Is non-standard automation necessarily more expensive than standard equipment? The truth about the field of pipe fittings processing has arrived

In the pipe fittings processing industry, purchasing equipment has always been one of the biggest cost investments for manufacturers, from household fittings for hardware plumbing, to brake pipes and water-cooled pipes in the automotive industry, and even pressure pipelines in the chemical industry. Many business owners have formed an inherent understanding that standard equipment is mass-produced and the price is definitely low; Non standard automation is tailor-made and definitely expensive. If it can meet the standards, we will never make non-standard products.

But in today's increasingly personalized demand for pipe processing, this perception is no longer in line with reality. The truth in the field of pipe processing is different from what many people think.

To clarify the price, it is necessary to first distinguish between standard equipment and non-standard automation in the field of pipe processing. Standard pipe fitting processing equipment, such as universal pipe cutting machines, ordinary pipe bending machines, and shaping and expanding machines, are mass-produced for the general needs of the industry, with fixed parameters and unified functions. Due to mass production, the research and manufacturing costs of a single unit are diluted, so the quotation for a single purchase is generally lower.

Non standard automation equipment, on the other hand, is designed separately based on the manufacturer's specific pipe specifications, processing accuracy, process flow, and production capacity requirements. From replacing a set of special fixtures to integrating multiple processes such as cutting, bending, punching, and testing into an integrated production line, they all belong to the non-standard scope. Because they need to be developed and designed separately, the single purchase price is often higher than that of a single standard equipment, which is also the source of the saying "non-standard is more expensive".

But many people only calculate the purchase price, without taking into account the total cost of the entire production cycle, which is also a source of misunderstanding. Let's take a common example in the field of pipe fittings processing: a certain automobile parts factory needs to process brake oil pipes, which requires completing three processes: cutting, bending, and expanding.

If purchasing standard equipment, three independent devices need to be purchased with a total purchase price of about 160000 yuan. Three workers need to operate them separately, and manual transportation is required between processes. Due to manual operation errors during the processing, the defect rate is about 3.5%. The three devices occupy a total of 25 square meters of factory space.

If customized with a non-standard automation equipment that integrates three processes, the single purchase price is about 190000 yuan, which is 30000 yuan more expensive than three standard equipment. However, only one worker is responsible for loading and unloading without transportation. The integrated processing of the equipment reduces the defect rate to 0.4%, and the entire equipment only occupies 10 square meters of factory space.

Calculate a sum of money: Over the course of one year, labor costs can be saved by at least 80000 yuan, waste losses can be saved by over 20000 yuan, factory rent can be saved by nearly 10000 yuan, and the price difference can be recovered in less than a year. If the equipment is used for a 5-year cycle, a total of more than 500000 yuan can be saved, and the overall cost is much lower than using standard equipment.

There is another more common situation: for special processing needs, standard equipment cannot meet the requirements at all, and using standard equipment to make do may actually result in higher hidden costs. For example, the popular special-shaped water-cooled pipes in the new energy vehicle industry now require shape tolerances to be controlled within 0.1mm, and multiple holes of different specifications need to be drilled on the side walls of the pipe fittings. The universal standard pipe bending machine cannot meet the accuracy requirements at all. If we buy cheap standard equipment, half of the products produced will be unqualified, and the penalty and rework costs for customers will far exceed the price difference of the equipment itself.

For example, manufacturers of customized bathroom fittings often place orders in small batches with multiple specifications. They need to change three or four specifications per day, while changing specifications for standard equipment requires disassembling and adjusting parameters, which takes two or three hours each time. The effective production time is only a few hours per day, and if the production capacity cannot be increased, they cannot accept more orders; Customized non-standard equipment with quick change fixtures and one click parameter adjustment only takes 10 minutes to change specifications, and the production capacity can be tripled, earning much more money than the additional cost of customized equipment.

Of course, the truth is not that 'non-standard is definitely cheaper than standard'. Ultimately, the core of price is not non-standard or standard, but matching degree. If your processing needs are universal, such as long-term processing of conventional specifications of plumbing pipes, standard equipment can fully meet the accuracy and production capacity requirements. Therefore, standard equipment has lower procurement costs, easier maintenance parts, and higher cost-effectiveness.

Only when your production needs have special characteristics, whether it is special precision requirements, process integration, or frequent product changes of multiple varieties, customized non-standard automation can help you save various hidden costs of redundant links. Overall, it is cheaper than using standard equipment.

With the development of the pipe fitting processing industry towards customization and high precision, more and more enterprises will encounter situations where standard equipment cannot meet their needs. Instead of holding the old concept that "non-standard equipment is always expensive" and not daring to try, it is better to calculate the general ledger of production and choose equipment that suits their own needs, which is the real way to reduce costs and improve efficiency.