Manufacturers have always sought ways to run more efficiently, but running at full steam has perhaps never been more critical than now. The pandemic has posed challenges too numerous to name. While nothing is more important than our collective health, factories create the goods we need and keep people working.
Here are a few tips that will help factories boost their productivity.
Modern Machines for Precise Measurements
The coordinate measuring machine (CMM machine) has been a stalwart on production lines for years, often performing quality control. CMM machines can measure the physical geometrical properties of an object or part by a tactile probe or, for smaller and more delicate parts, via scanner or laser.
Whether your factory produces goods built from very tiny parts, like electronics, or planes or even spaceships, you need to confirm that there are no defects. You can buy a CMM machine to boost automation and streamline quality control, but there are also CMM measurement services you can pay an authorized dealer to provide if measurements are only needed occasionally.
Decide what’s best for your company, but know that there is a vast range of machines designed to measure every conceivable part and flexible sales models that match how you do business.
Invest in Worker Safety
Keeping your workers safe should always be a priority, but right now, it’s not an overstatement to say it could make or break your business. Any factory would be devastated by a COVID-19 outbreak — the risk of community spread would keep you up at night, but there are immediate threats to your business, such as legal liabilities, reputational damage, and more.
Do not allow your workers to work in unsafe conditions. Ensure they have ample room to stay socially-distanced, hand sanitizer, face masks, and perhaps even take their temperature. Encourage them to stay home if they show symptoms, and give them paid time off, so they don’t feel pressured to come to work sick and potentially risk spreading COVID-19.
The upfront costs will keep your workforce safe and work as insurance to spare you from costly damage down the road.
Improve Training
Employees need support to work at their best, and this often means proper training. Perhaps the machines they use or the software inside them evolve, and their training needs updating.
Maybe they never received proper training in the first place. Either way, everything is easier to do when you know how to do it. If your factory uses specialized equipment like CMM machines, authorized dealers also provide some of the best training in the industry.
Sessions will be taught remotely, so they’re safe. Ideally, the in-class sessions will be transposed to a digital format — this is more comprehensive than a basic e-learning session.
When a factory has powerful equipment and knowledgeable employees working in a safe environment, it is positioned to succeed. Invest in what matters, and your factory will keep humming along.
