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One of the more pressing concerns for automation architects in the last year is specifying equipment that can help manufacturers reduce the footprint of their industrial automation infrastructure. This is particularly important for manufacturers who are looking to retrofit existing facilities for warehouse automation, as older buildings often come with unique floor plans or space constraints.

A recent article on the challenges manufacturers will face in 2024 highlighted that the continued shortage of skilled labor remains one of the biggest obstacles in the way of productivity and growth. What’s more, consumer demand for new, innovative products — electric vehicles in the automotive space, or plant-based foods in the food and beverage industry — is pushing manufacturers to diversify production programs, and the more specialized skills required to facilitate these variable production programs only exacerbates the current labor shortage.

The material handling industry is projected to eclipse $300 billion in market size by 2029. Couple this with a recent report that found up to 25% of material handlers are currently experiencing labor shortages and you have a pathway for evolving warehouse automation to help material handlers process increased parcel quantities while also overcoming their staffing challenges. But there’s more to this story than a fast-growing market and labor shortages. Let’s look at a couple of other reasons why material handlers are retrofitting distribution centers for warehouse automation, and what automation designers and engineers should consider when retrofitting existing facilities for an industrial automation framework. 

One of the challenges panel builders and systems integrators face is the time-intensive nature of their manual panel modification processes. The labor intensive nature of manual modifications already results in extended throughput times, and recent market forces like labor shortages and supply chain disruptions only serve to exacerbate these issues. This is part of the reason why manufacturers are moving to a more connected ecosystem in order to unify the parts of their panel modification process.

A recent update from the Biden Administration revealed that there are more than three million EVs on the road in the U.S., and more than 130,000 EV charging stations currently in use. The President’s goal is for EVs to make up 50% of all new car sales by 2030, and this benchmark also calls for a nationwide network of more than 500,000 EV charging stations. IP and NEMA ratings certify an enclosure’s capacity to perform in harsh environments, but the unique nature of EV charging stations can leave designers a little unclear as to which rating system carries more weight for this kind of application.