IEN: How can this sector meet rising demand for greater automation and flexibility?
McNeil: Traditional material handling tools simply cannot compete in a manufacturing world that wants on-demand answers. At the same time, total automation lacks the intuitiveness to meet the growing need for flexibility. For example, an automated system for palletizing tire rims is ideal, assuming every tire rim that needs to be picked up is in precisely the same spot each time. Can a completely automated system compensate for rims that are shifted a few inches from where they are expected to be?
The future of material handling lies in solutions that maximize the relationship between man and machine: machines that do the physical work but are guided by human intelligence and use human guidance to respond to changing circumstances or unforeseen problems. In short, future solutions will focus less on hard automation and more on human guidance. We''ll see more solutions that provide the repeatability of automated solutions, plus the variability and responsiveness of a human solution, without the risk of injury that comes with totally manual options. We''ll see more and more of these products designed with intelligence features that make them easier to use, easier to maintain, and more easy to integrate with other plant features.
With this in mind, we introduced our G-Force™ line of Intelligent Assist Devices, including our latest, the Easy Arm™. The G-Force™ uses patented technology and an industrial processor-controlled drive system that enable operators to lift and maneuver naturally, as if the device were an extension of their own arm (see photo). Productivity is increased because the G-Force™ takes on most of the physical load, but the human operator is still able to respond to changing conditions. (For more on G-Force™, click here.)
IEN: What advances do you see in plant floor connectivity? Web services? Remote material handling?
McNeil: Advances in these areas will focus on one main thing -- providing information needed to maintain safety, quality, and productivity and communicating that information to the proper people. Example: Gorbel''s G-Force™ can connect to DeviceNet and other information systems and relay what''s going on in production. If a fault code occurs on the G-Force™, it is automatically communicated to someone, enabling faster response times and less downtime.
IEN: Where are other R & D hot spots?
McNeil: Quick change, adaptable tooling will continue to be at the forefront of new product design as we get further and further away from batch manufacturing. Tools will become easier to switch in and out as we work to reduce setup times, plus designs will enable a single tool to be used for a variety of applications.
IEN: How can downtime issues be resolved? Through RCM, web-based monitoring, embedded maintenance? Other solutions?
McNeil: One of the keys to resolving downtime issues is faster detection of problems. We expect to see more and more products designed with some level of self-diagnostic capability. In the past when a machine went down, someone had to recognize that the machine was down, call someone to come look at it, determine the problem, and service it. If a self-diagnosing machine is connected to a DeviceNet or similar system, it can communicate its fault code to a central place, and the issue can be resolved immediately