When you’re setting up your very own manufacturing business, you’ll be aware that there are certain machines that you absolutely need to purchase. You’ll have mapped out your production line so that you’re aware of what is needed to make your products. Still, many other machines can either increase the efficiency of your processes, or help your firm save time, cash, and waste throughout your product creation lifecycle. Here are a handful of those machines and why they’re so important for manufacturers.
Conveyors
You may well have connected your production line up with conveyors already. They are, after all, simple machines that transport goods from A to B where previously that would have been done by hand. Seeing as they’re so simple to construct and run, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t add more conveyors to your production line. For instance, many firms have conveyors running underneath some of their machines to pick up the waste and transport it to the waste processing part of the plant. This means that cleaners need not manually clean around machines, increasing operational efficiency.
Balers
On the subject of waste, there is no better way to handle large volumes of waste that to process it through balers. These crushing machines are built to ensure that recyclable waste is compacted into neat and tidy cubes for transportation to a recycling facility. They even come with attached conveyors; most can do some of the waste sortings automatically, saving the need for extra staff. Make sure you purchase pallets to place your waste onto when it’s processed, fixing the cubes of waste with steel baling wire so that they’re kept together when they are transported away from your facility.
Robotics
Some machines operate with some basic robotic engineering. You may have researched them for your production line, or you may have decided that this level go high technology is not something that you need to invest in at the current time. Yet there is no doubt that complex robotics are the future of production lines – doing jobs that only humans were previously able to do, and doing them so fast and so precisely that very little is wasted along a production line. Researching in this area, or perching one machine, can help reveal the efficiency savings that they can generate for your firm.
Data
Finally, one of the major revolutions taking place in modern manufacturing is in the form of data collection. You can keep track of your entire plant using small sensors connected to the internet and fed into a digital system in one control room. Your software will process data and show you where there are production bottlenecks and other issues with machinery ahead of time, revealing when you need to make interventions to head off moments of calamity when you have to shut down your entire facility for maintenance.
New manufacturers have a fantastic array of machines to choose from, including the four excellent additions listed in this article.
Ingrid Maldine is a business writer, editor and management consultant with extensive experience writing and consulting for both start-ups and long established companies. She has ten years management and leadership experience gained at BSkyB in London and Viva Travel Guides in Quito, Ecuador, giving her a depth of insight into innovation in international business. With an MBA from the University of Hull and many years of experience running her own business consultancy, Ingrid’s background allows her to connect with a diverse range of clients, including cutting edge technology and web-based start-ups but also multinationals in need of assistance. Ingrid has played a defining role in shaping organizational strategy for a wide range of different organizations, including for-profit, NGOs and charities. Ingrid has also served on the Board of Directors for the South American Explorers Club in Quito, Ecuador.
