Many of today’s ammunition and defense factories operate on the principles of traditional mass-production techniques developed in the early 1900s. To maximize efficiencies, manufacturers group machines in joint departments, turn them up to run as fast as possible and use large inventories to buffer inconsistencies. Traditional machines are challenging to set up and adjust, and manufacturers need specialized technicians to make changeovers, sometimes taking several days. Lastly, today’s ammunition plants are loud, and earplugs are required everywhere on the plant floor. With automated production lines, manufacturers can improve their production speed, quality, and flexibility. Automated cells also improve worker safety through quieter cells.

We designed our systems and our cells for quality monitoring using statistical process control (SPC) sampling plans at an inspection table. Adjustments are easier with linear servo actuators. When a machine requires an adjustment, the operator enters an offset on the touch screen and adjusts the dimension without stopping the machine. Capabilities of Six Sigma or better are easy with this servo actuated technology.

JR Automation designs each machine with versatility and flexibility in mind. We have incorporated quick-change concepts, similar to the early days of automotive manufacturing. Each machine is capable of changing from one caliber to another in 30 minutes or less.

Labor content is low in our advanced cells and systems. We design our solutions to keep operators safe and oversight limited. Overhead support for our ammunition manufacturing cells is significantly less than traditional manufacturing layouts.