Assembly Planbook - March 2009 - (Page 34) Assembly Planbook Capital Spending engineers should carefully consider all the pros and cons. For instance, traditional assembly equipment is limited by attributes such as processes, motions, precision, cycle rates, part size and weight, and component feeding. However, a dedicated machine is typically less expensive than a flexible machine. There are some overlooked costs associated with flexible equipment. For example, wiring can be extremely expensive; installation costs can run anywhere from $10 to $1,000 per foot, depending on the type of application. On a typical assembly line, that easily translates into thousands of dollars. If a line needs to be reconfigured, that work will need to be redone. That’s one reason why some manufacturers are investing in wireless technology. Efficiency is another trade-off that needs to be carefully considered. Highly flexible systems may be unable to match the speed of hard tooling. Compared with a dedicated machine, a flexible piece of equipment often has Automakers have focused their flexibility efforts on the body shop. Photo courtesy Ford Motor Co. To enable flexibility, manufacturers need equipment designed to accept change requests. For instance, modular conveyors are much easier to expand or reconfigure than rotary dial machines or other fixed automation. Other assembly tools, such as robots, linear motors, machine vision and motion controls, make it easier to be flexible today than in the past. “But, there’s still a lot of misunderstanding about what flexibility is and is not,” says Harbour-Felax. Before implementing flexible assembly lines, manufacturing Where does the world turn? PRECItrac 3 The Precitrac3 laser welding head is the latest innovation from Precitec. It has incredible process flexibility with three separate cameras for precise optical seam tracking, monitoring, and inspection. A pneumatic pressure wheel controls the focal point for a perfect seam. Integrated sensors monitor power, temperature, plasma, and back reflection. Together with a post-weld optical inspection, any weld defects are flagged. Precitec: Not just welding. Worldwide welding solutions. Contact a Precitec Sales Engineer at 248.446.8100 to find out more. PRECITEC Where the world turns. PRECITEC NORTH AMERICA • 28043 CENTER OAKS C T. • WIXOM • MI 48393 34 ASSEMBLY / March 2009 www.assemblymag.com http://www.assemblymag.com
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