Advancing in parallel to the digitalization of manufacturing is the design of linear axes themselves. Because many OEMs and end-users are trending towards a fully automated operation, linear axes are being leveraged for a greater variety of tasks and must evolve to meet those needs. There’s a consistent push to move objects faster and more accurately, as well as an increasing need to accommodate heavier payloads. A key example of this is battery manufacturing, which remains in the spotlight as the global EV industry continues to grow. Heavy battery modules need to be produced at faster speeds to meet demands and linear axes must be able to transport them effectively and repeatedly while bearing a heavier load. Here to stay While there are a variety of solutions within manufacturing, linear axes continually prove their worth in their breadth of applications and longevity of effectiveness. OEMs and end-users need to fully understand their capabilities, especially in greenfield environments, before implementing or integrating them. Furthermore, modern design software allows customers to design axes and solutions to their exact parameters, which ensures they’re getting the exact one they need and in a timely manner compared to the catalogs and phone calls of previous generations. This allows operators to maintain productivity with a proven solution that will remain a key component in the manufacturing industry as it evolves to meet emergent needs.