TECHNOLOGY FOCUS Cutting costs


MAXIMISING YOUR AUTOMATION INVESTMENT


   


I


t is a refreshingly pragmatic stance in a market often dominated by headline technology. For NCMT, automation is not about robots for robots’ sake, nor about chasing the latest trend. It is about understanding where productivity is being lost and then designing a solution that delivers real, measurable improvement.  fact, in manufacturing many machines are productive for far less time than businesses believe. Unautomated machines typically achieve just 25–30 per cent spindle uptime, with lost capacity absorbed by non-value-adding activities such as waiting time, tool changes, human error and simply being out of shift. This is often where NCMT automation


 rather than a discussion about equipment. “One of my favourite things to do when I visit a new customer is just to let them take me  “The light towers on top of the machines tell you everything you need to know about how  He continued: “Typically, the customer will tell you they’re running at about 60 per cent capacity. But when you actually look, one or two machines are running out of ten. That’s when  This practical, evidence-led approach helps manufacturers see the gap between perceived and actual utilisation. From there, NCMT works backwards to identify what is really constraining output whether that is manual machine tending, long set-ups, inconsistent processes, material  “It can be daunting knowing where to start  many solutions available. Our role is to strip it


26 March 2026 | Automation


back and focus on what will make the biggest 


NCMT has developed a clear set of guiding principles for manufacturers beginning an automation project in 2026. These principles are shaped by real-world implementation, not theory, and are designed to help businesses  and unlock sustainable productivity gains. 1. Start with problems, not technology The temptation to begin an automation journey by specifying a robot, pallet pool or transfer system is understandable, but it is often the wrong place to start. At NCMT,     identifying where time, capacity or consistency  time between cycles, lengthy set-ups, inconsistent quality, or the inability to run unattended outside normal shifts. Once those issues are clearly understood, the appropriate automation solution naturally follows. This problem-led approach often requires challenging assumptions. In one project, a manufacturer was intent on fully automating every step of a process, including the installation of a very small, intricate pin. Automating that single operation would have added around £1 million to the system cost. By stepping back and reassessing the true value, it became clear that a simple manual operation at the end of the line achieved the same output 


MAXIMISING YOUR AUTOMATION INVESTMENT


investment. The lesson is simple: almost anything can be automated, but not everything should be.


 Another common pitfall is trying to automate too much, too quickly. NCMT advocates a modular approach, targeting  building capability over time.


 on a constrained asset or introducing a pallet system to eliminate waiting time – once that initial step is proven, the solution can be  This staged strategy improves return on investment while also building internal  customers who began with a single automated  lines supported by advanced production management software, all without disrupting  One recent project involved a transport- sector manufacturer that invested in an automated line with two machines, designed from the outset to accommodate a third machine as demand grows. NCMT    over time. Automation should be a long-term  3. Design for stability, not headline speed In lights-out production, reliability consistently outperforms raw cycle time. A common misconception in manufacturing is that faster is always better. In reality, an aggressive process that stops overnight can wipe out hours of potential output. Automation fundamentally shifts priorities. A slightly slower but highly stable process,


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