Technology acquisition to strengthen automation companies
It has been clear for decades that automation technology is the key to a robust, modern manufacturing infrastructure. International competition combined with demands for an increasingly productive workforce have led manufacturing executives to use machines for jobs that were once occupied by human workers.
This is not a new concept, and in fact it dates back all the way to the first Industrial Revolution. And though it may be controversial in an era of high unemployment, some contend that the only hope for the manufacturing industry in Western nations like the U.S. is automation.
The companies that operate in that field every day certainly seem to share that inclination. Recently, for example, Rockwell Automation announced this week that it would be acquiring Jacobs Automation.
This did not come as much of a surprise to the business world. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, Rockwell had previously announced that it intended to purchase several businesses after reporting higher profits and net sales.
Jacobs Automation is based in Kentucky and offers the iTRAK System, which improves packaging and material handling processes.
"iTRAK is a disruptive technology providing faster speed and greater flexibility for machine builders," Keith Jacobs, president of Jacobs Automation, in a statement. "This integrated solution will increase productivity, reduce energy consumption and provide more rapid changeovers by adjusting machine speed and geometry during operations. Rockwell Automation has the resources and presence with global (original equipment manufacturers) to make it a new industry standard."
This technology acquisition will help Rockwell present itself as crucial to the manufacturing industry as it increases its demand for automation.