3 Ways to Increase Safety in the Workplace

Safety should be at the forefront of every workplace, and strict safety standards and measures should be followed. Taking steps to ensure that safety protocols are in place, OSHA guidelines are being followed, and employees are properly trained, are all key to curating a safety-first work environment.  

Read more to learn about three ways to increase workplace safety.  

ENSURE A SAFE WORK AREA & PROVIDE PROPER GEAR 

Making sure workers are able to perform their job in a safe environment should be an everyday consideration in an industrial workplace. According to OSHA, 14 people die from work-related accidents every day, and this can be prevented with simple steps towards overall safety.   

Ensure not only that there are perimeters around manufacturing equipment, but clear and readable signs work to enforce safety. Proper signage communicates risks and dangers, as well as instructions, and perimeters keep employees and visitors in proper and safe locations.  

Along with clear signage and proper perimeters, it’s important to also keep workspaces clear of extra clutter and the floor clear of debris. With over 700 injuries a year attributed to slips and falls, something that may seem insignificant can add up.  

Each job requires its own sets of skills and tools, and with that can come gear, or personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is a common term for protective equipment and gear designed to minimize injury or harm should an accident occur.  

PPE can vary, from hard hats to gloves, to proper footwear and clothing. It should be regularly maintained, fit properly, and be inspected regularly as part of reoccurring maintenance.  

When looking to outfit your employees with proper PPE, ask the following questions: 

• When will the employees need protection? 

• What kind of PPE will be required to protect workers from accidents? 

• Are the employees trained to properly wear, remove, and adjust their PPE? 

• Are there any restrictions and if so, how might they affect the worker or job? 

• Is the equipment being properly cared for and stored? 

HAVE HEAT-RELATED SAFETY MEASURES 

Although industrial manufacturing workers are not often subjected to direct sunlight, heat and heat-based illnesses can still be a safety issue during warmer months. There are steps you can take to ensure that your workers are protected, whether inside or out.  

• Make sure the facility your workers are in has proper ventilation and cooling systems. Additionally, insulating hot pipes can keep temperatures low. 

• Monitor the heat index each day, especially in facilities that might have less insulation than an office space. OSHA recommends using the heat index as a screening tool to know when to put extra cooling measures in place.  

• Train and communicate with your team to identify the signs of overheating or heat-based illnesses. Knowing the signs for themselves and others will ensure a safer overall team environment when dealing with heat.  

• Ensure all workers have easy access to locations to cool off, as well as hydration areas. Giving overheating bodies a break keeps overall safety and productivity up.  

LISTEN TO FEEDBACK AND TRAIN ACCORDINGLY  

Overall, the most important thing that can help increase safety in the workplace is proper employee training and listening to feedback.  

A proactive approach to training is key. Along with the heat based training mentioned above, investing in hazard awareness and potential accident training can work to prevent not only accidents from themselves, but from the team as a whole. OSHA has several recommended practices for safety and health programs on their website that should be utilized.  

Additionally, ensuring a healthy two-way communication between employee and employer encourages direct correspondence about safety issues and concerns either party might have. Making sure that employers are engaging with employees about safety measures, precautions, and updates guarantees a safer workplace.  

A new factor coming into play in workplace safety and training is the proactive implementation of artificial intelligence. Using AI when monitoring a workspace can ensure employees haven’t lapsed in safety practices. Investing in AI that can analyze footage allows businesses to alert workers to safety hazards they might have encountered when looking back on the footage.  

Surveillance footage can also enforce safety procedures such as proper use of PPE, ensuring vehicle and large machinery safety, and proper fall protection protocol. 

NRTC Automation and Safety  

NRTC Automation offers a variety of engineering contract services and training for manufacturers. Contact us today to learn more about our automation and manufacturing services that are aimed at minimizing disruption and downtime in the work area, with an emphasis on safety, speed, and efficiency.   

Contact NRTC today for more information on how our engineering contract services and training can help your business.

Getting Acquainted With Your New Machine: The Basics of Robotic Training

Industrial robotics training is beneficial for both business owners and your employees.

Employees often value the opportunity for paid professional development. Employers may expect benefits like reduced risk, lower employee churn, and efficiency gains.

Learn more about robotics training and how to get started with NRTC Automation below.

Programming and different robot programming languages

In order to complete tasks, robots are either guided in real time or programmed to work autonomously. Today, the majority of modern industrial robots are programmed.

While robots are typically packaged with user interface software, positional data and procedure will typically need to be programming. There are a few common programming methodologies used today:

• Teach pendants: The most common method for programming an industrial robot is a teach pendant. Teach pendants are hand-held control systems with several buttons or a touchscreen. Usually, the teach pendant becomes obsolete after the robot has been programmed to perform tasks. Most industrial robots are sold with teach pendants, allowing customers to deploy them without additional software or programming.

