Managing Automation: Evaluation of Adoption, Implementation of Automated Manufacturing Capability and Strategies for the Aerospace Industry

Manufacturing is a vital function in the UK. The resurrection of manufacturing, primarily by enhancing competitiveness through automation of manufacturing, is a fundamental national goal. There remain many obstacles to prevalent take up of automation, not only due to social attitudes to do with perceived unemployment, but also due to the technical and business challenges in automating highly skilled work in niche and low volume industries such as the Aerospace Industry [1].

The high cost of investment in combination with many linked manufacturing systems in a factory, requires that the production runs smoothly with high utilization of the resources and that stoppages are avoided. High-value manufacturing industries play a key role in enhancing the economic competitiveness of the UK. Regardless of the industrial sector, UK manufacturing is driven by technological change and intellectual ingenuity.