The transformational power of automation bears many exciting stories to tell. JR Automation is a Gold A3 Member and has been with the association since 2008. They are one of the leading global systems integrators and solutions providers for the industrial automation industry. They design and build highly integrated manufacturing systems.

In this video, they feature their work on Advanced Drainage Systems. The problem at hand was that these systems needed assistance in optimizing the strapping and palletizing of 10-foot-long sticks of plastic pipe, which are extruded 24/7. Due to labor shortages, the company was unable to keep up with the packaging and palletizing, causing piece loss and quality issues. Working side by side with the customer, JR Automation designed a creative solution for these challenges. Here they are with their story about why they automate.

At JR Automation, every day is an opportunity to solve new challenges. Sometimes the result is something that not only improves the products being made but also benefits the people and community around it. Advanced Drainage Systems, a leader in pipe and storm water management solutions engaged JR Automation to help optimize the stacking and palletizing of its pipe extrusion process. People are a core function which is why it's important to focus on safety at ADS. Automation was one of the key ways to make sure that we significantly either reduce or eliminate strains, sprains, and lacerations. So our extrusion process is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If there is an issue downstream we have to fix it quickly and efficiently. We were having issues with finding personnel and continuing to keep those lines running. An exciting part of this process was getting into a new industry for the irrigation side of the world. Making a product that's repeatable for a semi-unrepeatable product was challenging, but that's what makes this job fun. Additionally, the product itself posed its own set of challenges with our septic stack pipe. It's 10-foot-long sticks of corrugated plastic. They're very difficult to handle and maintain. Additionally, with our palletizing application, within it our operators are having to lift over their heads to help try to reduce ergonomic stress during their operations.

What JR Automation was able to do was take a look at that process and completely fully automate it and significantly reduce the risk to employees to better understand their customers needs. The JR Automation team toured ADS facilities, seeing firsthand their process and floor space. It's very important to understand the problems in the variables from their lens and to walk along the floor. You see it firsthand and in-person being on site at the very beginning with the customer talking through what the process looks like upstream of our equipment. Having a better understanding of floor space requirements and the overall atmosphere of the plant helps us develop our machine. Having that back and forth feedback has been critical to our success on this project. When it came time to manage product overflow, JR Automation's advanced applications team was brought into the mix to assist in the development of a custom hopper concept. During the design, we initially concepted a hopper for dispensing the 10-foot-long pieces of pipe. The toothpick style feeder was not going to work. We went to a vertical magazine implementation, so instead of having everything all in one large mass, we have three vertical magazines that hold up to 18 pipes. That way we are controlling the pipe all the way through the process without losing hold of it by minimizing the required touch points of the ADS team. JR Automation was able to create a solution that keeps ADS employees safer, minimizes waste, and helps the organization keep production costs down.

Most people when they see corrugated pipe they don't think much of it. This process is surprisingly very difficult. JR has really stepped up in helping find solutions. From an ADS perspective, we understand manufacturing. We've been doing it for 55 plus years, and JR is helping us to understand there's a lot more opportunities for automation in our process than what we initially thought. We have some pretty significant growth goals that we want to achieve over the next few years. Partnering with someone like JR Automation, I think, is really going to help ADS achieve some of those GRI goals. Having automation processes makes it so much easier to train, reduces risks continuously, and makes it a great place to work. For more information on how JR Automation can help you grow your business visit jrautomation.com

Why do you automate? Send us your story!