•  Offline programming: A newer method that can be used to automate is offline programming. Offline programming involves the creation of a virtual simulation of the robot’s desired actions. The simulation can be created offline and deployed to the robot when refined. Because offline programming is a newer method, fewer professionals are familiar with it compared with teach pendants. However, offline programming can improve safety and limit disruptions to production.

•  Lead-through: Lead-through programming involves physically moving a robot through the desired actions. The technique is popular for repetitive actions along a fixed path, like paint spraying. The robot captures the positions along a path and logs them into memory to use later. Though lead-through programming simplifies programming, it has become less popular in recent years because many industrial robots have become prohibitively large to manipulate.

Because of the proprietary nature of robot software, it’s common for robot hardware manufacturers to provide their own software. For example, ABB uses RAPID, FANUC uses Karel, and KUKA deploys KRL.

While there are over 30 robot programming languages due to a lack of standardization, there are similarities between them. Typically robotic programmers are able to gain a broad understanding of programming, without learning each proprietary language.

NRTC Automation offers basic programming to advance troubleshooting to empower teams with the skills and confidence to deploy your industrial automation solutions.

Diagnostics

Critical changes that occur in an industrial robot’s system parameters can result in loss of productivity as well as unsafe manipulator operation. Therefore, monitoring and prognostics are essential for the optimal use of industrial robots.

Today, diagnostics are performed at a regularly scheduled maintenance interval, unless a critical error requires immediate action. However, the prevalence of affordable sensing technology and advanced analytics presents an emerging opportunity for fault detection.

Automated fault detection for industrial robots is challenging because it requires vast amounts of labeled training data under healthy conditions. Therefore, unsupervised machine learning algorithms, which can detect, predict, and alert on faults with high accuracy are gaining in popularity.

Repairs

Frequently, the service needs of intricate production capital are more complicated than the actual robots. Repairs are often expensive, complicated, and unpredictable. While staff may be able to handle ongoing maintenance, repairs can be complex and sometimes require years of experience to resolve.

Industrial robot repairs may involve replacing or even refurbishing components. Additionally, to avoid major delays, it’s important to have the right parts and tools on hand that may be required to fix common issues.

Common issues that warrant repairs include:

• Power supply issues: Robots are powered by electricity and they use it in a number of ways, often amplifying or stepping down as needed. The electrical requirements for an industrial robot can be difficult to maintain.

• CPU malfunction: Central processing units are also subject to wear and may require repairs to perform up to production standard.

• Control panel errors: A number of variables can impact robotic controls, such as frequency and electromagnetic interference.

• Incorrect installation or programming: Since installation can be highly technical and specialized to the facility and requirements, leaving a lot of room for error.

• Mechanical failure: While many issues can be a result of programming errors, mechanical failure can cause unexpected faults.

Some industrial robotics owners choose to hire an on-staff technician to make repairs, while others decide to outsource to dedicated third-party repair companies. Many robot manufacturers and brokers also offer repair services.

NRTC Automation can conduct a top-down analysis of requirements and recommend a personalized training program to match your repair needs.

Maintenance

When it comes to industrial robots, it’s rarely possible to set it and forget it. Though robots can automate high-efficiency tasks, they require ongoing maintenance.

Regular maintenance has numerous benefits including:

• Decreasing downtime

• Avoiding loss of production due to undetected problems

• Prolonging the lifespan of expensive industrial robots

• Increasing production efficiency

Robot manufacturers list different schedules and cadences for preventative maintenance. Common industrial robot maintenance tasks include:

• Tightening external bolts: Bolts and screws may loosen over time and should be tightened as needed.

• Greasing joints: Periodically greasing joints with the correct grease blends will ensure smooth operation.

• Testing and replacing batteries in controller and robot arm

• Cleaning inside and out: Over time, robots can accumulate grease, dust, and other particles which may create safety and electrical issues. Grease, filters, vents, and cooling fans must be cleaned regularly to maintain robot health.

• 50-cycle verification tests: A 50-cycle verification test will provide data on robot operation. The tests will surface many concerns, such as repeatability issues, that need to be addressed.

Programming, repairs, and ongoing maintenance or complex, production robotic machinery can be daunting. NRTC Automation’s personalized training programs can help you get the most mileage out of their machines and learn from experts in industrial robotics.

VISIT NRTC AUTOMATION TODAY

NRTC Automation is dedicated to providing high-value industrial automation and manufacturing equipment solutions to all our customers.

From decommissioning and tear out to industrial robotic training services to custom flexible work cells, NRTC is the key to integrate your workplace. With personalized training and custom-built designs, NRTC Automation is the destination for all your industrial automation and manufacturing equipment services.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you meet your production goals.

