Time to Get Ready for Lights-Out Manufacturing
Published on : Tuesday 14-07-2020
Demand generates to witness market potential and cost-effective approach in the industry are claiming the incorporation of lights-out manufacturing to enhance the increase in production capacity and make the position for the right equipment to prevent the potential challenges ahead of implementation.
Product manufacturing based on lights-out manufacturing technology not are supposed to require human intervention to operate any operation of machines, as they all function automatically without surveillance. It is much more involved and intricate than just switching off the lights while the machines run. Also, it enables the potential for companies for capital savings by reducing labor costs and unnecessary machine running. The concept is massively been in use by the CNC machine companies owing to high competition in the global market. In addition, it widely reduces the cost and enhances the work quality by going unmanned with lights-out machining.
The wide increase in the technical specification update and the possibility to use lights-out manufacturing for both large factories and small-scale machine operations are further strengthening its capability. However, the limited awareness related to lights-out manufacturing is creating concerns among the companies for the adoption in the manufacturing area.
Advantage of Lights-Out Manufacturing
Reduced cost and precise work are the main driving force for the adoption of lights-out manufacturing concept in the end-use application industries and it also enables various benefits that can be –
Savings in labor costs – Labor expenses are the principal contributor to variation in costs, and trained personnel are difficult to find. Because lights-out manufacturing requires no human intervention, there is great potential for saving labor costs.
Increased capacity and productivity – Lights-out manufacturing enables companies to accomplish more work with the same capital because of the additional capabilities of the machines, including extra machining hours. Manufacturers can take on additional work orders and deliver them by adding extra hours of fully automated manufacturing. Shops can allocate simpler components for unattended machining and leave more complex tasks for personnel to handle during the day.
Energy efficiency – Robotic arms don’t demand an air-conditioned environment. Other auxiliary energy requirements such as lighting and ventilation can also be minimized. Additionally, energy costs less at night as opposed to during the day.
Consistency – Automated work can be more consistent than parts made without automation. Deviations in work because of temperature variation can also be reduced, as lights-out manufacturing can be done in constant working conditions.
Conclusion
According to the company's experts that incorporated lights-out manufacturing is stated that the well-execution of the concept can create a tremendous potential to enhance the machine functioning and production quality, but in return, the companies have to invest in terms of money and time to advance the processes.