or too complex for human labor. OptoForce sensors already provide a variety of applications that can help identify these elements. Different types of assembly, polishing, or precision tasks can already be automated with our force/torque sensors.

STEP 2 – FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION AND TESTING IT

After finding the task suitable for automation the next step is finding the right solution and testing it. OptoForce provides you free consultancy to discover and analyze your needs with test sensors available, in case you would like to see the technology in your own production environment. OptoForce sensors are compatible with UR and KUKA robots and we are working to extend the possibilities to ABB and Yaskawa robots as well in 2017.

STEP 3 – CALCULATING THE RETURN OF YOUR INVESTEMENT

Before purchasing any new tool and setting up the production line it is important to see the return of investment in advance. For this you need to use a ROI calculation that provides a good idea of how robotic automation could affect your business. If you need help calculating the potential ROI, free consultancy is available.

STEP 4 – IMPLEMENTING THE SOLUTION

Implementation takes time and money. You should choose solutions that can be installed quickly and easily. Setting up an OptoForce sensor takes only 15 minutes. Moreover if you choose our sensors for automation you will get value for your money. Our sensors represent durability and robustness. Compared to our competitors, our low prices give access to highly precise force/torque sensors to everybody, with prompt delivery. 

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