Arm's reach

摘要

Automation is no longer a buzzword. It has become a basic fact of manufacturing life. But the reasons for automating vary from company to company and from industry to industry. It is rare, however, to find a manufacturer seeking only to reduce the costs of manual labour. The focus is likely to include improved quality, reliability and productivity. But flexibility is also becoming more of a priority. The aim is increasingly to combine the manufacture of a changing mix of products with ease of introduction of new products onto the line with minimum delay and investment. If appropriately implemented, programmable automation can play a major role in achieving these objectives.