Manufacturers have plenty of reasons to adopt automated sheet metal production and other modern manufacturing technologies. For starters, it provides faster lead times, longer tool life, and higher-quality parts. Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) has improved, resulting in more cost-effective manufacturing and better throughput. And there are several chances for ongoing development.
Still, why should you, as a buyer or a product designer, worry how your supplier makes sheet metal components as long as you’re receiving a good deal and the completed goods are up to par?
GOING DIGITAL WITH SHEET METAL MANUFACTURING
Suppliers who keep up with the latest technologies are just more efficient. They make much fewer errors than their less advanced rivals, which means no unpleasant phone calls informing you that your components will be late. Moreover, these suppliers are better positioned to supply the decades-old manufacturing trifecta mentioned above, as well as a few unexpected perks.
But, exactly, what does “advanced technology” imply? And what’s the deal with Industry 4.0 and its younger sibling, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)? The first of them pertain to the present trend of growing digitization of design and production processes, which provides manufacturers of all shapes and sizes with capabilities such as virtualization and machine learning. The second relates to data collecting using sensors and software-driven analyses. This potent combination, when correctly applied, provides sheet metal fabricators and other manufacturers with substantial insight into their shop floors.
What’s the end result? Intelligent factories that can manufacture more components in less time with less waste and human involvement. And, because the factory managers have more up-to-date and precise data at their fingertips, they can make better business choices aggressively rather than reactively, as they would in traditional manufacturing plants.
ABOVE AND BEYOND THE FACTORY FLOOR
To be sure, it’s cool stuff, but it doesn’t end there. The shop and its employees have accessibility to a single source of truth since the many software systems communicate with one another. There are no information islands or lack of transparency like there are in less integrated industrial firms. Best of all, real-time tracking and notifications keep everyone updated on each job’s production performance all across the production line, preventing costly and disruptive issues before they arise.
Notwithstanding all of this high-tech wizardry, no sheet metal fabricator can survive long without a well-trained staff of fabricators, machine operators, and production engineers. These individuals assist in keeping the train on the rails. They aid in the preparation of setups and tooling. They are in charge of planning and troubleshooting procedures. When necessary, they collaborate with clients to improve part manufacturability using established DFM (design for manufacturability) procedures.
When you put it all together, you’ll see how working with a smart manufacturer helps you get goods to market faster. Costs are cut, and unpleasant shocks are avoided. It is essential that you find a metal solutions company that is technologically advanced. If you seek a one-stop metal manufacturer of solutions in Malaysia, please visit CFM technologies.
