(Mencom Corp: Oakwood, GA) -- Automation is a key part of almost all manufacturing today. Why? The many benefits include reduced costs, increased productivity, improved quality, and greater efficiency.

Reduced costs. What once took one or more people to do can now be accomplished with one robot, which contributes to significant reduction in material handling, orientation time, part inspection, and training.

Increased productivity. Automation improves the response time as products flow from operation to operation. Subassemblies can be integrated into the automation line to eliminate individual workstations. Manufacturing can now be performed 24/7 without operator error.

Improved quality. Automated product inspection and in-process testing allow the verification that the product is correct before sending it to the next operation. When automation is used to test products, the parameters must be quantified so the products are accepted or rejected according to those parameters. This eliminates the subjective decision making and potential for operator error, which is present when testing is performed manually.

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