Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/990149
14 PalletCentral • May-June 2018 palletcentral.com Stuart Busman SALES MANAGER Macoser Inc. Manufacturers need to fill jobs that are low wage, low skill-set labor, and forecast predictable productivity, decrease manufacturing costs and improve margins. The best way to get started with automation is to evaluate where there is high volume repeat production. We haven't seen more automation in pallet manufacturing or pallet recycling due to the low value of finished goods versus the capital investment to automate. Marc Pérez Toneu EXPORT MANAGER Mechanica CAPE I would say people are not strictly looking into robotics, but automation in general. Companies are searching for ways to not be dependent on a specific type of labor, which for decades has been working on pallet nailing equipment. Companies are searching for ways to increase the efficiency on their manufacturing equipment without adding more labor. By efficiency, it does not strictly mean to increase production with less labor, it is also to eliminate faulty pallets, reduce setup times, reduce downtime or implement better workflow processes. These seem to be the current needs of all industries. The best way to begin is to start in stages, and digitalization is probably the easiest way. NWPCA's Pallet Design System™ and the pallet data export facility to the nailing equipment is a clear example of it. Industry needs to have an open mind to new technologies and find the way to apply these new technologies in their own business. Not all pallet nailing equipment can be automated, and not all companies are ready for automation. Learning where and which are the current limitations for our customers and then search for the real possibilities is our obligation as pallet equipment suppliers. Kurt Larsen PRESIDENT & CEO Viking Engineering & Development Automation can be defined as the technology by which a process or procedure is performed without human assistance. Industrial automation deals primarily with the automation of manufacturing, quality control and material handling processes. The main hurdle is developing a solution with material handling and nailing with low OPINION "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." Kevan Grinwis, Automated Machine Systems