GUIDE
Automate Your Manufacturing Processes
What to measure and how to choose your first automation project.
Start with one process
Manufacturing automation does not have to start with a plant-wide project. For most manufacturers, the right first move is one process that is slow, repetitive, dangerous, inconsistent, or expensive to keep staffing.
Choosing the right process can improve speed, ease staffing pressure, improve safety, and deliver a measurable return on investment. Design For Making helps manufacturers in Idaho Falls, across Idaho, and beyond identify their first automation project. Solutions can include robots, conveyors, end-of-arm tooling, automated guided vehicles, programming, and training, depending on the project. Browse automation solutions or contact our team when you have a process in mind.
How to choose the first cell
01 The biggest problem
Start with a bottleneck, a safety concern, or defects that go undetected.
02 Repetitive work
Tasks with clear steps, the same motion, and a rate you can measure.
03 Quality drift
Consider automation and inspection for processes where quality varies between operators or throughout a shift.
04 Material flow
If employees spend much of their time moving parts, consider conveyors or an autonomous mobile robot.
05 Safety and strain
Consider tasks that involve heavy lifting, heat, or other hazards.
06 Prove one cell
Commission one application, measure it, then copy what worked.
Is Automation right for your process?
Share a video of your process and your target production rate. We’ll help you determine the right approach and whether now is the right time to automate.
