Production Automation — Where to Start?

For most manufacturers, production automation is no longer a matter for indefinite postponement – with multi-shift operations and a tight labour market, it is frequently the most reliable means of maintaining output where the personnel who would otherwise be recruited are unavailable. In 15 years of working with manufacturing plants in north-eastern Poland, we have seen which first projects pay back quickly and which end in expensive disappointment. The following sections set out the particulars: a step-by-step process audit, realistic budgets for typical first projects, and the three cost items that companies most frequently omit from the calculation.

Industry-specific starting points

The examples below come from plants in the Podlaskie region of north-eastern Poland, where we are based – however, the entry points are substantially similar in comparable industries elsewhere. Local industry spans dairy and food processing, furniture and wood, domestic appliances, metalworking, window and door manufacture, agricultural machinery, and packaging. Each has its own natural first step:

• Food and dairy – strict hygiene requirements, three-shift operation and repetitive cleaning cycles. A common starting point is modernising the controls of an existing installation, as in our CIP (clean-in-place) station modernisation for a dairy plant.
• Furniture and wood processing – large workpieces and monotonous operations at the end of the line. Packaging and material handling between operations usually deliver the fastest return here.
• Domestic appliances and electrical equipment – short cycle times and precision assembly. Example: a semi-automatic machine for assembling shaver heads with a servo drive and an HMI panel.
• Metalworking (including aluminium) and window and door manufacture – precision and consistency. For a window manufacturer we built an automatic 3-axis CNC milling machine for aluminium glazing bars.
• Packaging – carton forming, crate nailing and palletising. This is where our carton forming machine and crate assembly robot were built.

We have worked for manufacturers with operations in the region, including Mlekovita (dairy), Forte (furniture) and Biazet (domestic appliances). An integrator must understand the realities of local industries, and not solely component catalogues.

Where to start with production automation? A six-step process audit

The best way to start production automation is with a process audit: the bottleneck is identified, cycle times and downtime are measured, the dimensional consistency of the parts is verified, the operators are consulted, and both the cost of the current situation and the cost of operating the new equipment are calculated – only then is a first project selected, limited to a single station. A project selected this way typically pays for itself within 12–24 months.

The least advisable starting point is the purchase of a robot on the grounds that a competitor possesses one. The audit conducted with our clients proceeds as follows:

1. Identification of the bottleneck – with confirmation that the additional output can be sold

The starting point is a traverse of the line from raw material to dispatch, establishing where work in progress accumulates, or where production halts in the absence of a single operator. A common error should be noted: additional units from the bottleneck constitute profit only if the plant is able to sell them. Where demand is limited, the starting point should be the station that carries the highest labour cost or the highest scrap rate – in that case, automation reduces unit cost rather than simply adding capacity.

2. Measurement of cycle times and downtime

A stopwatch and a week of notes are enough: cycle time, minor stoppages, changeover times and breakdowns. In the absence of quantitative data, every integrator’s quotation amounts to conjecture, and there is no means of verifying the results after commissioning.

3. Verification of the consistency of parts and materials

This is the most common cause of failed implementations. The number of product variants should be established, dimensional variation measured, and the quality of pallets, cartons and film assessed. Operators compensate by hand for variation that a machine will not tolerate. If the part is not consistent, the first stage of the project is standardisation, not a robot.

4. Consultation with the operators

The personnel working at the machine are best placed to identify what fails, what is physically demanding and where defects arise. In our projects, operators’ observations regularly modify the original concept, and to its benefit.

5. Calculation of both sides of the equation

On the savings side: the fully loaded cost of employment (not just gross salary – add employer’s social security contributions, sick leave and holidays), scrap, customer returns and warranty claims, and seasonal overtime. On the cost side: not just the implementation, but also annual running costs – maintenance, wear parts, energy and compressed air, training. Omission of that second column is the most common reason for the divergence between the ROI calculated on paper and the outcome in practice. We described the full calculation method in our guide to how much production line automation costs.

6. Selection of a first project – limited in scale, but visible

A good first project is limited in scope (one station, one process), produces a measurable effect and falls at the shorter end of the 12–36-month payback typical of the industry – realistically 12–24 months when the station is well chosen.

