For many reasons, manufacturers are automating more than ever.

For one, manufacturers are grappling with a labor shortage. During the past 10 years, 2.4 million industrial jobs went unfilled in the U.S., costing the economy $2.5 trillion. Unfilled jobs are a major reason that seven in 10 companies fell behind in scheduled production. Automation solves that problem. Using automation to eliminate dangerous or physically demanding tasks improves attendance and morale.