Like other industries, technological advancement is also improving the metal fabrication industry. As long as safety is the top priority with training and proper safety equipment for the machines the benefits of productivity and quality outweigh the cons. Here are the top benefits of automation in metal fabrication:
Rapid Production
It is no secret that machines are about 500 times faster than humans on average. This means that automation of metal fabrication results in a dramatic reduction of production time. CNC plasma cutters, heavy-duty cutting table cans, and waterjet cutters can be easily equipped with multiple sharp heads to quicken the process.
Cleaner Cut
Human error is inevitable when the human is a seasoned professional. On the other hand, machines produce the same result, over and over, when maintained sharp and smooth. This results in cleaner cuts in metal that reduces waste and ensures consistency.
Combined with the rapid production rate, cleaner cuts make the metal fabrication businesses more efficient. This results in increased profit.
Quick Employee Training
Metal fabrication as manual labor requires months of training, which requires years to perfect. On the other hand, operating automatic metal cutters can be mastered within a week. The safety products on automated metal fabrication machines is easier to train employees as well, therefore, is safer than manual labor.
This saves metal fabrication business owners significant capital on hiring and training workers. It also saves time and money that could go to waste if a trained employee quits. Not to mention, even skilled employees can make mistakes during hand-cutting metal with torches, which adds to wasted money. Automated metal fabrication equipment is very easy to work with. It only requires plugging in, turning on, uploading the design into the software, loading materials, and pressing the start button. When materials end or are about to end, employees can simply stop the process and reload materials before restarting the machine.
Low-Maintenance Cost
Machines don’t need as many breaks as humans. Since they are also faster, they significantly bring down the maintenance cost. Though they require a large capital when invested, maintaining them in the long run only costs a fraction of the increased profits they bring.
Safer Workplace
Last but not least, automation in metal fabrication makes the metal fabrication industry safer for employees. Hand-held metal cutters and torches can be very dangerous. If the employee is tired, sick, or even distracted, it can result in an injury. On the other hand, automated metal fabrication equipment is designed to have sharp cutters and hot torches on the inside. This eliminated the direct contact between employees and cutters and torches and made them safer.
But even if employees’ hands never go near the torches and cutters, ensuring their safety at all levels is essential. Machine safety add-ons make the machines even safer to operate. The safety add-ons allow quicker shut down of the machine, shut down of the machine from various panels, and further reduce the contact between the machine and employee. Metal Tech can help you discover and buy machine safety add-ons to make your metal fabrication workshop safe per OSHA compliance. One machine usually requires only one employee to operate, resulting in an open workplace floor. An uncrowded floor doesn’t lead to distractions or interference in work, allowing the employees to focus on their work.
Don’t Forget The Safety Equipment – Metal Fabrication Safety
Be sure to contact our metal machinery safety specialists at Metal Tech. We have anything from light curtains, press brake controls, punch controls, and more. When switching to automation for metal fabrication you will want to ensure that your employees stay safe!