Robots on the Rise
We noticed with interest a recent story on Automation.com about the new record set for worldwide sales of industrial robots. In 2015, a record number of 248,000 units were sold. Growth in the United States was even more robust, with sales increasing by 15 percent to a total of 37,000 units.
At UCEC, we're definitely keeping abreast of robotics news in the industrial automation space. We've blogged about this before, and we'll continue to bring stories to your attention about the future of our industry.
Naturally, where there are robots, there is some concern about human jobs being replaced. We understand that worry, but from where we sit, talented human craftsmen will always be in demand. To take one example, our high-tech Steinhauer CNC machine recently needed servicing, rendering it out of commission for a time. When that happened, our craftsmen kept the shop running with "old school craftsmanship," not robots. To use the Steinhauer in another example, its complex "symbols" or designs are created by human minds using creativity and technical knowledge. Wherever there are robots, we see talented team members working side by side.
Read the entire Automation.com story, here.
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In October, UCEC will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
From the beginning, the founder of UCEC, Howard Lacy, felt that he could make a better control panel at a better value than the control panels he was purchasing from others. My father-in-law, Chris Kitsos, took this concept beyond the municipal markets, and provided even better control panels and customer service to the private industry. It is amazing to think about how far UCEC and industrial control panels have come since 1958. We can all be proud of the role UCEC has played as a leader in our industry.