Read the following text and fill in the gaps with a derivative of the word given in the right column.
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| Whether you’re operating a 10-year-old laser machine or evaluating the purchase of a new one, staying up-to-date on current laser cutting technology and techniques can be the key to ___________ a competitive edge.
It’s no secret that automation can greatly improve the efficiency, __________, and quality output of any manufacturing operation. This is as true for laser cutting as for any process. While some larger _____________ operations have begun investing in automation more often, only a small percentage of job shops and original equipment ___________ (OEMs) have opted to purchase automated material handling with their new laser cutting machines because they find it difficult to justify.
The primary reasons for this slow acceptance of _________ laser cutting machines include the investment, the need for skilled programmers and operators, and _______ floor space requirements when compared to a stand-alone machine. It has also been hard for automation options to keep up with the rapid ___________ of the laser cutting machine, with faster, more powerful cutting machines producing more parts and cutting heavier plate all the time.
Now that laser cutting machines have become a mature product, and the technological advancements that spurred huge leaps in productivity have given way to a series of smaller, incremental _________, automation has had the chance to catch up.
Today's automated laser cutting machines do not necessarily cost more than a stand-alone machine, nor do they need to take up any more space. In addition, the power of modern ________ makes the programming and control of both machine and automation a simple, integrated task.
In the current global market, with job shops in Mexico and China bidding on the same work as U.S. fabricators, it is important for any company considering the _________ in a new laser cutting machine to take a good, hard look at automation as well.
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maintain
produce
manufacture
manufacture
automate
increase
advance
improve
compute
invest
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