Survey shows healthy UK investment in automation
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DFA Media product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Aug 4, 2004
A nationwide survey reveals that UK manufacturing industry has a high level of satisfaction with automation suppliers.
A nationwide survey reveals that UK manufacturing industry has a high level of satisfaction with automation suppliers.
Carried out by Benchmark Research in June 2004, the survey was commissioned by the organiser of the forthcoming Drives and Controls exhibition.
94% of respondents were generally happy with the levels of service provided by their automation suppliers, and 84% felt that they had achieved the expected levels of cost and timesaving from automating their processes.
The survey shows a healthy level of investment by UK manufacturers; with more than half of the companies questioned claiming 50 to 75% levels of automated production in their plants.
Everything in the automation UK garden isn't rosy however, with a hard core of 24% of companies indicating zero use of automation or heavy reliance on manual labour.
And that's a figure which UK industry needs to address, according to Drives and Controls exhibition organiser, Ken Purchase: "Worryingly, the survey shows that 44% of companies which have not invested in automated manufacturing can see no necessity to do so".
"Only 8% quoted 'cost' as a factor in their decision", said Purchase, "so the industry obviously has an educational job to do".
Increased production speeds and reduced costs were the overwhelming reasons for 60% of companies to automate their processes, and 19% of respondents saw it as a way of improving their quality control procedures.
Keeping their competitive edge was the motivating factor for a further 13%.
The survey also carries good news for the Government, in its efforts to change the gas-guzzling ways of industry.
52% of companies questioned quoted "energy-saving" as an important factor in their choice of automation equipment.
Predictably perhaps, the "usual suspects" - quality, price, service and delivery - were front of mind with respondents asked about the most important aspects of the service offered by their automation suppliers.
What should certainly ring alarm bells for suppliers is the low priority that industry attaches to "flexibility" and "upgradability" in its rating of their service provision.
The survey results can be found on the Drives and Controls website.
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