Industry News for 11/2018

Cluster’s CEO and founder, Kim Taylor, has been highlighted in People Magazine’s feature "25 Women Changing the World."

A shop’s product mix, the types of jobs running in the shop, can make or break it. The right mix increases profitability and makes for happy customers. The wrong mix risks demoralizing the shop and upsetting customers, ultimately resulting in more stress and less profit. Actively managing your product mix to correctly fit your shop makes life much easier. However, it does take intention to step away from the jobs you know your shop can, but shouldn’t make.

From assembly and pick-and-place to material handling and packaging, the use of robots is on the rise in factory automation. Extremely customizable in even the most complex applications, automation systems are beneficial for a variety of reasons. Taking the plunge into automation, however, can be confusing and daunting. With so many factors to consider, you may be wondering where to start. This guide is a broad overview, but can serve well as a starting point for those new to automation.