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Enhancing workplace (and worker) performance: automation and technology, equipment ROI and the new workforce

Features | July 1, 2018 | By:

Custom sales specialist Brandon Cossette at T.R.S. Industries Inc., shown welding on a Miller T600 wedge machine, is working on a tarp that will be made out of 18-oz. vinyl from the Seaman Corp. Photo: T.R.S. Industries Inc.

Canvas Innovations in Holland, Mich., focuses on custom marine canvas and upholstery products, says owner Chris Ritsema. The company also has a smaller portion of the business dedicated to other textile-related products, such as porch enclosures, shade sails, awning recovery, furniture covers, golf cart enclosures and a wealth of other custom projects.

“We continue to measure the market and stay open to other products that will keep us diversified,” Ritsema says.

With this breadth of market coverage, Ritsema and his team rely on Juki sewing machines set up with pneumatic back tacks and auto thread trimmers. The machines are computerized, so they have the capability to be programmed for custom production runs as well.

“We believe in the benefit of having current equipment, as this allows us to stay ahead and keep efficient,” Ritsema says. In January 2017 he purchased an automated cutting table. “It has increased our efficiency and has given us the benefit to keep repeatable CAD files for all our custom work. Our current table provides us 32 feet by 8 feet of cutting surface,” Ritsema says.

Canvas Innovations is currently beta-testing a new 3-D measuring tool, which will save on time and materials as the company creates 3-D renderings on location. “We work with Rhino and ExactFlat software to prepare our data for our cut files,” Ritsema says. “This is our newest tool we are still in the process of testing.”

Know-how, present and future

When Ritsema purchases equipment, he doesn’t have a specific ROI deadline firmly in place; he generally likes to pay equipment off in 12 to 18 months. “Technology changes so fast it doesn’t make sense to pay out on equipment more than two years if it isn’t generating revenue,” Ritsema says. “I’m not big on debt, so we try to run lean.”

The Canvas Innovations team also keeps up with current software and newer tools as the need arises and as new opportunities come into play. “We are an organization that does our best to keep up with all the current trends and equipment,” Ritsema says. “Automation is pretty much limited to cutting and plotting at this point in time for us.”

Ed Skrzynski, owner of Marco Canvas & Upholstery LLC, says that along with traditional sewing machines with Servos and needle positioning, radio frequency welding and automated grommet setting, his company has a full array of digital automation tools.   

From photogrammetry, which converts 2-D plastic/paper patterns into digital format; to the Prodim Proliner, a point-to-point measuring system; to digital automation cutters and plotters, Marco Canvas embraces automation throughout all aspects of the company. “A laser scanner will be a planned capital purchase this year, as we know the cost-down for patterns and cutting will be around an 80 percent savings for upholstery recovers,” Skrzynski says.   

Tracker Marine in Lebanon, Mo., runs two Pro PTi 72-inch plotter/cutters from Carlson Design on one 40-foot table to double their throughput without doubling their footprint. Photo: Carlson Design.

After much research, Marco Canvas purchased its first automatic cutter and plotter in 2011. “Price played a key role in the selection of this machine, but I also loved the simple step motor design without all the bells and whistles that would not be used much,” Skrzynski says. “What used to take me 45 minutes, to mark and cut hospitality bin liners and covers, now takes only 4.5 minutes, and I dropped from 11 yards down to 10 yards. So cutting and plotting was 10 percent of what it was, and material use was cut down by 9 percent.”

While purchasing and updating equipment on a continuous basis—as well as determining the ROI—can be challenging, finding and training people to actually run that equipment is even more daunting.

“Skilled labor that has the work ethic and passion for what we do is a hard find,” Ritsema says. “This is a very unique trade skill and it’s hard to find someone that will stay for the long haul. Generally speaking, in this industry,  the owners stay for the long haul—and then shut the doors.”

So does having high-end equipment entice the younger set to seek employment within the specialty fabrics industry?

“We are seeking younger workers for CAD design and pattern-making,” Ritsema says. “It is more attractive when technology comes into play.”

Automating solutions

When it comes to automation, equipment suppliers also work hard to ensure that manufacturers are using the most applicable equipment for their needs. As Jeff Sponseller, chief marketing officer at Miller Weldmaster® explains, the company and its employees like to think of themselves as problem-solvers.

