This new concept robot from ABB is really going to make a difference to manufacturing in Australia. Her name is FRIDA, that stands for Flexible Industrial Dual Arm Robot.  I can see the possibility of having a robotic workforce that can be hired out to help companies out through peak periods.  One way to use this unit is to slot it into production lines where people have to do jobs that are boring and repetitive, perfect for a robot!

For the full report please go to http://www.abb.com/cawp/abbzh254/8657f5e05ede6ac5c1257861002c8ed2.aspx

What ideas and opportunities can you see for this?

Introduction

The information gathered in this paper was given to me by a former trainer for ASIO.  It is a result of a conversation that I had with him where I was requesting information on how to gather intelligence about competitors and customers in markets that I do business in.  I cannot disclose my source of information but I am happy to share the highlights of this conversation with you.  I hope this helps you in your business.

Following are 10 points for gathering conversational information and creating an “asset”

1. Know your subject

Know your area of interest inside out.  This includes knowing what you want to find out and knowing what you don’t know.

This enables you to listen for opportunities and gauge the knowledge of your conversation partner.

2. Know your target

Know who it is that you want to talk to.  It will save you time talking to everybody trying to find someone that can help you.

3. Know who is who

Get to know who the players are and what they do.  What are their areas of influence?  Who do they know?  Also get to know who is close to them.  This will enable you to target the people that you want to talk to.  This will also assist you to avoid wasting time talking about the weather with people that can’t help you.

It also pays to have an exit strategy for the conversation.  If you find that the conversation is not going anywhere, you are just being polite.  End It!

4. Engage in conversation

When you are talking to your target really engage in conversation with them.  Remember anyone can talk about the weather.  Your mission is to build allies and friends, to do this you must really engage with them.  This means find out what is important to them.  What are they interested in.  What are they passionate about?  What problems do they have etc.? 

People love to talk about themselves, give them the perfect opportunity for that.

5. Be encouraging

People love to be encouraged and acknowledged.  People will also sell the farm to be admired.  Find something that you can admire about the person that you are talking to and encourage and acknowledge them in that area.  If you do this your conversation partner will really open up to you. 

Think about it when somebody did that for you, you most likely remarked, that person was great to talk to or that was a great person. Or even better I found myself telling those things that I don’t share with anyone. 

6. Be Bold-Not Fake

Have strength in your convictions.  If you are passionate about something or you have strong views then let that show.  You don’t need to be contrary or have arguments.  You are just demonstrating strength of character.

Don’t make the mistake of agreeing with things that you don’t believe in just to be polite or accepted.  People can smell this and it smells fake. 

Remember people follow people with strong beliefs, leaders.  They don’t follow sheep.

7. Have something to offer

Be prepared to give in exchange for what you want.  If you have been listening then you will know what areas are important to them.  Look for things that are personal interests, offering to go fishing with someone can go a long way.

8. Watch and listen

Keep your ears open and your mouth shut.  Look at the crowd and you will soon pick who the movers and shakers are.  They will be the people in the centre of a group, they may also be the quiet ones watching the group just like you.

In the case of the person at the centre of the group look for who is physically close to them.  There is a good chance they are also close to them in the business or personally.  If you can get close to that person then you are close to your ‘target’.

In the case of the quiet ones, use caution.  Don’t let them become aware that you are watching them.  See who it is that they are watching. See what connection you can make there.

9. Be polite and cordial

If you are polite and cordial people will have confidence around you.  This is important, no one will give you the time of day if they feel threatened by you or are offended by you.

10. Talk about what you have done

Everybody is interested in experience.  That is genuine experience.  The point of this is to establish credibility.  This is not to make yourself look good, it is merely to give people confidence in you.  You know what you are talking about. 

Nobody is really interested in what you are going to do, there are plenty of people who say they are going to do something and never do.

 If you fall into the trap of talking about what you are going to do then you may find somebody can foil you.  Or worse still just plain steal your ideas.

Summary

Mastery of these 10 points will give you a clear advantage when engaging with a large group.  Practising it will put you in an elite group of people and put you ahead of your competition.   Remember business is a game but it is also war!

