When most people picture automation, they imagine towering robotic arms assembling cars or massive cells humming with synchronized precision. But true manufacturing automation goes far beyond robots. From the front office to the tool room, nearly every process within a facility holds untapped potential for automation – and each one can deliver measurable gains in productivity, cost savings, and team member satisfaction.Zoller Inc. booth at IMTS. Drawing on insights from industry experts such as Dietmar Moll, director of sales at Zoller Inc. (IMTS booth #432018), and conversations with manufacturers who have successfully implemented automation, here are 13 practical areas where manufacturers can achieve quick wins with automation and strategically scale their efforts beyond the production line. These opportunities span the entire plant, offering measurable improvements in productivity, cost efficiency, and workforce satisfaction.Know Your ProcessesConduct a full review of all processes in your facility, including material and data flow for every stage of a product’s lifecycle. Once you understand all the steps involved in your operation, “your intralogistics,” you will gain the perspective needed to identify where automation can be most easily and effectively implemented.Automate InformationSoftware that automates data gathering, input, and management activities, including office tasks, represents some of the most powerful automation wins. For example, can you work with vendors to monitor inventory and automatically replenish it? Metrology-oriented software can automatically import the data required for first article inspection (FAI) and meeting AS9100 requirements.In the office, ERP software can impact ordering, scheduling, and raw material data (required for AS9100), among other areas. Instead of asking managers to deal with scheduling minutiae, they can dedicate time to making impactful management decisions, while workflow automation tools streamline routine activities such as confirming, shipping, and receiving orders, gathering QC information, and even building customer confidence.“I use ProShop ERP (IMTS booth #133027) as a sales tool,” says Jamie Marzilli, president of Marzilli Machine. “I had an incident where I brought up an active work order for a customer on my phone, cast it to the television in the conference room, and showed them exactly what their job status was. If you’re sitting in a meeting with the head of procurement and the company planner, and those guys see the control you have over planning and scheduling in your company, they’re going to have the confidence to send you work.”Automatic GD&TGeometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) annotates part designs with descriptions of the part’s shape, size, and allowable manufacturing variations. Software tools such as those from High QA (IMTS booth #134500) offer auto-ballooning tools that use advanced optical character recognition technology to simplify inspection planning by analyzing PDF and TIFF drawings and extracting GD&T requirements. The system automatically identifies dimensions, applies balloons, and populates a bill of characteristics – reducing document preparation time by up to 80%.Implement AI SolutionsThe manufacturing industry is experiencing a rapid rise in AI and AI-enabled solutions. For example, AI-powered machining platforms can determine, in minutes, whether a shop has the tooling and capabilities to machine a part. They can also analyze costs and profitability to decide whether to quote a job. AI can make tool recommendations, provide contextual design-for-manufacturing feedback based on the existing tools, analyze part geometry to determine optimal setups, choose efficient operation sequences, and automatically generate tool paths.“Even for advanced-level parts, Toolpath’s (IMTS booth #338248) AI-generated tool paths can get you most of the way there,” says Jeff Tiedeken, owner of Cutting Time, a prototype shop in Richmond, Calif. “By generating paths more efficiently, we shave hours off our weekly programming time, which is important for a small shop like ours.” (Hear from three machine shop owners using Toolpath for quoting[KK1] .)Empower People to Add ValueIdentify tasks that are repetitive, tedious, or hazardous. Start with simple processes for fast wins, then address the next production bottleneck. Automating these functions allows you to reassign team members to more skilled and valuable work (which is another reason not to begin with the most complex projects).With labor shortages a constant challenge in manufacturing, it’s wise to assign tasks that empower team members to make meaningful contributions. The most monotonous, low-skill jobs are often the hardest to fill and retain workers for. Offering people more fulfilling and purpose-driven work can significantly improve retention.Tavis Vaughn, vice president of engineering at CNC Machine Products, needed a solution that could handle heavy parts safely and efficiently without the cost and complexity of a full robotic system. The Easy Arm by Gorbel (IMTS booth #135784) combines a hand-guided articulating jib crane with its patented “G-Force” technology that features an industrial processor-controlled servo drive system. Instead of the operator supplying all the force (and fighting inertia, sway, and friction), the crane’s control system detects operator intent and provides controlled motion. (Details here.)Eliminate Data Entry ErrorsCorrect the results from “fat fingering,” industry slang for manual data entry errors such as punching a three instead of a six on a keypad, which wastes millions of hours and scrapes countless parts. Incorrect tool offset data is a common culprit. One solution is “zidCode” technology from Zoller (IMTS booth #432018). Before presetting or balancing a tool, the tool-room personnel scan a QR code on the tool. At the end of the presetting and balancing process, the machine sends all data to a tool management system, which links it to the tool and prints out a QR code for that tool. At the CNC, the operator scans the QR code to automatically import all setup and other data into the machine, saving time and eliminating data entry errors.