Why investing in CNC Automation is of all times, even in the face of (economic) uncertainty
A quiet period? The best time to automate your CNC production
The order books are thinner than you’d like, and nobody knows exactly when that will change. You have no influence over the economy. But you do have control over how you come out of it. Because when demand returns – and in the manufacturing sector, it always does so faster than expected – you’ll want to be ready with a production setup that runs for longer hours, is less reliant on scarce operators, and can respond swiftly to small, fluctuating orders. A quiet period is no obstacle to this. It’s your best opportunity.
The labour market remains tight, regardless of the economic cycle
Even when orders are slow, the clock keeps ticking. Experienced CNC operators are retiring, and young people rarely opt for a job that mainly involves loading and unloading workpieces. That problem existed even before the slowdown, and it will remain afterwards.
Automation is radically transforming that job. The robot takes over the repetitive work, whilst the operator focuses on other tasks such as programming, set-up and quality control. This makes the work more varied and more attractive to new talent. A quieter period is the ideal time to make that transition.
Unpredictable demand calls for maximum flexibility
The economy is recovering faster than you might think, and you know how it goes in the manufacturing sector: demand springs up out of nowhere, and at a dizzying pace. With over 16 years’ experience, we know that this requires a level of flexibility from manufacturers that they usually lack.
Responding to unpredictable demand will indeed cause you sleepless nights until you see the solution. Yet the solution is simple: if you don’t yet know the variables, look at what is certain.
The number of hours in a day is fixed. What you do have control over is how many of those hours your machine actually spends producing. In many workshops, a CNC machine runs for only a fraction of the time (30%): during the day shift, and only when an operator is available to load it. Breaks, sickness, leave and training reduce that utilisation rate even further.
With CNC Automation, that utilisation rate is virtually 100%.
And we’re all familiar with those pioneers in our sector whose annual accounts haven’t been in the red for years, who do manage to attract and retain young staff, and who see more orders coming in month after month. That’s because, some time ago – probably during a period similar to today they took the time to review their processes. They came to the conclusion that they needed to invest in their machinery, digitalisation and automation, and they are now reaping the rewards. So this is how it can be done in the manufacturing industry too.
Now the step is smaller than it is at busy times
After the ebb comes the flow, and it’s no different in the manufacturing industry. Anyone who was already struggling to keep up before the economic downturn will certainly benefit from a pivoted production process. Unfortunately, the transition to automation always involves some downtime, but this drawback is not too bad during this quiet period.
What’s more, automation is the ideal way to catch up with – and even gain a lead over – your competitors, allowing you to reap the benefits quickly once the economy gets back on track. In the long term, you’ll then enjoy the cost savings that come with increased efficiency.
We know it takes a lot of courage and confidence to automate your production process, but in these unusual times, you’re being encouraged from all sides to take the plunge. With attractive terms and unprecedentedly short lead times, the leap is smaller than ever, and you can actually recoup your investment even faster than any brochure, website or salesperson might promise.
What are the benefits of automation for your workshop?
Find out in just a few minutes how many extra hours of playtime you’ll gain and how quickly your investment will pay for itself.