5 Ways to Minimize Downtime in Manufacturing

Knowledge and attention to detail are two key characteristics of manufacturers with minimal downtime in their facilities. 

Downtime might be considered the bane of every manufacturers’ workday. 

A small event can be a nuisance, while a major downtime occurrence can ruin a company’s yearly profit. It is always a risk, especially when facilities are highly automated. 

However, that doesn’t mean manufacturers are powerless to prevent it. With a few simple tips, you can improve productivity and minimize downtime in your facility. 

5 Ways to Minimize Downtime in Manufacturing 

What is downtime? 

Unlike the restful vision of personal downtime, downtime in manufacturing is very different. 

In manufacturing, downtime is when industrial machinery is not in production. Downtime can be planned, such as for repairs, or it can be unplanned, such as due to equipment failures or power outages. 

Planned downtime is necessary to maintain and repair equipment. With preparation, manufacturers can outmaneuver the harmful effects of downtime. 

However, unplanned downtime is detrimental to any company’s bottom line. 

Dangers of downtime 

Above all, downtime is expensive. 

The average cost of a downtime incident is $17,000. Couple that with the fact that 70% of companies are unaware of the maintenance schedule for their industrial equipment, and you get a costly stain on your production quota. 

Downtime is also highly inefficient. When equipment isn’t working, manufacturers are increasing lead time and missing out on precious production time. 

This can create angry customers who aren’t receiving their products on time. Depending on if they leave negative reviews, you can miss out on new customers exponentially. 

How to minimize downtime in your facility 

In order to stay ahead of unplanned downtime, being prepared is key. 

1. SET GOALS 

Setting goals is necessary to achieve minimal downtime in manufacturing. 

Identify your production goals in terms of lead time and total output, and make a daily, weekly, and monthly numerical goal based on them.  

When you have goals like reducing lead time by 20 percent or doubling total output, you will be inclined to search for wasted time, motion, or energy if you don’t meet your goals. 

This will minimize downtime by keeping you and your team engaged with the production line. 

2. AUTOMATE 

It is always recommended to automate if you have highly repeatable, monotonous, and/or dangerous tasks in your manufacturing facility. 

For example, welding auto parts can easily be automated with a robotic work cell, cutting down on lead time and enhancing your product. 

NRTC Automation can build a custom robotic work cell for your company’s specific needs. By using refurbished industrial robots and manufacturing equipment, you can automate at a fraction of the cost of using brand-new equipment. Plus, we offer financing so you can improve productivity and grow your company with low monthly payments. 

Visit our Automation Services page to learn more! 

3. TRAIN EMPLOYEES 

Well-trained employees are better prepared to handle equipment failures, drastically reducing downtime when it occurs. 

Rather than having to hire and wait for an outside technician to fix your production line, your employees can troubleshoot and repair in-house. 

Plus, your staff will have a keener eye on manufacturing processes and be equipped to make changes if they notice wasted product or movement on the line. 

Are you looking to train your employees in robotics? We can help! Visit NRTC Automation’s Robotic Training Services page to find out how we can assist your company. 

4. STUDY DATA AND TRACK DOWNTIME 

Data is the most important asset you have. It gives you the ability to track downtime and adjust as needed to enhance the performance of your equipment. 

Meet with your team regularly to review production data. Making changes will be easier when everyone is on board and understands the costs of downtime in real time. 

5. KEEP A MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE 

Finally, keeping a maintenance schedule will protect your equipment from failure and protect your wallet from hefty repairs or replacements. 

Store equipment manuals in a central location and note how often each robot and piece of manufacturing equipment needs to be maintained.  

Staying on top of maintenance will extend the life of your equipment and minimize downtime and equipment replacements in the long run. 

Get ahead of the competition 

Minimizing downtime isn’t difficult; in fact, most downtime can be prevented with knowledge and attention to detail. 

By using our tips above, you can improve your lead time, increase production output, and grow your company while avoiding unplanned downtime. 

AUTOMATE WITH NRTC TODAY 

NRTC Automation is dedicated to providing high-value industrial automation and manufacturing equipment solutions to all its customers.  

From decommissioning and tear out to industrial robotic training services to custom flexible work cells, NRTC is the key to integrate your workplace. With personalized training and custom-built designs, NRTC Automation is the destination for all your industrial automation and manufacturing equipment services. 

Get financing with NRTC when you order a custom-built robotic work cell with us. 

3 Reasons to Provide Your Own Production Support

“Engaging the hearts, minds, and hands of talent is the most sustainable source of competitive advantage.” -George Harris, President and CEO of Quantum Workplace 

It’s no secret that a strong workforce will compound a company’s success. 