“Good shops can machine, but great shops can manage tools,” says Max Egan, CEO of Atlas Fibre. The company won Zoller’s Tool Room of the Year award for its implementation of advanced technology, including tool management software, a presetting and measuring machine with an integrated tool heat-shrinking system, a clamping/unclamping system, and a tool balancer. (For details, check out “The Smart Factory Next Door: How Atlas Fibre is Redefining U.S. Machining.”)Run Lights-Out OperationsAutomated pallet-handling systems with multi-sided tombstone fixtures and zero-point tooling can enable extended unattended runtime. At IMTS 2024, almost every major exhibitor in the Metal Removal Sector demonstrated their CNCs paired with pallet systems and/or cobots and robots for parts handling. Atlas Fibre used a Fastems (IMTS booth #338966) FMS pallet handling system to feed six Okuma (IMTS booth #338500) MU 6300V 5-axis vertical machining centers. When combined with other technologies, this setup enables up to 72 hours of lights-out operation. To prevent unexpected downtime, Atlas Fibre uses its FMS to manage material, the program, fixturing, and tooling during unattended runs.Streamline Tool and Part DeliveryIn high-volume operations machining hard or abrasive materials, cutting tools wear faster and need more frequent replacement. Using a tool carousel with a larger capacity can ensure sufficient redundant tooling to avoid unscheduled stops.In extremely high-volume applications, automated tool fitting systems can deliver and load new tooling via an automated mobile robot (AMR) without operator involvement. Automated small part storage and retrieval systems can also streamline job kitting. Once a job code is scanned, all the small parts are picked and delivered to assembly via an AMR, which can also move completed parts to assembly, packing, or shipping.Automated modular assembly systems can screw, press, and heat-shrink all current tool systems to create complete tools — sometimes with integrated measurement capabilities — and automatically deliver them via an AMR or other transport system.Note: Network capability on the shop floor is required to achieve this level of system communication. Manufacturers investing in IIoT for data collection and analysis may already have this infrastructure in place.Automate Part StorageAutomated part storage systems, like those provided by Hänel Storage Systems (IMTS booth #431653) optimize operations by storing inventory in a compact footprint. Workers can quickly locate parts without walking up and down storage aisles, a tedious task if parts are misplaced. Once the part request is entered into the interface, it’s delivered to the worker and recorded in the system. When parts are returned, they are properly stored for future use.Deploy Mobile CobotsUnlike an automated work cell, which doesn’t move, cobots are often mounted on carts for flexible deployment across multiple work cells. In addition to pick-and-place and machine loading/unloading, cobots can perform finishing steps such as deburring, polishing, and painting. Many cobot applications were demonstrated at IMTS 2024, and we can expect to see even more at IMTS 2026 as the technology continues to advance.Automate InspectionRemoving parts from CNC machines for inspection inherently disrupts production. Scrap may occur if an operator improperly reloads a part or if the required tolerances exceed the setup capability. Zero-point tooling helps return the part to its original position with a fair degree of confidence; typical repeat accuracy can be 0.0002 inches for products such as those from Lang (IMTS booth #236627) and Schunk (IMTS booth #432010).Another solution is in-situ metrology to validate parts within the CNC before moving them to the next operation. Catamount Machine Works, a 10-person shop in Plant City, Florida, is collaborating with Verisurf Software (IMTS booth #134330) to test Verisurf’s MTP (machine tool probing) suite for in-process automated inspection. With MTP, a Renishaw (IMTS booth #134314) touch probe is mounted in a tool holder for one of Catamount’s Haas (IMTS booth #338100) VF-2SS mills set up for automation. Catamount is the first company in the world to have successfully run MTP in a production environment.For parts that go to a CMM for inspection, metrology companies such as ZEISS (IMTS booth #134302) provide inspection software that automatically creates inspection plans based on product manufacturing information (PMI) data, and exports results to meet FAI requirements. As a result, inspection personnel can inspect more parts more quickly and accurately, freeing time for higher-value responsibilities, such as scheduling and programming.Automate Packaging and ShippingAutomated systems can erect boxes and print and apply labels without human assistance. Palletizing robots can optimally stack and shrink-wrap full pallets, reducing time and the risk of injury from lifting heavy loads.Standardize for SuccessFor many of these automation systems to be successful, a level of organization and standardization must be in place. For example, an automated part delivery system will function properly only if all parts are available, correctly identified, and stored. If there are bottleneck areas in the process, they need to be addressed before implementing automation. Once the time and cost have been invested, some forms of automation can deliver ROI within months to a few years.While some simpler jobs may seem less important across the operation, automating even just a couple of these processes can have a significant impact on how businesses operate. The goal is to deploy the workforce toward value-added, skilled work while leaving tedious, repetitive tasks to automation.To help bring your automation dreams to reality, attend IMTS 2026 and talk with industry experts who are solving real-world challenges. IMTS 2026 takes place September 14-19, at McCormick Place in Chicago. Register now at IMTS.com/Register.IMTS.com/Register.
Manufacturing automation goes beyond robots, unlocking gains across the entire facility. Here are 13 practical areas from data and AI to inspection and smart cranes to boost productivity, cut costs, and empower workers.
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