May 13, 2021
Efficiency programs are commonplace in manufacturing and sustainment programs, particularly in the defence forces and supporting industries. The aim is to produce savings which could be redirected into other priority areas, such as purchasing new equipment or supporting ongoing operations. Understandably, it is extremely worthwhile to seek ways to make infinitesimal gains, even outside those obvious areas where ‘low hanging fruit’ paybacks have already been made, in order to streamline maintenance procedures. One of the relatively under-explored areas where investment in automation can provide tangible value for money through potential reductions in costs is in paint processing and the rework of parts and capital equipment. When considering automation, there are some obvious savings in labour and material usage, but digging deeper, there are a myriad opportunities for a significant return on investment that may not be apparent to those who haven’t worked with robotic paint application equipment before. These improvements include transfer efficiency gains, removal of operators from potentially hazardous environments, a reduction…