Has automation gone too far?

No industry takes safety and security more seriously than aerospace and defense (A&D). Manufacturers and suppliers are hyper-sensitive to issues around software and technology, which is why the topic of automation in A&D factories is so electrically charged. Manufacturers want to understand the role of automation software and how to apply modern technologies to their factory floor, supply chain management, product design, and quality control activities. They want to reap the benefits of automation, yet feel confident that critical processes aren’t jeopardized. Following is a look at the types and benefits of automation, and how to incorporate it into your workflows.
 

Types of automation

When automation is mentioned, many people think of robotics, drones, and machinery becoming self-aware and taking over the plant – and the world. Although great strides have been made in designing robots that can learn behaviors, the doomsday saga of renegade artificial intelligence units taking over is still science fiction. However, many automation tools are available that can streamline tasks, predict outcomes, suggest best practices, initiate action, monitor progress, and alert managers when there is an incident that demands attention.

Modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for advanced manufacturing often route incidents to the relevant department using event and workflow management. This is one of the most basic forms of automation, one that significantly improves productivity and streamlines processes. Workflows do not need to rely on personnel to remember to create a report and deliver typed updates to other departments. Standard communications, such as a daily inventory reports or shop floor schedules, can be automatically issued to the right people at designated times.

Other built-in automation tactics can help personnel stay on track, following prescribed company policies. For example, if a customer’s account goes past 90 days, the account can be locked so additional orders aren’t started until payment is received. Such rules-based events can help managers feel confident that company policies are being followed – even when several locations are dispersed over a wide geography.

Built-in automation can also help by pushing relevant contextual information to personnel – without waiting for the employee to hunt for the facts. For example, if delivery of a critical component is late, the system can alert the operations manager. This event can trigger appropriate decision-making factors to appear on the manager’s screen, such as orders that will be impacted, alternative suppliers, and location of other deliveries in transit. This information helps the manager make well-informed decisions and take multiple alternatives into consideration.

Managers can also establish steps that must be taken before an action is executed, such as verifying inventory levels before making a purchase or obtaining three quotes before issuing a purchase order. Although these may seem like small examples of automation, the cumulative effect leads to tight controls on operations and policies that are enforced uniformly.

More advanced examples of multi-step automation also can be achieved through modern ERP solutions. Most standard workflows have sets of rules or accepted standards used to monitor compliance; for example, established minimum inventory levels of raw resources. If the inventory drops below a certain point, the system can notify a person, or it can go a step further and automatically send an order to a preapproved supplier.

Such rule-based triggers and actions remove the necessity of a person executing a routine step. This speeds response times and frees individuals to focus on more critical roles. When analyzing roles, multiple triggers and automatic responses can usually be found. To add an extra layer of security to automation, the systems can be set up so at least two conditions are needed before an automated action is set in motion. A manual override/approval can also be worked into the system as a final step.
 

Benefits of automation

Quality control is one of the most important benefits of automation in manufacturing. In an earlier era, a final quality check could be made late in the process after final assembly. Today, waiting until the product is complete to conduct an inspection causes unnecessary rework and wasted material. It is more cost effective to spot non-conformities early in the work cycle. Sensors can be used to monitor numerous specifications and confirm quality conditions, such as weight, dimensions, alignment, and airflow. The ability to measure microns and nanoseconds means sensors can often monitor quality control conditions more precisely and objectively than a human.

Early detection of performance issues with manufacturing equipment is another benefit of automatic monitoring, where warning signs can be spotted early and the action can be automated so that a machine gets attention. Automatic responses can include scheduling the technician, ordering a replacement part, rerouting scheduled work to a different machine, notifying customers of a potential delay, and adjusting available capacity levels and projections for completing orders.

Beyond automation based on internal conditions, the Internet of Things and connected devices allow manufacturers to automate activities based on signals from outside the plant such as data received from a supplier, subcontractor, logistics provider, or customer. Sensors can be embedded on a wide range of devices and can help a manufacturer identify with GPS tracking where a delivery is on its route or monitor whether installed equipment is performing properly.

By automatically sending and receiving such data, the manufacturer can receive early warnings and valuable insights about product performance. This helps engineering make product improvements and help to project service demand.
 

Incorporating automation

One of the first places to deploy automation is on the shop floor. Manufacturers can take advantage of automation tools to help configure, price, and quote engineered-to-order (ETO) and made-to-order (MTO) products. Configuration tools use rule-based parameters to automatically quote products and create new specifications without having to engage with engineers for every variation.

Other shop floor automation steps can include inspections, routing work orders, assigning personnel to jobs based on training/certification, and tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for different roles and departments. KPIs can measure a wide variety of performance criteria, from volume of tasks completed to compliance with regulations, so those regularly falling below or above standards can trigger escalation alerts to managers.

Shop floor automation can include help in scheduling and routing work orders through the operations process, eliminating idle machines and cutting unnecessary movement of goods through the plant. Automating workflows takes advantage of calculated cycle times, production capacity, and demand to get the most efficient combination of jobs on the floor at a given time. This is typically far more efficient than printed spreadsheets and job packets.

Automatic response to change orders is another basic step that manufacturers should consider. If change orders are frequent, they can cause major complications. Each change order affects multiple steps or departments. This chain reaction can be automated so that no step is overlooked or no department fails to get the new specifications. The account history, product order, inventory, quote, and invoicing can be adjusted as well. Controlling this process saves lost income from extra parts or engineering time.

Compliance with strict government regulation can be monitored by information technology (IT) solutions. Deadlines, percentage of completion, project tracking, specifications, and reporting requirements can be tracked and reports generated automatically.

Manufacturers who work with contractors and fabricators to supply components also have opportunities to automate integration and communication processes. For example, if a supplier of a component such as a wiring harness or brake system changes a part number or version, that change must be reflected throughout the manufacturer’s specifications. Such essential tracking and updating should be automated to ensure thorough compliance.

Although some processes and critical decisions within A&D manufacturing simply cannot be relinquished to the IT system, many more can benefit from automation. For managers, the goal must be to become familiar with the automation tools available and which offer significant savings and improvement. As competition continues to place pressure on manufacturers to cut waste and control costs, automation becomes increasingly important. Understanding the rules-based conditions and trigger points that go into automation can make manufacturers more comfortable with automation as a sound, reliable tactic.

Infor
www.infor.com

About the author: Ed Talerico is industry strategy director for aerospace and defense at Infor. He can be contacted at innovate@infor.com.