With COVID-19 impacting the way that factories and industrial sites work, automation is increasingly important
The coronavirus pandemic has had significant impacts on the way that Australians work. Working from home, for example, has become a serious business, particularly in Victoria, where residents of Melbourne are simply not allowed to head to the office and those in other regions of the state are being actively discouraged from it.
However, there are many types of work that simply can’t be done from the office or from home. And often these work types are in industries where there is a much greater likelihood of disease transmission between people.
In Victoria, particularly, we have seen the impact on COVID-19 transmissions in three specific settings where interpersonal proximity combined with, in those cases, air-conditioning challenges, for example, in developing clusters of infection in large groups of people – abattoirs and small-goods manufacturing; aged- and health-care; and hotel quarantine.
Given the heightened risk of disease transmission of any kind to workers employed in manual work in enclosed spaces, it seems logical that factories and industrial work sites will need to continue to explore options to automate work and minimise the physical interaction between workers into the future.
Of course, a well-scoped, designed, and delivered a program of automation brings many other benefits to an enterprise. In addition to minimizing interpersonal workplace contact, automation generally offers greater safety benefits by minimizing the amount of manual labor and interaction with machinery. Automation can also deliver significant financial benefits through eliminating waste, minimizing sources of human error, and streamlining workflows.
Of course, effectively introducing automation into industrial processes requires considerable planning, an expert understanding of the workflows and processes, the use of tried and tested technology and software, and careful integration across the enterprise. History is replete with examples of attempted technology changes that have not been thought through and delivered correctly and have resulted in considerable overspend and poor outcomes.
If you are considering automation of part or all of your existing industrial or manufacturing processes, your first step should be to engage with an expert service provider with deep experience in industrial applications and will partner with you and your business over the long term to develop a comprehensive understanding of your requirements, involve you in planning and development of the solution and ensure timely and effective delivery of an automated outcome that meets your specific requirements.
DRYSYS is a bespoke engineering company that specializes in turn-key delivery of industrial solutions for clients. From initial project scoping to delivery of the final outcome, and beyond, DRYSYS has many years’ experience working in a range of industrial sectors. DRYSYS has developed its own in-house automation solutions based on the decades of practical engineering and industrial experience of its team. At DRYSYS we comprehensively understand the challenges of modern manufacturing and industrial facility management.
If you are looking for an expert, modern and fit-for-purpose solution to automation in your enterprise, then give the team at DRYSYS a call today.
