Driving Automation: Recent Episodes
Kasa Companies
Welcome to Driving Automation, a podcast from Kasa Companies, where we've brought Kasa Controls & Automation and IntelliFinishing under the same umbrella to provide turnkey industrial control and automation systems to a global network of manufacturers, contractors and end-users. Join us as we provide insights, expertise, and thought-leadership to the automation industry.
Think back to ten years ago when same-day delivery was a rarity; today, nobody bats an eye at its prevalence. Dan VanderAkker, Vice President of Kasa, joined Host Daniel Litwin to explain how workflow automation in the parcel post and distribution fulfillment industries is contributing to this trend.
Workflow automation is essential for timely delivery in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships. Despite increasing automation, timely delivery is not a guarantee, especially with recent supply chain issues. While delivery delays frustrate consumers, they can be detrimental to businesses due to associated delay costs for production.
Part of the solution to reducing delays in the parcel post and distribution arenas is expansion of large-scale distribution centers. Many fulfillment centers are opening local facilities to meet demand and shorten delivery delays. Additionally, micro warehouses and ghost kitchens are appearing to assist big-box warehouses with storing food and pantry items.
Kasa deployed their partial automation component because they noticed the radical growth of the parcel post and distribution industries. Services they offer include electrical insulation and control services through the full breadth of projects from design through program development, factory acceptance testing, commissioning, startup and support.
VanderAkker speculated about Kasa’s future approach to automation: “Our backbone is going to be essentially sticking to the basics. We’re a service provider more so than a product provider and the ability to provide that service effectively on schedule without issues or without headaches to the customer can be a very valuable thing. If we can continue to maintain the same level of excellence and quality delivery on our services, I think that is going to help us stand out.”
Find more information on Kasa’s partial automation branch at kasacontrols.com.
For over four decades, Kasa Controls & Automation has been leading the charge in providing turnkey industrial controls and automation engineering expertise to a wide range of manufacturers and industries, including automotive, grain handling automation, sheet metal, paint shops and industrial equipment.
Kasa’s longevity and prowess make it the perfect partner for building electrical panel controls, but there are other core attributes that set it apart.
Hilary Kennedy, host of Driving Automation, was joined by Shawn Cadman, Green Automation Panel Build Rep, who started his career at Kasa and, after 24 years on the shop floor, transitioned to sales.
In discussing the key considerations for companies selecting partners for panel control builds, Cadman said that cost is always at the forefront. Criteria like the quality of the build, timely deliveries and safe shipping practices are also critical, he added, but customer service should also be top of mind.
“It’s the personal touch and service after the sale,” he said, noting that most of his customers also have his personal cellphone number. “We have repeat customers, because there’s a willingness to do whatever it takes to get them out of a jam or a situation they’re up against as far as automation, panel design or anything. Customers are No. 1 in our book.”
There are other ways that customers benefit from Kasa’s approach. In working on the UL panels, for instance, Kasa is exacting in labeling wires and equipment, which may impact the product down the line.
“Electrical components won’t last forever. There will come a time when someone will need to do work in there. Would you rather open it up and find a bowl of spaghetti or find clear, organized labels?,” Cadman said.
A clean, organized wiring diagram, he added, will lead you to the problem, and solution, without a hitch.
The topic of conversation for this episode of Driving Automation was focused on opportunity; a job opportunity, to get specific. Kasa Controls is looking to fill a Senior Controls Engineer position. Josh Hardesty, Senior Field Installation Coordinator for Kasa, provided all the details an applicant needs to know to apply and, more importantly, why this opportunity is worth pursuing.
For airports, baggage handling is a critical component in all aspects of the travel experience. The right systems and process in place mean safe and reliable baggage delivery to the people who put their trust in the airports to ensure a flawless transition from A-Z.
Airports use two types of systems for baggage handling, distributed and centralized I/O. Steve Reed, VP of Engineering & Safety for Kasa Controls & Automation, spoke about these two systems to help sort out the similarities and differences and identify which approach makes the most sense for today’s baggage-handling needs.
The debate centers on the location of the I/O (Input/output) module.
“Is it located near the processor, which is a more centralized system, or is it distributed, where the I/O is located more closely to the field device itself?,” Reed said.
While centralized I/Os are more traditional, Reed feels the distributed I/O model provides many advantages.
“It’s easier to see how wiring configuration with a distributed system,” Reed said. “It’s also easier to install and replace faulty components.”
And, because the I/O is out in the field, distributed systems make the information more granular from the device.
Centralized systems may still be the norm in many facilities due to the initial lower build costs and contractors' traditional mindset. But is that lower upfront cost sacrificing better performance, more useful data, critical time saving of baggage handling, and expensive maintenance and replacement?
“The long-term cost of ownership the best solution may be a distributed system, but because the initial cost is higher, often centralized systems still win the bid today,” Reed said. “That said, one way to help fix that is to get more electricians and installers to understand the advantages of a distributed system with regards to how long it takes to install. It significantly reduces the installation and testing time during the initial build.”