Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. Announces New Cycle Time SWAT Team
Cross Discipline Group to Focus on Improving Throughput
Orion, Michigan - October 23, 2007, - Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. (AMT), a leading supplier of factory automation design, engineering and process consulting services today announced its new cycle time SWAT team. The new cross discipline group will focus on improving manufacturer's throughput. Cycle time remains the biggest single failure point in robot systems installations, and AMT's new team will help integrators and end users to lower cycle times and increase production in even the most difficult installations. The team consists of engineers from the simulation, programming, controls and mechanical groups, who utilize AMT's integrated approach to cycle time reduction.
''Optimizing robot based production is not a simple case of pushing up robot speeds,'' said Joe Campbell, chief operating officer for Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. ''Wringing the highest throughput out of a cell or line requires a true cross discipline approach, which AMT is uniquely qualified to provide.''
The AMT cycle time SWAT team approach consists of three distinct phases. In the evaluation phase, AMT engineers with specific industry knowledge assess the current installation and operating environment. Areas targeted for improvement are identified, and a cycle time reduction budget is established. In many cases, the design data and current robot programs for the cell or line will be loaded into AMT simulation tools for analysis, and to allow AMT engineers to run various improvement scenarios.
The second phase is the soft Implementation phase, where software, programming, PLC logic and other soft changes are implemented. These are the least disruptive and lowest cost improvements, and in many cases this phase alone will result in sufficient savings to meet the overall system objectives. The third and final phase is the hard implementation phase, where any tooling, fixturing, cell layout, parts feeding or dunnage changes are made.
Campbell notes, ''Too often, a cycle time problem is approached from a single dimension, or without a comprehensive plan, effectively experimenting with the cells. The AMT approach is a data driven engineering approach, and delivers better overall results. In many cases, AMT's cycle time SWAT approach is so accurate that improvements can be quoted on a fixed fee single price basis.''
Founded in 1989 by Michael Jacobs, Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. (AMT) is a leading supplier of complete consulting and engineering services, offering single-source engineering solutions to the automation and manufacturing industries. The company's service offerings range from design and simulation to programming, installation and support of industrial automation solutions. The company's technical and industry expertise in automation for the automotive, aerospace, building materials, consumer products, food, heavy equipment, machinery, medical, and truck industries offers its customers the highest quality professional service available in the industrial arena.
For more information contact Applied Manufacturing Technologies at 248-409-2000, or online at www.appliedmfg.com.
