BRP Rotax Factory Tour

[rodgerc]

Can’t help but be impressed at their level of technology….

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Great video and so much automation in the processes.....but isnt automation supposed to make things cheaper? 🙂

I would hate to think how much all those robots and CNC machines would be worth.

Very impressive. Certainly much more info than that old video of aircraft engine assembly thats been on youtube for a lot of years..would like to have seen more but they also may not have been able to film those tasks or operations

 

[facthunter]

All those places have a certain "sameness" about them wherever they are.. I'm not sure you get a lot from them.  Nev

[spacesailor]

'' I would hate to think how much all those robots and CNC machines would be worth. '' .

 

Unilever spent $5 .2 Million , to replace 3 shift workers. with a Robot . And it only lasted 3 years , then Scraped . Plus two technicians at $ 500,00 each on 24 hour call-out .

And they said they can't afford to pay the wage rise for three shift workers . that only came to a total $ 36, 000 PA , per worker for three years .

OR a total for the life of that Automatic rubbish . wait for it  !!!!!

$ 108,000

spacesailor

PS,  I didn't count the cost of flying the Big ceo , from the UK. to sign off on the check ,

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by spacesailor
more added

[spenaroo]

We have a CNC machine with robot arm at my work,
runs through the weekend and overnight. investment was made as they couldn't get qualified machinists to work at those hours.
wasn't a wage issue - had to have the production regardless.

[facthunter]

Management always tries to remove the need for SKILLED workers from the equation. Unskilled ones are easy to replace. THAT started when the Industrial revolution started.. The days of an individual NEW motor being assembled by the one person are long gone. Early in the Piece Henry Ford dismantled 3 cars and mixed the Parts and randomly reassembled them and they all  ran fine. It was NOT because they were a loose fit either. Babbit bearings don't run loose fits.  Nev

[spenaroo]

I believe it was earlier then that,
wasnt that one of the main selling features of the colt handguns.
could mix and match parts, important for military use

but in our factory the machinist are in short supply.
generational issue, lots of older workforce at retirement age. And there isn't a supply of young trained individuals to replace them.

which isn't a surprise, its a trade with apprenticeship. but doesn't have the plumber/sparky/builder wage when you complete it,
ours are mostly father/son teams. where the attraction is legacy and job security. (the guy I took over from in internal sales was here 40 years)
- this also fly's in the face of my generation, where its easier to move jobs, then get a raise
at the moment a lot of places are shutting the doors as the owner/operator retires and he cant find anyone to sell to, to take over the operation

Edited April 24, 2023 by spenaroo

[facthunter]

People who do recent courses don't get the skills that were common place with toolmakers etc back a while. let alone KNOW the metal characteristics need for various parts or appropriate heat treatments. I've been in touch with the older trades all my life and there's a hard life in store for those who make small numbers of parts these days and hope to derive a living from it. They don't know the difference between "Tolerance" and a clearance. Preload and interference fit. Nev

[BrendAn]

the engineering shop that does work for me has  a building full of cnc machines because he can't get machinists any more and struggles with boilermakers too.  the workshop that services my trucks had an ad running for 18 months for a truck mechanic and never got a reply. they can't compete with the dealerships and mine sites wages.

[BrendAn]

On 23/04/2023 at 4:59 PM, Kyle Communications said:

Great video and so much automation in the processes.....but isnt automation supposed to make things cheaper? 🙂

I would hate to think how much all those robots and CNC machines would be worth.

Very impressive. Certainly much more info than that old video of aircraft engine assembly thats been on youtube for a lot of years..would like to have seen more but they also may not have been able to film those tasks or operations

 

is a rotax really that expensive. 30k for a 100hp that will last over 3000 easy if looked after. an 80 hp jab is 20k lucky to get to 1000.

[danny_galaga]

On 23/04/2023 at 8:36 PM, spacesailor said:

'' I would hate to think how much all those robots and CNC machines would be worth. '' .

 

Unilever spent $5 .2 Million , to replace 3 shift workers. with a Robot . And it only lasted 3 years , then Scraped . Plus two technicians at $ 500,00 each on 24 hour call-out .

And they said they can't afford to pay the wage rise for three shift workers . that only came to a total $ 36, 000 PA , per worker for three years .

OR a total for the life of that Automatic rubbish . wait for it  !!!!!

$ 108,000

spacesailor

PS,  I didn't count the cost of flying the Big ceo , from the UK. to sign off on the check ,

 

This is called an 'argument by selected instance'. 

 

Maybe Unilever had this one problem (do you have a source) but in general they seem to be doing exceptionally well with all their automated processes.

 

Also, one could say that shouldn't all that automation bring the cost down of a Rotax? But better to ask what it would have cost without automation? I suspect substantially more.

Edited April 26, 2023 by danny_galaga

[facthunter]

Only IF you are running the Machinery constantly and making large numbers of the one thing. Hand made would be prohibitively expensive in all cases. Prototypes will be hand made often.   Nev

[danny_galaga]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

Only IF you are running the Machinery constantly and making large numbers of the one thing. Hand made would be prohibitively expensive in all cases. Prototypes will be hand made often.   Nev

It goes without saying...

[facthunter]

Some Chinese parts are produced for Materials cost PLUS a quite small %. Prices NO one can compete with. . In fact it's probably dumped. BRP were making quite a few different product lines there.  You still need a quality control process not just a warrantee.  Nev