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Foundries have made massive investments in computerized casting systems. Suggests that Cosworth Castings, Worcester, and VAW West Yorkshire Foundry, Leeds, are setting new standards in foundry automation.

The overall purpose of this paper is to determine to what extent organizational citizenship behaviors predict followership behaviors within medical organizations in the USA. This is the first part of a two-part article. Part 1 will refine an existing followership instrument. Part 2 will explore the relationship between followership and organizational citizenship.

Part 1 of this survey-based empirical study used confirmatory factor analysis on an existing instrument followed by exploratory factor analysis on the revised instrument. Part 2 used regression analysis to explore to what extent organizational citizenship behaviors predict followership behaviors.

The findings of this two-part paper show that organizational citizenship has a significant impact on followership behaviors. Part 1 found that making changes to the followership instrument provides an improved instrument.

Participants in this study work exclusively in the health-care industry; future research should expand to other large organizations that have many followers with few managerial leaders.

As organizational citizenship can be developed, if there is a relationship between organizational citizenship and followership, organizations can provide professional development opportunities for individual followers. Managers and other leaders can learn how to develop organizational citizenship behaviors and thus followership in several ways: onboarding, coaching, mentoring and career development.

In Part 1, the paper contributes an improved measurement for followership. Part 2 demonstrates the impact that organizational citizenship behavior can play in developing high performing followers.

The philosophies of total quality and just‐in‐time are paying dividends for Digital Equipment Corporation particularly through inventory reduction, as Brian Rooks explains.

Presents a case study of Oilgear Towler, supplier of one of the most sophisticated electro‐hydraulic control systems for a Eumuco Hasenclever radial forging machine. One of the key elements of the system is the control of two synchronized manipulators and four forging rams.

Demonstrates the advanced state of automation in the footwear industry by reporting on the working operations of two companies, Totectors in Rushden, Northamptonshire, and Eccolet Sko, the Danish shoemaker.

Highlights the use of infrared and ultraviolet for flame detection, emission monitoring and thermal imaging. Describes the application of an infrared fire detection system at Courtaulds Chemicals and the use of thermal imaging for preventive maintenance at Blue Circle Cement.

The US National Bureau of Standards recently showed its Automated Manufacturing Research Facility. Advanced techniques and communication developed are aimed to help US industry.

From its early beginnings in welding Cloos is now a fully‐fledged robot manufacturer with an advanced 24 robot four‐cell complex on order from BMW.

Describes the new Applied Automation Centre opened in Northampton by Festo, a pneumatic automation systems manufacturer. Claims that new advances in intelligent pneumatics will reduce costs and improve machine flexibility.

Kent Meters is the leader in the manufacture of residential and bulk flow water meters, with 20 production operations in five continents producing some seven million meters annually, taking a 25 per cent share of the world market. Describes how one of the latest projects in the company’s automation programme has been a vision guided robot cell which has dramatically cut both scrap rates and work in progress in the moulding shop at the company’s Luton plant in the UK. Explains how the company is now investigating the potential for a second robot as a means to increase capacity even further and meet growing demand from its customers.