Not All Automation Integrators Are The Same: How Navus Engineered What Didn’t Exist
We don’t have to tell you about the challenges and complexity of making the different systems in your facility communicate and work together. If you find managing line production day-to-day feels more like a nightmare than the smooth process it should be, you may be partnered with the wrong automation integrator. Choosing the right automation integrators makes all the difference in how well your systems run, their impact on your day, and the future growth of your company.
No matter what challenge you’re facing in your manufacturing facility, different automation integrators will always come up with different ways to resolve your challenges. When choosing a partner, it comes down to choosing the smartest solution possible for your company. Integration isn’t just about solving your current challenge, it’s also about looking to the future and seeing possibilities for the success of your business that your current integration partner may not have considered.
Our team at Navus has proven our ability to stand out above other integrators with our knack for seeing what others didn’t, and applying ingenuity to not only solve immediate complex challenges for our clients, but also to think towards the future and how our turn-key systems can provide intelligent solutions that consider future challenges your company may face. In this blog series we explore how the work that we’ve done sets Navus apart from other integrators.
Seamless Integration & No Line Layout Changes
One of the most unique client challenges we’ve helped resolve to date was a modular machine for the assembly of small parts. The machine needed to handle a 26-step manufacturing process contained in the single, modular machine. Our client had pre-existing systems that built these particular parts in their manufacturing facility, but the legacy systems were not able to produce fast enough to meet the demanded volume of manufactured products. They needed additional systems to decrease production time for orders that followed the same general manufacturing steps, but that could be contained within a small footprint of the manufacturing floor.
The system that Navus proposed did more than just solve our client’s initial challenge. It opened up a new world of possibilities for the future of their manufacturing facility and production times that translates directly to the growth of their business.
The end result of this project was a machine that assembled parts faster than our client could have imagined, without taking up extra space on the manufacturing floor. The design and programming of the machine itself created a platform for which all of their future line layout can be accomplished without the need to change manufacturing floor space requirements—and in fact, free up more manufacturing floor space to include new lines as their business grows.
How Did We Do It?
One of our client’s main goals was to utilize automation to achieve a faster production time. The goal for each part of the automation process was to be completed under 2.5 seconds. But the automation system had to be flexible in order to account for multiple variations in the product. On top of this, our client wanted to affordably automate the assembly process inline with existing equipment without changing their facility’s floor plan.
For this system’s automation application, we needed to create a machine cased within a custom safety enclosure that also featured an in-feed conveyor system with part escapements, a label application system, a height inspection sensor, nail feeding and insertion systems, a part nest tooling system, an operator control panel, and an out-feed conveyor system.
We did it all with the use of a flexible robotic automation process contained within one modular machine.
Instead of the traditional approach of using multiple robots programmed for different steps of the assembly process down a long assembly line, our engineers’ solution used a robot’s ability to do multiple functions in the assembly process to make our client’s desires a reality.
The turn-key systems solution we designed:
- Automated the label application process
- Inspects and verifies the height of certain parts
- Feeds nails into the correct spot
- Nests boxes together
- Provides a robotic quality check (and disposes of faulty parts)
- All contained in one modular machine that took up minimal floor space in our client’s facility
The result? With this new process, our client was able to produce 24 individual, finished parts within one minute, increasing their capacity for production without the need to change manufacturing floor space requirements. For more details about this particular project, check out our recent visual case study!
Why Are Navus’ Solutions Smarter Than Other Automation Integrators’ Solutions?
It all comes down to our team at Navus. Every one of our engineers is passionate about solving specific challenges for every single one of our clients who partners with us. Our experience, ability to think outside of the box, and passion make all of the difference in ensuring our turn-key system solutions accomplish what other automation integrators can’t. Partnering with Navus isn’t just about figuring out a solution for your current challenges. With every client we partner with, we promise to bring new ideas and solutions to the table that create future possibilities for your manufacturing space, and the future growth of your company.
Navus Automation, Inc., is a leading full-service automation integrator. Our world-class team has a reputation for applying ingenuity to solve complex challenges and deliver customized turn-key systems solutions. From concept to completion, Navus provides robotic welding and automation systems built upon our unwavering commitment to excellence, precision, and reliability.
For more information on how our team can help you solve complex challenges in your manufacturing facility, reach out to us today!