What steps are involved in customizing non-standard automation equipment?

In recent years, with the popularization of computer technology and the wide application of intelligent technology, the production of automatic production of non-standard equipment comes into being. Compared with the general non-standard equipment, its superior performance and use value can greatly improve the production efficiency and reduce the production cost. Therefore, it has been welcomed by the market and enterprises and become an important development direction of the production and manufacturing industry. It has a significant influence on the optimization of our production organization.

The so-called non-standard automation equipment, is for the special needs of customers, tailor-made a kind of acoustic, optical, mechanical and electrical integration equipment, its main feature is the use of computer CNC or programmable controller PLC for various parts such as cylinders, oil pumps, motors, motor control, to achieve a specific action, so as to process qualified products. The reason why it is called non-standard is that this kind of equipment can only complete the requirements specified by customers. If the customers and products are changed, it will not be used. As a result, its application scope is very narrow, and its design and manufacturing are full of challenges and potential great risks. So what are the main steps involved in the customization of non-standard automation equipment?

Step 1: Make a plan

The solution is the key to solve customers' problems, its quality directly affects the signing of business contracts and subsequent design and manufacturing. However, we often find that a piece or set of equipment has been designed and manufactured with painstaking efforts, only to find that there are many aspects that cannot meet the needs of the customer. Thus, either through the addition of the parts of the mechanism or through the repeated on-site modification and debugging, the customer is reluctantly delivered, and through this process, most of the profits will be eaten up, or even losses. This is a bruising outcome that no one wants to see. In my opinion, the communication with the customer in the early stage was not profound and meticulous, and I did not fully understand the customer's products and technical requirements of working conditions, which laid a big hole in the subsequent design and production work.

Step 2: Design, selection and configuration

When the scheme is determined, it is necessary to start the design, or on the basis of the original drawing, modification. If the process is lucky, it can be completed in a few days, but if the change is large, it is almost necessary to overturn the original drawing and re-select the design. For example, due to cost constraints, we need to lower the grade of the cylinder and motor and choose other brands, so we need to change the installation method and size, or in order to meet the new requirements of the customers, we need to add new functions, the momentum of the drawing will increase, we need to re-select the design calculation, and finally we need to fully verify whether the modified drawing can meet the needs of the scheme.

Step 3: Installation and commissioning

When all the drawings are realized and become visible outsourced parts, outsourced parts and homemade parts, we need to turn to the installation and debugging stage. After the workers use wrenches, welding machines and various fasteners, these parts will be installed into a drawing of the same requirements of the equipment, everyone will have a preliminary sense of achievement, but can not be too happy, the later debugging is a major examination of machinery, electrical, procedures. From the local action one by one signal to make the cylinder and electric motor, to the process one by one to complete the local product processing, and finally to the joint adjustment, to simulate the complete production process of a product, which requires the presence of programmers and mechanical and electrical designers. Cooperate with the debugging personnel to complete each step of production work to ensure that the product processing is reasonable, smooth and qualified. If the production process logic of a single product is correct, it is necessary to further test whether the whole system is stable and reliable. At this time to determine whether the equipment is qualified, successful, can rest assured to the customer delivery.

If a mechanical structure is not reasonable, it needs to be changed, a signal induction is not stable, sensitive or missing, it is necessary to rectify a sensor parameters or wiring, installation and location size. If the process is not reasonable, it is necessary to modify the procedure, adjust the parameters, so that the cylinder movement stroke, speed, motor steering, speed and other parameters are more accurate adjustment.

Our final requirement for the equipment is that as simple as possible, we just need to turn on the power and start the operation button in front of the operating table to complete a work process without any block, thus bringing considerable economic benefits to the customers.

Step 4: After-sales service

The difficulty of after-sales service is that the customer site conditions are often very simple and bad, which brings great difficulties to the maintenance and transformation of equipment. This requires that they have comprehensive skills to overcome various difficulties, understanding both mechanical and electrical, and even understanding the modification and operation of programs (of course, this usually involves modifying parameters). On-site equipment failures or defects are often caused by inadequate design or careless installation and debugging, as well as by customers' improper operation or changes in working conditions. This requires after-sales service personnel to make every effort to solve the problem, and sometimes requires the cooperation of the company's base camp to complete.

In any case, non-standard automation equipment has become the mainstream of machine replacement and industrial upgrading under the background and trend of industry 4.0 manufacturing.