Typical first automation projects

All figures below exclude VAT. In our experience, the most common first steps are:

• Modernising the controls of an existing machine (PLN 30,000–50,000 / approx. €7,000–12,000) – a new PLC, HMI panel and variable-speed drives. This is the least costly point of entry, and the improvement in reliability is immediately apparent.
• A semi-automatic assembly or packaging station (PLN 50,000–150,000 / approx. €12,000–35,000) – the operator loads and unloads the part, the machine performs the repetitive operation.
• Robotic palletising or packaging (PLN 150,000–500,000 / approx. €35,000–115,000) – for the roles that are hardest to staff on every shift.
• Automated quality inspection – sensors and vision systems. As a first project this works for simple, unambiguous features: presence or absence of a component, a measurement, a code reading. Detecting cosmetic or surface defects requires stable lighting and a precise definition of the defect, and is accordingly better suited to a second or third step. Cost here depends mainly on the scope of inspection and the number of features to be checked.

Full price ranges and the payback calculation are set out in our guide to automation costs and ROI.

Three cost items companies most often forget

Machine safety and conformity assessment

For a robotic station this is not optional: risk assessment, fencing, light curtains or scanners, an appropriate safety control system, and CE marking for the newly built assembly of machinery. With a retrofit, there is the added question of whether the rebuild constitutes a substantial modification requiring a new conformity assessment. This may constitute a significant proportion of the station cost and should be included in the budget from the outset.

Utilities and shop-floor conditions

The capacity of your incoming electrical supply, compressed air flow rate and purity class to ISO 8573-1, floor space and floor loading capacity. A dairy adds high-pressure washdown and stainless steel construction with a high IP rating; wood and flour processing add combustible dust and the ATEX requirements that come with it. For most plants these constitute genuine design constraints rather than administrative formalities.

Operation following commissioning

A set of critical spares held on site, training for operators and maintenance staff, and an annual maintenance budget. A machine without properly trained staff will remain inoperative at the first minor fault, and a few shifts of downtime can eliminate the savings accumulated over many weeks.

The significance of proximity in the selection of an integrator

An implementation may be commissioned from an integrator located on the other side of the country. The relevant question is what occurs when the line stops as a result of a failed sensor or a software fault.

• Faster site attendance – from Białystok most plants in the region are less than two hours away; accordingly, subject to team availability, attendance normally occurs within one working day, and certain problems are resolved remotely.
• Lower travel and commissioning costs – travel and accommodation for a team coming from the other side of the country are a real line item, especially during long commissioning periods.
• Knowledge of local conditions – from industry specifics to the suppliers and contractors you have to coordinate with on the shop floor.
• A long-term relationship – after commissioning come modifications, upgrades and training for new operators. Someone will still need to know that machine three years from now.

You will find our full range of services on our production automation and robotics page, and examples of our work in completed automation projects.

The practical side of these topics — scope of work, budget bands and lead times — is described on the robotic workstations and automation cells service page.

Frequently asked questions

Does automation make sense in a small manufacturing company?

Yes – provided the first project is chosen well. Control system modernisation starts at approximately PLN 30,000 (€7,000), excluding VAT, and frequently achieves payback more rapidly than large implementations, since it addresses the most problematic process.

How much does production automation cost?

A simple control modernisation costs PLN 30,000–50,000 (approx. €7,000–12,000), excluding VAT, a semi-automatic station PLN 50,000–150,000 (approx. €12,000–35,000), and a robotic station PLN 150,000–500,000 (approx. €35,000–115,000). Detailed ranges and the payback calculation are covered in our separate cost guide.

Which process should be automated first?

The line’s bottleneck, or the station where staff are hardest to retain: packaging, palletising, monotonous assembly, repetitive inspection. We help identify it during a free visit to your shop floor.

Do you work outside your home region?

Yes – we cover the whole Podlaskie region in north-eastern Poland, and we deliver larger projects elsewhere in Poland.

How long does a first automation project take?

Counting from contract signature to acceptance on the shop floor: control modernisation usually takes 1–3 months, a semi-automatic station 2–4 months, and a robotic station 3–6 months. The cut-over work – the integration of the new equipment into the existing line – is scheduled for planned shutdowns or weekends, in order to limit the impact on production.

Is funding available for automation?

Polish CIT and PIT payers can use the robotisation tax relief, alongside regional programmes. In its current form it covers costs incurred up to the end of 2026, accordingly, on longer projects the spending schedule requires review, and the position for the relevant tax year should be confirmed with an accountant before it is incorporated into a business case. We help prepare the technical specification for the application, and we will cover funding in more detail in a separate article.

Start with a free visit to your shop floor

Wondering what to automate first in your plant? We will visit your site, walk the line with you and show you where automation will pay back fastest. The visit is free and without obligation, and you receive your quotation within 48 hours of the visit.

📞 Call: +48 796 019 414
✉️ biuro@automation.net.pl
📍 Automation Dariusz Kulik, Ciesielska 2/20, 15-542 Białystok, Poland – contact details