When you’re trying to build up a smaller manufacturing company into something great, forming an efficient production process can be a big headache. Creating a proper production line with conveyor systems is a relatively simple way of magnifying the effectiveness of the systems you already have in place. Here are four specific ways in which they can do this.
Increase Speed and Production Volume
Time is one of the few truly finite resources in the world, and factories in particular need to make the most of what they have. Unfortunately, production is a complex process with many steps to it, and moving pieces from place to place to complete each one can be quite slow. You would need dozens (or even hundreds) of human workers to match the speed and efficiency of a conveyor belt – and when things get where they need to be more quickly, more product can be produced in the same amount of time.
Increase Safety Standards
While injury rates are mostly falling, thousands of people still get hurt on the job every year. This costs their employers in disability payouts and increased insurance premiums, not to mention terrible PR and general low morale. Conveyor belts get things from place to place with little human intervention, resulting in far fewer accidents and injuries than a workplace that does not use them. This added protection means that your associated costs should fall, and your workers will know that you value them enough to invest in technology that improves their well-being.
Reduce Incidence of Human Error
It’s an unfortunate reality that human beings just aren’t perfect; responsible employers must account for small errors made by their staff. This is a particular problem in manufacturing environments, with 23% of downtime and lost production being the direct result of human error. The more your products are touched by human employees, the greater the chance that they will be broken, misplaced, or otherwise improperly handled – and that, in turn, production will be held up. Using a good conveyor line (one that will run smoothly and at a reasonable pace to prevent workers from becoming frustrated and just taking the products into their own hands regardless) can drastically cut down on these unfortunate incidences. The belt can only follow the route you give it, so your products will head right to the area where they need to go and stay secure and undamaged during the process.
Harness the Full Power of Your Machinery
When you invest in the kind of powerful machinery typical of modern factories, you want to get as much out of those systems as you possibly can. However, most are able to handle much more product volume than your workers will typically able to feed to it without assistance. Conveyor systems not only work much more quickly than people, they also never get tired, allowing them to work at an incredibly consistent pace that synergizes well with the similarly repetitive pace of machinery. This should allow you to experience very little downtime or waste in your fabrication, wrapping and packaging processes, as your machines will be working at full capacity.
Optimizing your production processes as much as possible gives you the output you need to grow your business. Some well-placed, well-chosen conveyor systems can play a big part in this, increasing efficiency while also eliminating troublesome outside factors that can derail your efforts. Once your operations are well in hand, you’ll have one less thing standing in the way of your business’ ultimate success.