Automation Systems & Controls (ASC), combines over 125 years of experience within Australian Factory Automation. ASC’s skill set is varied, covering Electrical, Mechanical, Engineering, Machine Vision and Control Product Specialists. The synergy amongst the highly skilled team is two fold: Firstly, a passion for providing the most efficient solutions available. Secondly, a passion for staying on the cutting edge of technological advancement. This combination ensures that ASC’s valued customers continue to produce at a World Class Standard.
ASC views their relationship with the customer as a partnership. It is imperative that ASC listens and learns from their customer before offering solutions based packages. Often the scenario will be that customers have deployed not fit for purpose “cobbled” together devices trying to band-aid an ongoing Production problem that intensifies as each band-aid is applied. It is then the job of the ASC Solutions group to listen and probe, extrapolating the history and story boarding the pinch points. Only once the full picture has been exposed that the ASC team can then asses and advise.
Often ASC advice will include a host of trials and tests. Production hurdles can be complex. There are a multitude of facets that can limit Factory Automation Production success. For example, Factory Lighting may be not optimal for Machine Vision Equipment to perform its’ deemed task. The lighting may change over the course of the day creating a variance in performance. Printing on packaging may vary between print batches. Print may vary between product types. Print quality may change due to temperature variants. Product colours may span a wide palette, from dark shade to light shade. These variants ( along with many others ) can be slight, often too slight for the Producer and or the naked eye to acknowledge. It is not until trained professionals run tests and trials that the Production anomalies come to the fore.
The results produce facts. ASC prides itself on working with factual content — both in regard to factual results from trials and tests and factual specification of solution based products.
ASC’s industry experience is paramount to our continued success. Over many years ASC has encountered a plethora of Products and People that potentially do not align with what is advertised. The over-sell is a sure fire way to create disaster and chaos within Factory Automation. ASC can proudly boast that they only deploy Premium Brands such as Cognex, Mitsubishi Electric, Autonics and TPL Industrial Machine Lighting, to name but a few. These brands have esteemed histories within Factory Automation and all continually strive to refine and re-invent their automation solutions. They are Internationally perceived as Market leaders within their respective fields. So too are our valued staff. With over 30 specialists actively solving Production issues Australia Wide, ASC is a huge resource of Factory Automation Intellect. ASC encourages think tank philosophies within Projects, with skill sets sharing their knowledge via Project meetings and group problem solving sessions.
Deployment of agreed Projects can be the un-doing of a well written plan. The deployment team must be well versed in up to date Safety Procedures. They must be conscious of each team members’ skill set and aptitude level. They must be mindful of the customer’s expectations and they need to understand the end game – what are the intended outcomes. ASC conduct pre, mid and post Production meetings which include all invested parties to ensure that transparency exists. The customer must feel confident and comfortable with the deployed team. It is common for On Site challenges to come up. Team Leaders need to have the confidence and experience to make Project positive decisions. Indecision and inexperience can result in lost time, lost production for the customer and a loss of faith from customer to supplier. ASC invest in their team with ongoing training to maximise their ability to perform diligently and with authority.
Relationships should not end when it comes to Factory Automation. Project Commissioning is just the beginning. Success at close of Project can be celebrated, but the first successful Production run is merely a stepping stone along the journey. Results need to be periodically analysed. Staff need to be trained. Feedback from operators need to be critiqued. Machinery Health Checks need to occur. Updates to technology need to be incorporated over time. Tweaks and tolerances should be orchestrated by professionals. ASC are in it for the long term. They want relationships to flourish. They want customers to have confidence to interact and suggest revisions. It is all part of the Continual Improvement process. As Production requirements change, so too will the requirements of the Factory Automation Equipment. ASC will make these transitions efficient. They will listen and concur before advising.
World Class Factory Automation is multi dimensional. It is about relationships. It is based on trust. It can be a moving target and therefore requires agile operatives. It is technologically based, but the human element should not be under estimated. It is the ability of the trained skilled staff at ASC to listen, prepare, perform check sum balances, advise and confidently deploy turn key packages that embody the true essence of striving to be World Class.