Automation the Holy Grail?
June 6, 2025Comments
Automation sits top of mind for most if not all metal formers and fabricators. Using machines (robots, cobots, etc.) to handle material, index welding guns and perform other tasks, including perform quality inspections, certainly can represent a holy grail when it comes to getting work done without the chore of hiring, training and retaining people.
However, employing automation for tasks previously performed manually takes care and foresight to avoid the frustration (and wasted time and money) of a prolonged commissioning period for the new equipment, as well as unexpected downtime due to improper programming, insufficient maintenance and other challenges.
All of that said, when walking the Automate show floor last month, the buzz surrounding all of the cobots, robots, hard-automation systems and more was palpable. Automate 2025, featured more than 365,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space consumed by more than 850 exhibitors. More than 40,000 attendees visited the show, from May 12-15 at Detroit’s Huntington Place Convention Center, including MetalForming’s editors. We’ll report on the new technology we spied in the coming months.
From conveyors, automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots and other material-handling equipment, to robots, cobots and hard-automation equipment, as well as automated inspection technology and controls—Automate had it all. Of note: Nearly every exhibitor touted smart-manufacturing solutions to take automation to the next level—machine learning, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, etc.
As manufacturers increasingly look to jump aboard the smart-manufacturing train, take note of a new Deloitte survey stressing that while smart manufacturing can deliver advantages to those who implement it, fabricators must proceed carefully, with foresight and caution. The survey, titled “Navigating Challenges to Implementation,” finds that while many surveyed companies have realized value in their recent smart-manufacturing investments, some still face significant challenges in managing complex transformations. Noted hurdles include operational risks, talent shortfalls and cybersecurity preparedness.
Yet, invest wisely and implement carefully and the payoff is there for the taking. Deloitte survey respondents report as much as a 20% improvement in production output, 20% gain in employee productivity and 15% uptick in unlocked capacity. And, the report finds that 78% of companies surveyed have allocated more than 20% of their overall improvement budget toward smart-manufacturing initiatives. Further, 46% of respondents rank process automation as their first or second priority investment, and 37% ranked physical automation first or second.
