Sturtevant, WI -- (SBWire) -- 07/07/2016 --Flexible automation is quickly leading Fork Truck Free adoption among manufacturing companies throughout North America according to Ed Brown, founder of Topper Industrial. Even at the lean microcosm, the simple task of moving product within a manufacturing cell rather than calling, waiting, and using a fork truck is driving huge adoption of new technologies. Topper Industrial was featured in a recent article titled, "Innovative Flexible Automation Drives Rapid Growth," in Robotics Tomorrow authored by manufacturing journalist Thomas R. Cutler.

Flexible automation is the ability for a robot or system to be quickly and easily re-tasked to change product design for both low and high mix manufacturing. When properly utilized, a Flexible Automation cell can evolve with a manufacturer's process and demand, reduce, and fix production costs, improve quality, and eliminate health and safety issues.

Excess inventory is a result of the waste of overproduction. It is also one of the costliest of all manufacturing wastes. Manufacturing cells address the issue of inventory waste in a number of ways. First, by balancing the work and instructing operators not to exceed what the next person can handle, the work-in-process inventory is reduced. By the nature of the cell layout, excess inventory cannot be tolerated because there is no place to put it. Manufacturing cells solve the vacant space paradox, which says the amount of vacant space is inversely proportional to the amount of time it is vacant.

Robotics Tomorrow is a technical resource featuring products, companies, news, articles, and events for the robotics, advanced manufacturing, and factory automation industries.

To read the entire article go to: http://bit.ly/298wmV0

About Topper Industrial
For more than twenty years, Topper Industrial, (http://www.TopperIndustrial.com) based just outside of Milwaukee, WI, has been a leader in the material handling equipment industry. The company's product roster features industrial carts, conveyors, lifts, lifts & tilts, shipping racks, containers, casters, and cart components. From mother-daughter carts to quad steer carts to tilt carts and rotate carts, Topper's material handling solutions make delivering material line side more effective through more efficient practices. Topper Industrial has a team of experienced professional experts able to assess and provide the right product for all material handling equipment requirements.

Topper Industrial is a proud member of MHI. The Topper Industrial client roster includes Anderson Windows, Detroit Diesel, Honda, Kia Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Aramark, Johnson Controls, Whirlpool, and Caterpillar. Follow on Twitter @TopperInd. Call 800-529-0909.