Login

Vi har tekniska problem. Din formulär har inte varit framgångsrik. Vi ber om ursäkt och försök igen senare.

Download

Register

Vi har tekniska problem. Din formulär har inte varit framgångsrik. Vi ber om ursäkt och försök igen senare.

Download

Thank you for registering

An email to complete your account has been sent to

Return to the website

get direct access

Fill in your details below and get direct access to content on this page

Text error notification

Text error notification

Checkbox error notification

Checkbox error notification

Vi har tekniska problem. Din formulär har inte varit framgångsrik. Vi ber om ursäkt och försök igen senare.

Download

Thank you for your interest

You now have access to Download expert article - Breaking down the process of flexible manufacturing

A confirmation email has been sent to

Continue to page

Please or get direct access to download this document

Flexible Manufacturing

Embracing change: Breaking down the process of flexible manufacturing

Publicerat 30 januari 2024 i Flexible Manufacturing

The fast-moving consumer goods market is experiencing a transformative shift, driven by factors such as consumer empowerment, customization demands, health-conscious preferences, veganism, ethical concerns, and sustainability. We expect that it will undergo more changes in the next decade than it has in the previous 50 years. This necessitates the adaptation of production and supply chains to meet emerging trends. The future of fast-moving consumer goods factories will likely involve smaller, smarter facilities with autonomous movement of goods and interconnected systems.

Machines, whether standalone or interconnected, need to be more flexible than ever before to ensure the timely supply of appropriate materials and packaging. Production has to be more agile, increasingly producing retail-ready items with a high mix-low volume approach with zero recalls. The question is how to realize this with minimal cost and fast ROI?

Workflow in three levels

To achieve the optimal solution with maximum flexibility, it is important to consider various factors. A practical approach, like the one employed by OMRON, focuses on optimizing processes to minimize disruptions. This involves breaking down the workflow into three functional levels.

Level 1 - For the machine - Intralogistics

Before reaching the production line and machine level, the emphasis needs to be on enabling flexibility in the production line, thanks to just-in-time delivery of consumables, optimizing the transport of goods, boxes, and pallets, as well as managing half-products, waste, and unused consumables. The goal is to avoid storing consumables and half-products on the shop floor.

Level 2 - At the machine - Machine feeding

At the machine level, the focus shifts to automating material verification and feeding processes, replacing manual feeding activities with automated ones, conducting quality assurance on packaging materials, and ensuring package integrity after packaging.

Level 3 - In the machine - Machine setup

In the machine itself, all functions such as machine control, motion, robotics, sensing, vision, and safety are automatically aligned. This ensures that tasks like filling, capping, tray loading, seaming, sealing, and labelling are executed as quickly as possible, thereby enhancing overall efficiency.

The Benefits

The automation of production processes for flexible manufacturing offers numerous advantages, including:

  1. Faster product change-over capabilities enable quick adjustments and modifications to production lines, reducing changeover time and optimizing performance
  2. Improved tracking and analysis provide valuable insights for continuous improvement and workflow optimization.
  3. Increased employee satisfaction thanks to focus on value-adding tasks and more strategic and creative work
By leveraging the benefits of automated flexibility, companies can achieve greater operational efficiency, employee safety, cost savings, product innovation, and improved competitiveness.
Make it Flexible

Kontakta Omron-specialister

Har du några frågor eller vill du ha råd om något? Kontakta en av våra specialister.
  • John van Hooijdonk

    John van Hooijdonk

    Industry Marketing