The Implications of Automation

This paper describes a computer-controlled dyehouse which was installed at Messrs Gutermann & Co Ltd in 1969 and which has been running since that time, and reports on personal practical experience. The substrate, its dyeing properties and the importance of these properties remaining constant are described. Subsequently, the dye and its inherent variations in strength are considered. Available types of energy and the continuity of their supply, as well as the magnitude of energy savings, are discussed. Included is a survey of machines and plants with comments on the material used, their wear and tear, and the cost of maintenance. Finally, the paper discusses colour measurement as a means of assessing satisfactory dyeings and at the very end comments on the main subject of automation – its effect on human beings