2024 INNOVATOR of the Year
Background to the Problem: The mechanisation of manual procedures in the industrial domain has been and will continue to be a crucial aspect of industrial advancement for many generations. Automation not only enhances manufacturing productivity but also reduces the likelihood of human mistake and lowers labour expenses. An assembly line can be enhanced by including a collaborative robot (Cobot), which has the advantage of possibly replacing a two- or three-shift human workforce with just one robot. A Cobot may be configured once and operate continuously without any interruptions (Lights out manufacturing), resulting in a short return-on-investment time.
In order to minimise labour costs,
waste, and other manufacturing inefficiencies, while upholding the stringent standards of Safety, Quality, and Integrity in DP Casts products, the full spectrum of processes was looked at with a mindset of improving the most cost bearing operations.
DP Cast incurs significant costs during the wax injection operation, which is one of our primary cost-bearing
procedures. A significant amount of time is dedicated to this operation, which has a direct influence on the cost per component. The cost is not only affected by the extensive time spent, but also by other variables such as operator fatigue, scrap, overproduction, and other production wastes that arise as a result.
Objective The primary aim of this project was to create a production workstation with a Cobot collaboration in order to address the
issue of excessive manpower
hours and costs in the wax injection operation. An automated tool was developed to enhance the throughput from 1 piece each injection cycle to 2 pieces per injection cycle, in order to support the primary goal. Safety was
a key consideration throughout
the design process, and the team deliberated on methods to ensure the design was safeguarded to prevent any harm to humans during the operation, particularly by keeping the automated tool from causing injury.
How is the Innovation Being Used By the Nominee? The implementation of the Cobot was
modified to assist in the manufacturing of one of the plant's production parts that has a high volume of orders. Given the significant quantities and potential for increased profitability, the team opted to use this part for the pilot project.
to thank you for taking the time to read through
project. We
The team at DP Castings would like our
thoroughly
enjoyed every minute of it and are looking forward to collaborating with the ICI and networking with the industry.
If there are any further questions or
any help needed on implementing this project in your company, please feel free to reach out to us at Stuart Faria, President:
stuart.faria@dpcast.com or Joel Munilal, Operations Manager: joel.
munilal@dpcast.com.
If you would like DP Castings implementation
to read about in
its
entirety, please visit the Investment Casting Institute's website at www.
investmentcasting.org/innovator-of-the- year.html
Recipients of the Innovator of the Year have successfully incorporated improvements in the investment casting process in one or more of the following areas:
• Technology • Process Improvement • New Process or Product Introduction • New Machine Introduction
• Safety Improvement • Cost Reduction • Creative Business Concept • Customer Satisfaction • Operational Improvement • Quality Enhancement • Environmental Impact
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