State of Automation White Paper

As the general plant manager of a U.S. manufacturing company ponders the future, he looks out at his most-experienced machine operators, many within a few years of retirement age, and wonders how he can maintain his current production levels, let alone plan for growth, with increasingly fewer skilled workers. His last few attempts to bolster his staff met with mixed results, as most candidates lacked the right experience or even the necessary basic aptitudes. Eyeing his equipment, he thinks yet again about using automation to supplement his workforce and boost production without adding personnel.