The biggest trend we are seeing in the manufacturing industry is automating the inspection process using robots. According to a projection from ABI Research, the number of industrial robots sold in the U.S. will jump nearly 300% in less than a decade. There were 40% more robots sold in 2016 in the U.S. than in the four years prior, according to data collected from the Robotic Industries Association. This trend continues because the cost of the robot is declining even as the capability of the robot is rising as well as a difficult labor market placing hiring strains across the market. Another factor for the rise of the robots is continuous improvement and the desire to inspect 100% of the critical dimensions of a given part. Air gaging continues to evolve and remain a relevant form of metrology in today’s automated world.
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