Automation as a Solution to Labor Shortages in Manufacturing

Not every part of a production process lends itself equally well to automation. The tasks that yield the greatest benefits are typically those that are repetitive, vary little, and require a lot of time or manpower. In practice, for manufacturing companies in the food, plastics, and pharmaceutical industries, these most often involve:

• Repetitive pick-and-place tasks: the same movement over and over, always in the same spot. Exactly the kind of work that an automated system can perform more efficiently and with fewer errors.
• Manual removal of products from a machine: At the end of an injection molding, baking, or packaging line, products must be removed and passed on. This is currently often done manually, even though automation would immediately increase capacity in this area.
• Packing, stacking, or palletizing: physically demanding work at the end of the line, with a high risk of injury and a high staffing requirement.
• Visual quality control: Manual inspection is time-consuming and depends on the employee’s concentration. Vision-based systems perform inspections faster, more accurately, and continuously.
• Transportation between machines or production stations: transfer points where an employee moves products from one step to the next can be easily automated using conveyors or automated systems.

These are also the tasks where automation pays for itself the fastest: high volume, high repetition, and a direct impact on staffing levels.

Reducing manual work is the immediate reason, but it’s rarely the only benefit. In practice, companies that are moving toward automation notice more:

• Higher and more consistent output: An automated system runs continuously, even at night or on weekends, without additional costs or scheduling constraints.
• Fewer quality rejections: each step is performed identically, which significantly reduces variation in the final product.
• Safer working conditions: heavy lifting, repetitive movements, and working in environments with high temperatures or hazardous substances are being eliminated from the workplace.
• Scalability without additional staff: if you want to increase production, an automated line does not require a proportional increase in staffing.
• More versatile workforce: Employees who currently perform repetitive tasks can be assigned to roles where their knowledge and attention truly add value—such as operators, inspectors, or maintenance technicians.

Automation doesn’t start with a machine, but with a conversation. Van Wees Waalwijk always approaches each project from the customer’s perspective: what is the problem, what does the solution need to do, and what are the constraints? Only once these points are clear does the design process begin. The process typically consists of four steps:

1. Introductory Meeting: What’s the problem, and which task is the most time-consuming? During this meeting, we’ll work together to identify the biggest pain points and determine what a solution should achieve.
2. On-site analysis: An engineer from Van Wees Waalwijk observes operations on the shop floor. What does the process look like in practice? What are the prerequisites for a solution?
3. Designing a Custom Solution: Based on the analysis, a solution is designed that fits the product, the production line, and the work floor. The customer is involved in every phase.
4. Construction, testing, and delivery: The machine is built in-house and extensively tested. Delivery is turnkey: Van Wees Waalwijk handles installation and commissioning to ensure the line is up and running as quickly as possible.

Automation starts with one question: Which process costs your company the most—in terms of time, personnel, or quality? Van Wees Waalwijk is happy to work with you to find the right solution—not with a one-size-fits-all approach, but based on your specific situation. Schedule a no-obligation introductory meeting.