“Many of our customers make several different product lines. As such, we have to ensure that our automation solutions are versatile enough to meet our customers’ product lines,” Sponseller says. “While many assume that reducing labor is the most important part of automation, oftentimes we find our customers are seeking a better quality product.”

As an Ohio-based company that sells fabric-welding machines for the specialty fabrics market, Miller Weldmaster supplies a complete line of machines to encompass markets ranging from awnings, canopies and tents to medical, military and safety and protective products. The company also offers a complete custom and automation department.

“Every machine that we sell comes with a full training package to ensure that not only does the customer know how to use their new machine, but they also are efficient,” Sponseller says. “We believe good installation and training is vital to a successful product launch at any size company.”

According to Sponseller, the company has customers who have never owned a Miller Weldmaster—and their first purchase is a complete automation system. “However, many of our customers are longtime Miller Weldmaster customers who want to increase their production. Sometimes they start out by buying multiple machines and slowly realize that automation solutions are a better fit for their production demands,” Sponseller says.

In his experience, the biggest workforce concern is companies’ inability to attract and maintain sewers and seamstresses. “It seems that this generation has lost that skill set due to lack of need. However, our industry still requires it,” Sponseller says. “We have had customers tell us that because of their inability to have enough seamstresses they need to consider automating their process.”

Equipment and employee

Shane Cossette, chief operating officer at T.R.S. Industries, Fargo, N.D., says his company has an automated cutting table, wedge-style welders, sewing machines with thread trimmers and back tacks, and fully automatic grommet machines.

Miller Weldmaster’s skilled, trained field service engineers are ready to listen and understand customer needs while ensuring they receive a first-rate service experience when ordering parts or troubleshooting any machine or function. Photo: Miller Weldmaster Corp.

“It is almost impossible to find skilled or experienced workers, so we train and move workers up as they gain experience,” Cossette says. “Our equipment is all modern, which is a lot more efficient than it used to be. The only software that we use is design software for our cutting table. It helps keep us organized and makes it easy to find patterns.”

T.R.S. Industries started out as a small business repairing tarps in a garage. While the company still repairs tarps today, it also manufactures and installs tarps primarily in the areas of agriculture, marine, truck tarps and custom covers for commercial and residential use. “It’s harder to get people to program machines and learn the software, but running the machines is much easier,” Cossette says.

Skrzynski points out that every trade has trouble finding and keeping skilled labor. “We offer internships and apprentice programs to help train our workforce,” he says. “Thirteen of our staff grew from this model.”

At Marco Canvas, Skrzynski also finds that training employees on more advanced, automated equipment is actually easier, especially when you have created standard operating procedures.

“Trying to teach software to older candidates is more difficult,” he says. “Software like 3-D CAD can take a year to learn and years to master. Younger people tend to have been around PCs their entire life, and things just seem to click for them. However, even young ones that have never touched 3-D CAD will take significantly longer to train, so we tend to look for a bit of experience in CAD to shorten the learning curve.”

In some rural locations, the lack of a skilled workforce has helped drive automation. For example, Thomas Carlson, manager of Carlson Design in Tulsa, Okla., the originator of the large-bed plotter/cutter, talks about working recently with customers in Ireland. The Irish company had hired five people over the last year to keep up with cutting demand. 

“They finally decided throwing unskilled labor at the problem wasn’t the answer, and decided it was time to automate,” Carlson says. “Other customers have reported adding technology as being a big draw to retaining and attracting the next generation of employees. They have mentioned how it allows their existing workforce to work past their typical retirement age because the plotter/cutter reduces the job’s physical demand.”

Miller Weldmaster’s FX100 is specifically designed to weld flexible reinforced ducting or tubing. The machine will weld reinforced tubes from 2 to 48 inches in diameter and can easily add a wear strip to the outside. Photo: Miller Weldmaster Corp.

Over the last 31 years, Carlson Design has helped automate operations in more than 50 different industries in more than 45 countries. A lot of this growth is driven by the general acceptance and understanding of computers, access to affordable or even free CAD software, and the company’s continuing efforts to simplify the processes involved in automation.

And while automation is becoming more imperative across the specialty fabrics industry, Carlson says customers value a complete solution first and price second. Price is still very important, but automated equipment needs to address company needs first.

“Our customers are very self-sufficient, and they appreciate how we let them provide some of their own components to save on cost,” Carlson says. “If a new customer would like to build their own table or use a new computer they just bought, we love to help them help themselves. That allows them to satisfy both objectives of getting a complete system, at a great price.”

