Because the bottom line is critical to any “for profit” company, business owners and management are constantly looking for ways to improve. The key is to advance profitability without relying solely on sales.  How? Look around — profitability boosters can be found throughout the average plastics processor’s operation. Technology in the form of automation, for example, provides the foundation to become more efficient, cost conscious, and less wasteful. And there are plenty more opportunities. In fact, here are seven often overlooked areas where you can enhance profitability.

Read the entire article here in Plastics Today magazine.

Does today’s product development process match current market demands or is it just a replica of the way we’ve “always done it”? Looking in from the outside, product development can often appear to be a sequential process on a one-way street running from design to production with a side trip for analysis. However, there are multiple touchpoints and feedback loops within and between these stages.

One of the most critical, yet often overlooked and underdeveloped, areas of collaboration is between the CAE analyst and design teams. More than an inconvenience, effects of this gap can ripple throughout the organization, causing delays, excessive costs and bad decisions.

Read the entire Machine Design story here.

One of the biggest mistakes a small to mid-size fabricator makes has nothing to do with equipment, personnel or partnerships. Rather, the error lies in dismissing automation as beyond what they need or can afford. Automation positions manufacturers for long-term success in an increasingly digital world. Reducing manual or repetitive efforts frees up skilled workers to focus on higher value tasks, minimizes errors, improves product quality and grows profitability through increased production capacity.

So, with these advantages and more, why do some fabricators shy away from automation?

Read more here.