The upcoming Industrial Automation North America conference is expected to focus on robotics. 2013 was a banner year for robots and robot sales are expected to increase by another 6% this year.
Why? An aging workforce and the skills gap are top contenders for the impetus behind increasing use of robots, but there are other factors, too.
New robots are safer, cheaper, and easier to use. Servo motors continue to make these technological advancements possible, but exciting innovations in the field are expected to be unveiled at this year’s trade shows.
Modern industrial automation increases quality as well as production. Historically, increased production and decreased costs were the main effects of automation, but other benefits are now recognized. Automation can be better for the environment and safer for human workers, too.
There is some speculation that increases in the minimum wage might make automation more appealing in industries that haven’t yet been willing to invest in automation, but this is still a matter of speculation and doesn’t seem to be driving sales at this point.
New technologies are interesting to learn about, but your old legacy Indramat components may still be doing their job just fine. If so, let us be your go-to when you need service or support. We specialize in legacy Indramat and new Indradrive components. We have emergency units on the shelf for immediate trade-out, we can facilitate factory repair, and we’ll fly out to help when you need immediate support.