Mark Hill, Manufacturing Engineer at Hansen Plastics Corporation, and his team have been making significant strides in manufacturing technology. Their goal was to develop a self-sufficient system that required little to no operator intervention, reducing costs significantly compared to existing systems on the market. “We wanted a system that could be used anywhere on the production floor, handle most parts, and take up minimal space,” Mark explained. Additionally, they designed the system with smart alarms to notify users of issues and provide solutions.
One major challenge was the elevator component. Mark went through several design iterations before settling on the current version. Initially, they used gravity roller conveyors and pneumatics due to their limited knowledge of programming motors with PLCs. This kept costs low but offered less control. Now, with improved expertise, they plan to upgrade the system to be more reliable.
Looking forward, Mark envisions this technology becoming widespread across the production floor. Its small footprint allows it to be used with almost any press, and its universal design means it can run most parts. This innovation is expected to reduce labor costs and ease the operators’ workload by providing a user-friendly system with alerts.
Mark advises aspiring innovators to embrace new ideas and learn from failures. “Innovation is open creativity with direction,” he said. By continually refining their approach, Mark and his team, Matthew Borthwick, Moises Ruiz Sosa and Daniel Acevedo, have created solutions that work flawlessly.
The success of this project was a team effort. “My team is fantastic to work with,” Mark shared. They collaborated on setting goals, designing, building, testing, and troubleshooting the system to ensure it operates flawlessly.
Exciting advancements are on the horizon. Mark’s team is working on a project where a Cobot loads and unloads a CNC with molded parts, eliminating wasted movement. This project, expected to be completed by early 2025, promises to be a strong contender for next year’s innovation award.
Through teamwork and continuous improvement, Hansen Plastics focuses on collaborative efforts and continuous improvement setting new standards in manufacturing efficiency and employee engagement underscoring the importance of innovative solutions in workforce empowerment.