Since its origins in the late 1800s and early 1900s, automation has been the dominant trend in manufacturing. Process automation and assembly lines, guided by modern industrial computers, deliver better results at lower costs for businesses.
- The Origin of Automation and Assembly Lines
- Components of Automated Assembly Lines
- Benefits of Process Automation and Assembly Lines
- Challenges and Considerations for Process Automation and Assembly Lines
- Empower Your Assembly Lines With Cybernet Manufacturing
The Origin of Automation and Assembly Lines
Ransom E. Olds, founder of Olds Motor Vehicle Company and REO Motor Car Company, is credited with the first assembly line.
Ransom E. Olds and the Stationary Assembly Line
Given how complex even early cars were, it simply wasn’t viable to have a worker or team of workers assemble a single car at a time. Instead, Olds had his employees line up next to the car’s chassis and attach their particular components to the vehicle, creating what was known as the stationary assembly line. This manufacturing method was massively effective and helped make the Olds Motor Vehicle Company one of the first successful car manufacturers in the U.S.
Henry Ford Creates the Modern Mobile Assembly Line
The true revolution came at the hands of another car manufacturer, Henry Ford of the Ford Motor Company. Ford’s innovation, which would be copied by virtually every manufacturer going forward, was to have conveyor belts move cars from one workstation to the next throughout the factory. This meant that employees didn’t have to leave their stations and could instead focus on their responsibilities, with cars and components brought to them throughout their shifts.
This innovation propelled the Ford Motor Company to unrivaled success in the early American automobile industry. The assembly process for a Ford Model T car went from 12.5 hours to just 93 minutes, which led to lower costs for consumers and higher wages for Ford’s workers.
Components of Automated Assembly Lines
Assembly lines have evolved significantly since the first Model T left Ford’s factory. The most impactful change is the increase in automation, with machines handling many of the most critical or dangerous parts of assembly.
While every assembly line will differ based on the needs of the industry and the operator, certain universal components include:
- Conveyor Belts: Whether they consist of a series of metal rollers or a rotating rubber track, conveyor belts are critical for moving products from one station to another during the assembly process.
- Industrial Robots: A major component of modern manufacturing process automation is industrial robots that can perform the most hazardous or difficult steps, such as moving heavy components, welding, or painting.
- Control Systems: These interfaces let workers manage and manipulate the machines on the assembly line itself. Many modern assembly lines rely on industrial panel PCs as user interfaces, as they are more flexible and intuitive to use than old-school panels of buttons and switches.
- Quality Control: Quality control is performed by various cameras and sensors along the assembly line that inspect products and flag defective or broken units before they can be shipped off to customers.
- RFID and Barcode Scanners: These scanners help track products as they move along the assembly line and ensure the right parts are sent to the right section of the line. For example, Mobis North America uses RFID readers built into the industrial PCs at their workstations to scan vehicles on the assembly line. This lets them pull up a list of parts that need to be installed at each station, preventing waste or errors during assembly.
Benefits of Process Automation and Assembly Lines
Implementing automation and assembly lines in manufacturing has brought countless benefits, with the greatest being:
Greater Efficiency Through Automation
Ford’s ability to produce Model T’s in a matter of little more than an hour and a half is a testament to the efficiency of process automation and assembly lines. By putting out more products faster and at lower costs, businesses enjoy greater profits, which they can reinvest into their own operations or pass on to their customers in the form of lower prices.
Machine Precision Leads to Fewer Errors
Traditional assembly and production methods reliant on manual labor were vulnerable to human error. A single slip of the hand can lead to a stamp, weld, or stitch out of place, which might irreparably damage a product. Relying on machines that never get tired or distracted helps remove this possibility and reduce the amount of material lost to errors.
Less Reliance On Labor
Workforce availability can vary due to numerous factors outside of a business’s control and can easily lead to that business simply not having enough workers to function. With automation, manufacturers can have greater resilience against these kinds of variables and lower their payroll expenses.
Challenges and Considerations for Process Automation and Assembly Lines
Like any major change or innovation, there are hurdles to overcome when implementing automated assembly lines in manufacturing.
High Upfront Costs
While automated systems save money in the long run, their installation and deployment come with a high upfront cost. Manufacturers should budget carefully and, if possible, work closely with original equipment manufacturers. These partners can deliver customized solutions that match both their performance requirements and their budget.
New Expertise Needed
Any new tool, no matter how intuitive, requires a period of training and acclimation to use it effectively. Manufacturers need to be prepared for this period of training and try to implement tools that are user-friendly to reduce the time spent learning.
Empower Your Assembly Lines with Cybernet Manufacturing
For manufacturing businesses, automation and assembly lines are a question of “when” and “how,” not “if.” The benefits they bring are simply too great to ignore, with the only obstacle being what tools you will use to implement them.If you’re looking for industrial-grade computers that can enable assembly automation, contact the team at Cybernet Manufacturing. Our range of industrial mini PCs and panel PCs are perfect for HMI roles, quality control, IoT, and more. As an experienced OEM, we can also help develop customized solutions for your exact needs.