Category: Automation

Whatever your journey into manufacturing automation looks like, there will come a point when you need to decide between using a consultant or directly approaching manufacturers yourself – so how do you decide between these two approaches?

The industrial revolution took place from the mid-1700s to the mid 1800s, with the first industrial automation recorded in 1771. How did we go from a water-powered spinning mill to complex, fully automated manufacturing? And how do we get from where we are now to lights-out manufacturing?

The International Federation of Robots (IFR) has announced that worldwide use of robots has doubled in the last five years. While still well below the global average, the UK’s use of robots has risen over 42% in the same period and continues to grow.

Having automation developed bespoke for you is not the same as purchasing an off-the-shelf solution. A good user requirements specification, or URS, will describe exactly what you need from the system - what it needs to handle, how it should perform and the environment it will operate in. The more information you can provide to your automation supplier, the better and more tailored your solution will be.

How do you find an automation supplier you can rely on? Recommendations from similar businesses in your industry - even competitors - is one way, but if this is lacking, then you'll need to look for alternative ways of choosing an automation supplier.