Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/990149
palletcentral.com PalletCentral • May-June 2018 13 taking off as robotics provide significant improvements in safety and change the available workforce by changing the way the operator interacts with the manufacturing process. However, more and more folks are also deciding to go with other automation, like stacking systems, due to their ability to keep up with higher production demands. Regarding the "recent influx" in automation, there are a few possible contributors that come to mind. The labor market, for example, is extremely tight today, whereas, in years past, labor may have been more readily available in some markets. Also, the rise in insurance costs as well as legislation which puts more demand on business owners is a likely contributor. Furthermore, the simple fact that automation is a major capital investment can lead some folks to dismiss the idea. However, more and more pallet manufacturers and recyclers are automating and realizing the savings at an increasing rate. The more we're able to help people understand what automation can do as well as the quick ROI that they can realize, they soon see that, in the grand scheme of things, they can't afford not to automate. The role I see for NWPCA around automation involves three specific areas: communication, networking, and education. In my opinion, all of these are strengths of the association which can be strategically geared toward the issue of automation. NWPCA can advance the discussion, provide information of use to members. However, to add some more in-depth suggestions, the association could look at collecting data on industry trends specific to automation and report those trends through articles and so on. Also, more articles and stories demonstrating real world applications would allow folks in the industry to conceptualize the short term and long-term benefits of automation in a relevant way. Jeff Williams PRESIDENT PRS Group The majority of robotic solutions today are based around material handling tasks. However, with many of these tasks being repetitive, heavy lifting, automa- tion and/or robot based solutions are a good fit. With the innate ability to be reprogrammed, robots are fairly easy to repurpose, and therefore lend themselves to flexibility for changing needs in the future. Other requirements might be changing the end effector (the device on the end of the robotic arm), or possibly the stand/mount of the robot. The association can serve as a central hub for information on the subject, and continue to be a conduit connecting suppliers and end users.