Because of the expense, the biggest benefits of automation have largely been restricted to rich companiesuntil now. Last week California's Topp Industries announced a breakthrough in automation that will bring savings in cost and increased efficiency to small plants. Name of the new device: the Micro-Path Control System.
The system is the invention of Bill and Ruth Marantette, a young engineering, couple from Columbia Falls (pop. 1,232), Mont. They started work three years ago in a garage workshop with $2,500 in savings, an $1,800 loan, plus further cash put up by Topp when it bought the invention. The major objective...