The next few decades will be an exciting time for the manufacturing industry as the pace of adoption for automation increases. In this article we’ll look at some key technologies that will build the foundation for the future of automation in manufacturing.
Automation is essential for any manufacturer who hopes to remain profitable in the future. Much like the invention of the production line, automation is simply not a shift that can be ignored.
In the decades to come, intelligent and machine-led manufacturing will become the norm. The role of people in the workplace has always evolved and will continue to do so.
Those who embrace automation find increased productivity, profits, and safety, while reducing labour shortages, mistakes, and downtime.
Reshoring is on the rise, driven by geopolitical tensions, rising manufacturing costs, and increased demands for sustainability.
Bringing production home, however, creates difficult roadblocks.
For one, many nations face manufacturing workforce shortages. In the UK alone, 36% of manufacturing vacancies remain unfilled, making the prospect of reshored production less viable.
Automation provides some key solutions:
Intelligent software, robotics, and cobots can fill the gaps where the human workforce is missing. For example, with automated CNC machines, one machinist can oversee a number of machines that load and unload themselves, rather than having to focus on just one.
However, this shift does require workers with strong digital skills and great problem solving. Upskilling is the key here.
One of the primary reasons manufacturers moved production abroad was to find lower production costs, primarily in Asia.
For Western nations to match these costs in their own country, automation will be required. Automated processes drastically reduce downtime and errors, allowing manufacturers to operate around the clock and reduce cost-per-part.
Falling behind on the fourth industrial revolution could have catastrophic consequences for your manufacturing business.
Assume your competitors are exploring fully autonomous robots, powerful simulation software, and cloud-connected factories. Do the same, and you can ensure your business can keep up with the changes on the horizon. Keeping up is always easier than catching up, after all.
Adopting automation quickly brings other benefits, too. Your customers and supply chain might begin looking for manufacturers who can promise automated processes, lower costs, and increased quality.
Sustainability is another big benefit. Automated systems can monitor energy consumption, reduce waste, and find improvements to the supply chain in ways that people simply can’t—a benefit for you and your customers.
Typical industrial robots are blind and can seriously injure any human who gets too close, which is why they are typically enclosed behind fences.
However, a new class of robots known as collaborative robots or cobots has emerged that can operate safely around humans without the risk of injury.
Cobots, or collaborative robots, are designed to work alongside humans on the same tasks. These systems need advanced sensors and software systems to accurately predict and interact with a human operator. As it turns out, human-robot symbiosis in manufacturing plants is 85% more productive than either element alone.
Another key advantage of cobots is their ease of programming. Traditional robots require highly specialised programmers to set them up effectively.
Collaborative robots allow human operators to teach them to do a task. This teaching can be as simple as grabbing the robot and moving it manually to mimic an action. This allows workers to train their very own little helper who won’t complain or get tired.
Some factories can run more efficiently without human interaction. This is the case for plants where high rates of repetitive manufacturing occur or where the range of products manufactured is relatively small.
These factories can theoretically be completely automated from the moment the raw materials are dropped off in the warehouse to the moment they are stored as inventory, taken to CNC machines, and set up.
The manufacturing can take place, and the part can be removed and taken to an area for inspection and subsequent packaging. This entire process can happen without a human operator in sight.
Factories capable of 100% automation will be the gold standard of the manufacturing industry as they will generate impressive profits after all the machinery is paid off.
Automation is not just robots; it’s software, too.
Manufacturers can leverage the power of edge and cloud computing together for incredible efficiency boosts. Here’s how it works:
AI will change all industries in ways that cannot even be predicted.
The true benefit of artificial intelligence in a manufacturing setup would be vast. Imagine a system that knows everything about the robots in a factory, a system that can make business decisions based on predicted raw material prices and manage the factory as close to its theoretical maximum productivity as possible.
The many unknowns faced when speaking of AI mean that its benefits cannot be seriously considered without making wild assumptions.
Even today, machine learning algorithms provide manufacturers with a slew of benefits:
The natural progression of automation in manufacturing is always towards more automation.
In coming years, automated factories won’t just be viable – they’ll be necessary. While today’s robots are very capable, the systems needed to make them operate in intelligent unison are a while off.
This is why the future of automation in manufacturing will require a combination of advances in software and hardware.
Our automation guide provides more information on how automation can benefit your company.
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