Industrial & Manufacturing Blog
Whatever you're manufacturing, laser cutting could possibly be utilised as an important part of your process. A versatile technique that can be adapted to many material types, scales and capacity requirements, laser cutting is a very precise way of cutting out parts to be assembled later. But is this process best employed automatically, with a robotic arm and pre-programmed shapes, or by manual handling? Both these options have their pros and cons depending on what exactly you're looking to do with laser cutting - but here's a simplified guide.
Precision
On this point, it really depends what you mean by precision. If you will be replicating the exact same shapes over and over again, automation wins over human hand-eye coordination every time - but if the precision you require is based on individual, unique shapes that change frequently, then it would be much faster to use a manual human operator than to reprogram a robot for every individual cut. It would also prevent robots from making logic errors, as humans can use their wealth of experience to solve problems rather than simply following a set of instructions. However, it's worth remembering that even the most experienced human operators are also capable of errors.
Cost
The initial cost of an automatic process is much higher than hiring human operators. However, once that initial purchase is made, you need only pay for maintenance - whereas labour costs are ongoing, and will eventually amount to more than the cost of the automated equipment. As such, it really depends on your capital and cash flow, and how you intend to manage your accounts.
Speed
No doubt about it - automated robots are much faster than manual human operators. There's simply no contest. However, as mentioned above, this is only true of repetitive processes. Custom orders are best handled by humans, who can take their own initiative instead of being reprogrammed between jobs - so it really depends on what you want to be done quickly. However, as a rule, if you are looking for fast high-volume processing, automation is the way forward.
Balancing the best of all these three requirements, you're likely to be able to make a decision about whether manual or automated laser cutting is best for business - but before making any purchases, you should always speak to an equipment expert to be sure that what you want is achievable and cost-effective.
Share28 April 2017
Greetings to all who come here. My name is Brad Hansen and I am an accountant who happens to know an awful lot about wells. My church began charity work in Cambodia over a decade ago and it has installed dozens of wells in villages across the country. Before I started helping in Cambodia, I had no idea about different types of water pumps. Over the years, I have learnt that different pumps are needed depending on terrain and usage. Of course, making sure that pumps are cost effective and easily maintained is important for charity projects. These days, I use my accountancy skills to purchase water pumps and other equipment at the best possible prices. Initially, I honed my understandings through research and talking to experts, so I feel that I have some knowledge to share. I hope readers of this blog find it helpful. Peace to you all.
