Sunday, March 1, 2009

Machine Vision and Lean Automation

There’s an interesting discussion on the subject of how automation fits within the “lean” world in the February pages of Manufacturing Engineering, (the monthly magazine of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.)

Senior Editor Patrick Waurzyniak makes the point that automation need not equate to rigid and inflexible, and should therefore be utilized whenever appropriate. Of particular interest to we machine vision types is the comment from Dick Johnson of Fanuc that, “Vision’s the key.”

Take five minutes to read the article, and be better prepared to debate the merits of automation and vision with your “Lean Coordinator.”

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That is a great article. Vision system technologies can fill a number of roles in lean manufacturing. A vision system can enable quick change overs, be used as a poka-yoke, and alert users to errors and waste production as they happen.

Thanks for the post.