Bob Courville wants manufacturers to know that when it comes to his pallet pool systems, they can simply get their feet wet—or dive into the automation deep end. We sat down with Courville— who helps DMG / Mori Seiki USA customers identify opportunities to automate their processes for a better bottom line—to learn how a little automation can go a long way.

360: What is your primary goal when you sit down with a customer to discuss pallet pools as part of an automation strategy?

BC: Automation allows customers to increase throughput and remain flexible. Companies can run completely lights-out— regardless of size or production volume.

Typically, we seek to increase a company’s throughput by 40 percent to 50 percent, thanks to increased spindle utilization and reduced labor costs. Cash flow can increase substantially because manufacturers are able to respond more quickly to their customers’ needs, and win new customers that they may not have been able to attract without these automation capabilities. The ROI is immediate.

360: So there’s an automation solution for everyone.

BC: Absolutely. To become more competitive, or to remain competitive, companies need to reduce the overall cost of their products— whether they are large or small.

As a rule of thumb, the wider the production variety, the faster the payback from automation, since you’re eliminating setup time on a larger scale. Overall, automation not only works for all different types of manufacturing operations, but it’s also becoming a requirement if you want to stay in the game.

360: How do you work with customers to find the right kind of automation for them?

BC: First, we want to make sure customers understand the concept and what they stand to gain. We want them to look at the big picture: throughput, rather than cycle time.

We’re working with Card-Monroe, for example, and the next phase is for me to go down to the facility, look at the products, and determine the best way to process them via automation.

The design process can be very lengthy because these aren’t one-size-fits-all types of solutions—which is why we have so many different varieties of systems, from automatic work changers to carrier and linear pallet pools, to round pallet pool systems. Regardless of the setup we end up with, the critical idea is to develop a robust, but predictable, system.

360: How does software play a part in the equation?

BC: Our LPS III is the heart of the pallet pool systems and any of our total automation solutions. It meets the most demanding automation needs but is still very easy to use. This is huge because it helps customers who may be intimidated by automation: They see how user-friendly the system is and realize that automation is in reach.

We developed the software at our Digital Technology Laboratory in Davis, Calif., and we’re always looking for ways to add new features and improve the usability, so customers’ automation systems work better, in turn.

The latest edition of the software now has capacity planning, embedded tool management, and an alert system with multi- client availability. These systems work with MTConnect (a standard protocol that allows interconnectivity between manufacturing equipment, peripherals and software) to allow data transfer and information sharing. All of this technology allows the physical automation infrastructure to be the best it can.

360: What do you say to manufacturers that shrug off the need for automation?

BC: Most manufacturers—even the smallest job shops—are beginning to welcome automation more openly. We have seen an increase in all industries, because customers realize that they have to increase throughput and reduce costs, and one of the best ways to do this is through pallet pool systems.

For the skeptics: Automation is keeping companies competitive and profitable. All American manufacturers have stiff competition on a global scale—which brings the need for faster production and lower prices. Any company that doesn’t think it is competing globally is in a bubble.

Contrary to some opinion, automation is actually saving jobs, because it allows companies to stay in business and grow, and prevents American job loss caused by overseas competition. What’s more, it benefits the general public because it keeps the cost of products lower.

360: What about the initial investment?

BC: With our pallet pool systems, customers can start small and expand in the future— the systems are very modular and cost- sensitive. Our CPP systems, for example, are among the most affordable pallet pool systems in the world. Actually, many of our customers see such a big payoff that they are buying multiple systems.