Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/990149
12 PalletCentral • May-June 2018 palletcentral.com utomation technologies is a significant topic of discussion for the wood packaging industry. How will robotic automation benefit pallet manufacturers, and how can NWPCA best serve its members in this new area? The NWPCA Board of Directors added an automation goal to the association's strategic plan, and just last month, a task group appointed by the Board is developing recommendations for further discussion. An educational panel discussion on automation was held during the past 2018 Annual Leadership Conference. Expect to see similar programming an integral part of NWPCA events, online, and in print. For this edition of PalletCentral, we present insights on automation technologies from several industry thought leaders in response to the following questions: • What kind of problem are people most looking to solve with robots? • What is the best way to get started with automation to maintain flexibility for future changes in the market? • Why haven't we seen more automation in pallet recycling? • What role do you see for NWPCA around the issue of automation? • How can NWPCA advance the discussion, provide information of use to members? Let us know what hits the mark, and what misses. Let's keep the dialogue going. Continue to follow the conversation at PalletCentral.com via blog posts and comment on them. Kevan Grinwis VICE PRESIDENT Automated Machine Systems Multiple challenges can be overcome with the implementation of automation. Probably, the biggest problem that businesses are looking to solve at the moment is labor. Obviously, by introducing automation to manufacturing processes, the need for labor, especially for redundant labor-intensive tasks, can be significantly reduced. However, the benefits of automation go further than labor. Automation can bring significant improvements to quality, product consistency, and efficiency, not to mention workforce morale and safety, which can reduce workplace injuries and insurance costs, as well as improving the overall quality of the workplace experience. The best way to stay agile in today's every changing marketplace is to look for adjustability and adaptability when introducing new systems. Robotics, for example, can be easily retooled and modified to serve different purposes when manufacturing needs change. But, these factors are also good to take into consideration when looking at more traditional pallet handling automation like stacking systems. For example, some stackers can easily be changed to accommodate different production needs, like pallet sizes, stack heights, etc. Many types of automation have been around for years in pallet manufacturing and recycling. But, speaking of robotics specifically, they are certainly a relatively new addition. For example, the use of robotics in tasks like material handling, pallet sorting, and pallet dismantling seems to be A Industry Thought Leaders Insights on A U T O M A T I O N OPINION iStockphoto.com/PhonlamaiPhoto