How can a smaller OEM wield automation to its advantage?

Automation is a rising force in the manufacturing world, and the auto industry is at the core of the transformation. Indeed, the auto industry was a pioneer in deploying robotics within factories—in 1961, GM introduced the Unimate robot, developed by George Devol and Joseph Engelberger, for use in tasks such as welding and handling heavy payloads. Today, automotive accounts for one-third of all industrial robots used worldwide—over one million in total, according to the International Federation of Robotics.