While automation is important to enable growth in today’s manufacturing lines, establishing a connected and engaged staff is necessary to support that growth. 

NRTC Automation preaches the value of having both in manufacturing businesses of any industry. Learn more about how to build a strong production team and its benefits below. 

Building a Thriving Team in Manufacturing 

Importance of strong and connected employees 

Having a staff that is connected and can communicate effectively is the cornerstone of a successful business.  

No matter how well-built your automated production line is, if your employees are unable to support each other throughout the entire supply chain, then your company will crumble. 

A study shows that in companies across America, over 70% of workers feel disconnected from their jobs. This rings true for manufacturing workers as well who feel disengaged from their jobs daily. 

Not only is this dangerous for your company’s success, but it is also dangerous for your employees’ safety and well-being. 

That’s why taking measures to build up your staff and encourage better communication is vital for both your business and each individual working for your company. 

How to build a strong production team 

If you want to build a strong production team, practice these tips: 

• Provide cross-training: Give your employees the power to make decisions and take action across the supply chain by training them outside of their daily tasks. Cross-training will deepen your workers’ understanding of the entire production process and enable them to assist others in different roles if needed. 

• Encourage social connection: Hold after-work events that encourage your employees to connect with each other. Also, hold trainings that show employees how to foster friendships with their co-workers with skills such as active listening. 

• Establish real-time modes of communication: While face-to-face meetings are preferred, sometimes that isn’t available in a busy manufacturing company. If employees need help or have a question, make it easy for them to reach out to their team member, supervisor, or manager with employee communication apps that support mobile messaging. 

• Get feedback on how to improve: Your employees are in the thick of the production process. Use their valuable insight to improve their daily experience. 

• Hold regular meetings to keep employees updated: It’s easy to feel disconnected in a company when you don’t feel involved. To keep employees engaged, hold regular meetings to be as transparent as possible with the company’s growth and latest projects. This will provide inspiration for your staff to work toward a unified goal. 

• Make sure your employees know their value in your company: By showing your employees how important they are to the success of your business, they will feel like an integral part of the company. Recognize employees publicly who have excelled and provide support for those who are struggling. 

Taking the time to understand your staff’s needs and honor their efforts will develop the foundation your company needs to grow. 

NRTC Automation can help you craft a connected and engaged staff. Learn more about our Engineering Services and Robotic Training Services in the “How to Do It” section below. 

3 reasons to provide your own production support 

Now that you know why having a strong staff is important, we’ll show the three reasons why providing your own production support, as opposed to outsourcing, will benefit your company. 

IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY 

Having a full team to support the production process under your own roof will improve productivity.  

For example, there will be less downtime when a machine fails since your in-house technician will be immediately available to repair it within the workday. 

You don’t have to send the equipment to outside help, which could potentially take days or even weeks to return. 

MORE SATISFIED EMPLOYEES 

When your employees can complete tasks on their own, rather than waiting for someone else to do it for them, they will feel empowered and capable in their role. 

Also, a production support team knows that they are needed to keep the manufacturing process running, so they also don’t feel that their jobs are threatened. They are an integral part of your business and have job security that offers peace of mind. 

Finally, your employees develop stronger connections with each other because their daily tasks are interwoven to support the company. Studies have shown the having strong social connections in the workplace boost employee satisfaction. 

COST-EFFICIENT 

Finally, having your own production support will save you money in the long run. 

While onboarding, training, and employing people is an expense, consider it an upfront investment. The cost savings include: 

• Having your own in-house technical support rather than hiring out for each event 

• Decreased downtime, which can save up to $22,000 per minute 

• Improved employee ability to train each other, reducing costs due to longer training times 

• Reduced employee turnover 

It is well worth the investment to hire your team and upskill as necessary rather than paying to outsource your work to others. 

How to do it 

If you want to start hiring but don’t know where to start, then consider working with NRTC Automation’s Engineering Services. 

We have the resources to find, interview, and hire the right individuals with the background and experience your company needs to thrive. 

Plus, you can train your employees for a more diverse staff by using our Robotic Training Services. NRTC Automation will develop a personalized training program for your company’s specific needs so your staff can perform the work you need in-house. 

NRTC Automation’s comprehensive automation services ensure that your production line will boost your company’s growth beyond the equipment output. Learn more about our services by contacting NRTC Automation for a free consultation. 

FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR YOUR COMPANY WITH NRTC AUTOMATION. 

NRTC Automation is a trusted partner providing comprehensive industrial automation and manufacturing services. After delivering our services to top automobile manufacturers across the world for more than a decade, NRTC Automation is the destination for tear out services and robotic solutions. 

Visit us today at www.nrtcautomation.com.