Paradigm shift

Frank Henderson, CEO of Henderson Sewing Machine Co. Inc. in Andalusia, Ala., says reductions in the cost of automation technology have created a paradigm shift as systems and robotics have become more affordable for small to mid-size manufacturers, allowing them to take advantage of smart, collaborative, flexible and easy-to-use robotics and automated systems.

“The ability for manufacturers to utilize today’s affordable robotics and automation technology to fill skills gaps shortages and ensure accurate, consistent repeatability and quality will enable manufacturers in America to compete,” Henderson says.

Simply put, Chris Ritsema says that in the next five years technology will be the norm, and those who don’t embrace it will be phased out or will struggle to survive.

“Custom products will still be done using technology but will be manufactured at a faster pace and will offer seamless repeats to the client,” he adds.

Ed Skrzynski says there is demand to go digital for custom work, and where you have demand you will find suppliers to unlock the digital process in custom, one-off textiles products. “It has proven to be a good path for us, as we have significant growth both in sales and in profit margins. With automation we are much faster and have a wider product diversity that keeps us growing.”

High-volume repetitive work technology will claim many jobs, says Skrzynski, but this has been happening since the Industrial Revolution.

“You can choose to look at technology as a job killer or a job preserver,” he says. “Being globally competitive to stay in business is what drives automation innovations and implementation for us. I certainly see it as ‘the one with the most patterns and with the best efficiency will survive and thrive.’ That, and the need to continuously reinvent your company into the next textile industry.”

 

Maura Keller is a freelance writer based in Plymouth, Minn.

Business classes taught Ed Skrzynski, owner of Marco Canvas & Upholstery LLC, that ROI for equipment should be 1.5 years or less, and he tends to use that figure. “We start with our baseline of time and materials, which is your cost of goods sold (COGS), and compare it to automation improvement tests,” Skrzynski says.

While financial calculation of ROI is standard practice when considering outlays for equipment, there are some resulting improvements—not necessarily intangible but more difficult to measure—such as an investment that you know would improve the quality of your company’s goods or customer service. Sometimes those functions are difficult to calculate when calculating ROI.

“Quality and service are two of the big three we all sell—quality, delivery and customer service,” Skrzynski says. “In these cases it is the reputation of your company, and ROI is tangible in that you may attract more or better-paying jobs or reduce customer frustrations.”

One system Marco Canvas uses to measure the company’s effectiveness is a customer survey. Company staff send a link to a quick 10-question survey on every invoice, asking for feedback on quality, delivery, customer service and other metrics.

“The input shows us where we need to improve,” Skrzynski says. “Then we research solutions, and if we implemented something new, are we getting better customer feedback? This is how we gauge ROI when it is not as easily measurable.”

Greg Hathcox, senior vice president of sales at TexTempo LLC in Atlanta, Ga., says it’s important that both end product manufacturers and equipment suppliers recognize that we are at the point where the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 are now common topics of discussion in manufacturing design and engineering.

IoT refers to the connection of devices (other than traditional computers and smartphones) to the internet. Kitchen appliances, cars, equipment and even heart monitors can all be connected through the IoT. And as connectivity grows in the next few years, Hathcox says, more devices and equipment will join that list.

“Certain industries will adopt the new technology and processes earlier than others,” Hathcox says. “Nearly all manufacturing equipment today is designed to talk to other machines and systems, to run at maximum efficiency and provide data for production and predictive maintenance. It’s just a question of time until these systems are connected to each other and communicating as a standard process.”

Frank Henderson, CEO, Henderson Sewing Machine Co. Inc. in Andalusia, Ala., says we’re at the onset of the next big industrial revolution—and the widespread adoption of new technologies, including internet-connected devices, machine learning, vision technologies and robotics in the manufacturing industries.

“Strides in automation have significantly boosted U.S. manufacturers’ output in recent years,” Henderson says. “The industry is just beginning to understand and exploit the full potential of technology and disruptive supply chain models to reinvent manufacturing as we know it.”

As Tom Gordon, director of industrial products at Gerber Technology, explains, connecting all of the products in the supply chain keeps the process moving quickly and efficiently, significantly reducing errors. Gerber strives to eliminate all non-value-added steps in their customers’ processes.

“Workforce issues will decline as manufacturing becomes more automated,” Gordon says. “Technology, including IoT and AI [artificial intelligence], will change the way we all work.”

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