According to a report by Grainger, 59% of metalworking firms are having a difficult time finding and retaining qualified employees.

The combination of a healthy construction market and a solid economy are keeping work pipelines flowing and bottom lines strong for metalworking operations. However, even the biggest business boom can bring its own set of unique challenges. According to a report by Grainger, 59% of metalworking firms are having a difficult time finding and retaining qualified employees, and 45% are struggling with competency levels in their workforce. As unemployment rates remain low and companies often compete for the same candidates, it is critical to find solutions for staffing problems.

Scrap handling systems, fluid recycling equipment, and industrial water and wastewater treatment solutions offer automation opportunities that address the staffing issue and benefit the bottom line.

Automated conveying equipment transports metal scrap from production through load-out with minimal employee involvement. Conveyors also:

Tramp oil separators automatically remove free-floating and mechanically dispersed tramp oils, bacteria, slime, and inverted emulsions from individual machine sumps, central systems, and wash tanks. This equipment:

Mechanical or automatic hydraulic dumpers simplify cart unloading with efficient one-person operation that uses a handheld control to operate equipment.

Employers in the metalworking industry are struggling to maintain production and grow because of worker shortages. As unemployment rates remain low and companies often compete for the same candidates, it is becoming increasingly critical to find solutions to staffing problems. Industry experts offer several explanations for the increasing amount of open positions and the shrinking number of qualified candidates.

• Aging workforce — Citing Forbes magazine, the Arizona Republic reported that more than half of the skilled labor pool in job categories such as machining consists of workers aged 45 and older. The physical demands of industrial production make it increasingly challenging for older employees to remain in the job market as they approach retirement age. Younger entrants can replace them and accept lower pay, but cost savings often come with a comparative lack of experience (and the commensurate lower productivity rate) that many production operations find unacceptable.

• Perception problem — The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in 2017 that factories can find plenty of people for grunt jobs, such as lifting boxes and sorting parts. They are having much more difficulty finding hands-on machinists, CNC machine operators, toolmakers, industrial electricians, multi-skilled maintenance mechanics, and candidates for other jobs that require aptitude in math plus a couple of years of schooling. They blame this on the perception that factory work still has an outdated, gritty image in the minds of many people who think the work environment in a metalworking operation is dark, dirty, and dangerous. Automation and computerized manufacturing have eliminated many factory jobs that require brawn in favor of positions that demand a more sophisticated skill set.

A report by Grainger listed strategies that manufacturers are taking to face this situation, including the development of apprenticeship programs and college/tech school partnerships. A 2018 article in the Springfield News-Sun reported that some manufacturing firms are boosting wages to compete for candidates. Harvey Tool Company, a provider of specialty carbide end mills and cutting tools to the metalworking industry, identified employed machinists as the best source to encourage today’s youth to join the profession through community outreach and networking initiatives.

Staff reduction could make the most business sense for metalworking operations that need to fill open positions while ensuring their current labor forces stay in place. Automating as many plant processes as possible allows productivity to remain high while requiring fewer workers to get the job done.

Modern equipment in conveying, scrap handling, fluid recycling, and water/wastewater treatment also improves uptime with low maintenance, eliminating overstaffing to ensure that employees are as productive as possible.

Productivity improvements in today’s manufacturing plants and machine shops are typically derived from evaluating machining equipment, operating procedures, and labor allocations associated with process-side activity. Continuous improvement in this area should also include waste streams, which offer several opportunities to address the problem of staffing a plant with a skilled workforce. Removing the human element whenever possible keeps a production line flowing safely and efficiently – not to put people out of work but to retain qualified employees and minimize the impact of a shrinking workforce.

Ineffective processes that are labor-intensive and require constant attention inhibit an operation as business continues to ramp up. Working with an experienced equipment and systems provider to automate systems can help metalworking plants thrive in an environment where attracting and retaining qualified employees continues to be a challenge.

PRAB https://www.prab.com

About the author: Mike Hook is sales & marketing director at PRAB, maker of engineered conveyors and equipment for processing turnings, chips, and metalworking fluids. He can be reached at mike.hook@prab.com.