MT Magazine May/June 2024

MT MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY THE BIG PICTURE

THE AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS ISSUE

18

Workforce challenges, technology advances, and an increasingly competitive environment have led to more shops implementing automation solutions. While each shop’s automation journey typically begins in a similar way, their paths soon diverge as problems grow increasingly unique, requiring a varied set of smart production solutions. Here are the five key stages that every shop will encounter.

Consolidating Setups A crucial first step in implementing automation focuses on consolidating setups, moving from many people conducting many operations on dierent machines to higher-end machine tools that serve a more all-in-one function.

Loading and Unloading Next, shops often look to automate mundane tasks, such as loading and unloading. Gantry machines and robotics solutions tend to be the focus at this stage.

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