What you need to know to be prepared for the future.

The world of manufacturing and automation is an ever-changing playing field. How can anyone make investments to plan for a future that changes day by day? Instead most companies are simply trying to navigate through what is in front of them right now.

You likely have lots of questions and considerations about how to prepare your equipment, not only for the parts you are machining now, but also thinking ahead to future applications and how to incorporate flexibility into your initial purchases and component design. There are some broad topics that could be considered, so that you can be in the best position to adapt to whatever the future may look like…

1. Flexible automation solutions in anticipation of unknown future demands

SCHUNK has addressed this need with its new Flex Grip Tools program - a modular End-of-Arm-Tool system for lightweight and ease-of-use robots. With a little forward planning, a modular system allows for an application to be adapted or a different type of workpiece to easily be accounted for, often without any further CAD work.

If you are thinking of automating some of your manufacturing processes, now is a good time to explore that. It is easier than ever to get started with many complete Plug & Work portfolios that are directly compatible with robot arms from different manufacturers. SCHUNK is the world’s first manufacturer of these products and offers an extensive range of standardized components for various cobots and lightweight robots.

3. Understanding what your machining components are telling you

The iTENDO series of toolholders allows for precise measurement and analysis of vibration via the attached acceleration sensor. Through the provided software, this information can be used to adjust machining speeds and feeds in real time. You will gain not only greater tool life, but also a sense of security and the ability to adapt your machining for the most optimal output.

4. Reduce machine down-time now, to streamline your process for the future

It is always a good time to look at ways to reduce your machine down time and increase output, but none more so than now. One of the best ways to safeguard your future manufacturing is to ensure that downtime, and part changeover time, is as streamlined as possible. One way of doing that is to think about quick change pallet systems which have a very high repeat accuracy, allowing the next part to be set up outside of the machine while the previous part is running. This reduces the time the machine is idle between parts. The SCHUNK VERO-S quick change pallet system is modular with more than 1,000 variants for precise workpiece clamping.

5. Machine tending made simple

Collaborative robots and an abundance of integrators have made it easier than ever to implement automated machine tending. Many small to medium size manufacturers are making the investment into automation and seeing it pay back in less than 6 months. Pneumatic clamping vises and the VERO-S clamping system are built for easy integration into robotically loaded machine tending systems.