“If you sit by the river long enough you will see the bodies of your competition float by” undisclosed source.

A lot of what I cover in this blog category is gained through experience.  Now that I have begun my academic development I now have the skills to reflect on this experience, analyse it and write about it.  Hopefully this warts and all series of articles and posts id going to be both enjoyable and valuable to you.

Good luck and enjoy!

Russell Gee

Here is a sneak peek at our new robotic bag palletiser.  We have set up this system in our Victorian showroom.  ABB has taken the title as the worlds fastest robot capable of over 2000 cycles per hour.  At MANmachine we have traveled across the globe to find the latest and best technology.  All of this is in order to be able to offer the highest quality to our valued customers.

This system is capable of palletising up to four pallet stacks.  This means more time between pallet changes!  Of course we can also set this up as a fully automated palletising solution with pallet dispensers and conveyors.  Making the palletiser capable of up to 20 pallets per hour with 48 25kg bags.

In the basic format we will supply the palletiser with:

• one infeed conveyor
• robot stand
• robot and gripper
• robot controller and software
• 4 pallet frames
• two light curtains
• safety fencing

Basic layout 4 Station palletiser

If you have a bagging line that you need to automate or even upgrade an existing palletiser just give us a call and we can help you to match a system to your needs.  Our motto is the right equipment in the right place.

For more complex systems we have a great lineup of standard products from ABB the worlds leading robotics company.  And for custom solutions we can supply engineering and fabrication services.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Join a highly effective team at Manmachine Pty Ltd.  We manufacture electrical and PLC control systems. An electrical licence is desirable.  $25-33/hr

MANmachine is an Industrial Controls and Robotics company.  Right now we have an oppertunity in our manufacturing workshop.

Join a team of highly effective people in manufacturing electrical and PLC control systems. 

Training is provided to ensure your success in our team. 

We operate from providing great customer service with very high standards of quality.  We are also interested in our people and supporting them to be successful and effective in their role.

You will be manufacturing control systems to a proceedure and standard.  You will use your ability to read schematic diagrams and assemble/wire up control panels. 

Experiance with marking out and laying out control panels is desirable.

An electrical licence is desiarable, if you are an apprentice or hold a qualification from another country you will also be considered.

 If this is for you then call Russell on 0418116644

Our car is a 1974 Holden Premier at the moment it is naked and waiting for a major sponsor.  We’ve got a long way to go in the 10 weeks left before we leave for the bash.  We are currently looking for support in getting the car ready and raising funds to help reach our target of $200,000.  If you would like to know yourself as someone who Makes a difference in the lives of sick and disadvantaged children please call Russell on +61418116644 or 0418116644.  Alternatively you can go to the MAD Bashers website www.madbshers.com  and Make A Donation there.

Thanks For all of your Support.

Russell Gee

In this day and age of computers, industrial automation is becoming increasingly important in the manufacturing process. Computerised or robotic machines are not only able to handle repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently, but are also capable of completing mundane tasks that workers are not willing to do.

One of the most important benefits brought by the implementation of industrial automation is the huge capital expenditure savings for manufacturers.

With soaring healthcare costs, paid days off, pension coverage, and other costly employee benefits, companies could save large sum of money by employing industrial automation. Although the initial investment on robotic machinery can be huge, the loss of monthly wages for production workers leads to incredible savings for the company. Even if the machine applied for industrial automation breaks down, the company only needs to pay a group of computer and program maintenance engineers to fix it.

Moreover, Even though many manufacturers employ dozens of production workers for a variety of shifts, they still need to close on certain days such as weekends. In contrast, industrial automation allows the company to run its production 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without paying overtime. This fact alone can add up to significant savings for the company.

Another major advantage of applying industrial automation is the growing emphasis on flexibility and convertibility in the manufacturing process. Entrepreneurs now are increasingly demanding the ability to easily switch from the manufacturing of one product to another without having to build a completely new production line. And the implementation of advanced industrial automation technologies can certainly help them achieve this goal.

Are there any other benefits that the application of industrial automation can provide for your industry? We would like to hear your thoughts.