U.S. (CabinetMakerFDM) – While non-automated operations still make up the majority of woodworking shops, CNC technology is quickly approaching the halfway mark and is making inroads in businesses regardless of plant size.

Those are some of the findings of a survey conducted by CabinetMakerFDM to take the pulse of automation in today’s woodworking industry. Some 75 percent of respondents have fewer than 10 employees in their operations. About 9 percent of the responses come from shops of 10-19 employees, and those with 20-49 employees make up a little more than 6 percent. Plants with 50-99 employees account for 3.5 percent of survey respondents, and those with 100 or more workers come in at 5.4 percent. While some 57 percent of respondents say they still have no automation in their plants, the numbers of those surveyed who report moderate to high levels of automation is significant. Some 15 percent of respondents consider themselves “highly automated for our size.” That pairs with 28 percent who are moderately automated to make up a total automation percentage of 43 percent. While larger plants account for disproportionately larger numbers of automated facilities, even the small shops are joining the CNC bandwagon at increasing rates. Some 37 percent of shops with fewer than 10 employees consider themselves “highly automated.” And the shops with 10 to 19 employees account for 19 percent of the “highly automated” listings.