There are many misconceptions surrounding manufacturing automation, in part because many manufacturers don’t realize how quickly automation can provide ROI. To get a better picture of the state of manufacturing automation, UNITED GRINDING North America surveyed manufacturers across America to capture their perspectives.

The 160 survey responses indicate manufacturers are receptive to increasing their automation capability to grow their businesses, but they require more information on the ROI versus the price of entry of manufacturing automation in order to take the next step toward creating a more profitable, lean, “smart” factory floor.

Key takeaways from the manufacturing automation survey:

• Despite large-scale adoption of manufacturing automation over the past few years, there remains a significant opportunity for growth, especially beyond loaders.
• From the potential to increase capacity to reducing human error, many respondents are aware of the potential of manufacturing automation to help them grow their businesses.
• The vast majority of respondents say they will use more automation in the future.Once a manufacturer has decided to invest in automation, quality and service/support become the key factors in the decision process.

Check out this infographic based on the survey data to learn more about what manufacturers have to say about manufacturing automation.