Automating Your Paint Line: What Parts Should You Consider

The industrial automation being developed today allows for a lot more flexibility compared to what was available in the past. As with any significant manufacturing change, benefits should be evaluated carefully before making the final decision.

Use these recommendations to help guide your decision. 

Automate these parts 

Automate parts on your paint line that:

• Have the same or similar size, features or surfaces
• Are the same or very similar processes during painting
• Contribute to 80 percent of your volume and include only 20 percent of your part numbers
• Are already organized into a manufacturing line incorporating a continuous flow
• Require a high amount of non-value added labor like painter repositioning and movement
• Require precise control or allow zero margin for error

DO NOT automate these parts

Do not automate parts that:

• Have unique features or processes different from the majority of your part volume
• Are difficult to fixture
  • Are not stable after fixturing
  • Are difficult to repeatedly align
• Have low labor content operations, where automation would not gain anything in the manufacturing process

In addition, look at the task. If an operator can accomplish it much easier or quicker than a robot, do not automate that process.