FORMING AND FABRICATING AUTOMATION
Training Helps Achieve Top Automation Performance
A well-trained workforce “The biggest shift in manufacturing employ- ment: We are losing our skill set from 10 to 20 yr. ago—many skilled people are retiring, with new people entering with a lower skill level.” Speaking is Dean Phillips, Precision Metal- forming Association (PMA) technical direc- tor, as he addresses the metal forming and fabricating workforce climate. A discussion of the current climate serves as an introduc- allows automation to provide expected advantages—and PMA can help.
Training, such as that offered by PMA’s METALFORM EDU on-demand platform, enables the proficiency that can ensure automation success.
systems, autonomous mobile robots and auto- matic guided vehicles, sophisticated machine and process controls, multi-process workcells, and all of the related software—test even the most-experienced personnel. Given this, and the need to upskill newer hires, where should metal formers start in training for automation?
tion for the need to train the workers to best take advantage of automation. The lack of skills, combined with labor shortages and ef- ficiency/productivity needs, drive the automa- tion boon in manufacturing, and specifically in metal forming and fabricating. The growing presence of automation—in - dustrial and collaborative robots, material-han- dling aids such as conveyors, part-transfer
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