The rise in global demand for robots is a strong indicator that manufacturing industries are growing highly competitive. Asia currently sits at the top spot for being the fastest growing market in the world with the number of robot units sold forecasted to double by 2018. As the robot adoption rate continues to accelerate within the region, staying ahead will require manufacturers to be more efficient and productive than before.
Challenges In Manufacturing
Manufacturers that cater to either domestic or export demand today, face stiff competition with bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements becoming increasingly common. Major trade agreements such as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the recent Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) are also exacerbating competition between companies and brands. To stay ahead, manufacturers are looking to optimise their production, enhance output quality and maximise their resources.
In addition to global competition, manufacturers also face production challenges with product life cycles growing shorter over time. The constantly shifting marketplace of goods is becoming the norm across many industries. To keep up with today’s “High Mix, Low Volume” manufacturing environment, reducing time-to-market is crucial in gaining a competitive advantage.
Increased Quality Standards
To stand out among competing goods, manufacturers need to be able to deliver quality products consistently. This is especially crucial for products that require high-precision assembly and careful handling, such as solid formed embossed parts manufactured by Germany-based Ferd. Wagner Profile is an example where the company deployed two industrial robots to take over the complex soldering and welding process, which involve feeding metal components into a tack-welding machine and a high-frequency soldering station.
Robots equipped with customised gripping tools are fine-tuned to handle these parts as these components have fragile decorative surfaces and any damage renders them unusable. By employing the same torque and pressure each time, robots can ensure high quality output with minimal human errors made. As a result, there is reduced wastage of raw materials, leading to lower overall production costs.
Reduced Time To Market
Factories operating at optimised productivity are not only able to reduce time-to-market but also stand to gain from lowered production costs. For example, robots can be assigned to automate the process of machining aluminium castings into hubs. The robotic arm takes unfinished castings from a bin onto the lathe, removes them after machining and then hands them over to an automatic broaching machine where the groove is cut. Deploying robots to perform such assembly applications that involve tending to two machines at a time can accelerate feed input and shorten the time taken to replace the machine parts. Manufacturers will ultimately benefit from savings in production costs and increased capacity.
Built For Speed
In an ever-shifting landscape of goods and services, time is becoming a pivotal factor in the production line. Industrial robots today are built in consideration of this, with the average initial set-up time including unpacking, mounting and programming spanning less than a day. Manufacturers deploying robots for the first time can be assured that downtime will be minimal, although there could be an initial settling-in period of customising the right gripper for the particular application depending on the end-user.
Industrial robots are not only quick to set up, but also easy to program. The latest wave of robots includes built-in interfaces that are easy to operate with intuitive 3D visualisation available on the screen. This allows even operators with no prior programming experience to manoeuvre the control software easily. For example, to program a set of actions, the employee would only need to move the robot arm along desired waypoints or alternatively, use the arrow keys on the touchscreen.
Features like flexibility and easy programming are especially important for manufacturers in the metal and machining industry as the production output for various components can range from small volumes to over a hundred thousand units per year. Easily programmable robots can be repurposed quickly across different production lines. Such manufacturing flexibility can provide businesses with a competitive advantage that differentiates themselves from their competitors. The user-friendliness of the robots also contributes to lower integration costs as workers can program robots independently with little reliance on external technical support.
Built To Fit
The size and weight of the robot are big factors that contribute to the ease of integrating robots into production lines. Robots have advanced from their bulky forms to the current modernised, lightweight model that is easily portable and occupies a relatively small footprint. For example, robotic arms with a payload of three kilograms can weigh as little as 11 kilograms while its footprint can be as narrow as five inches. Even with these robots, manufacturers will have the liberty to reconfigure machinery around the factory easily to find the best production flows.
In some cases, manufacturers in the metal and machining industry operate on a “High Mix, Low Volume” basis as the component parts such as drive shafts, industrial gearboxes or drill bits are engineered-to-order. These units are produced when required, to prevent a cluttering of the workspace and also because sales forecasts tend to be unreliable. Depending on the spare parts that need to be stocked, the lead-times and due dates can vary widely from a matter of days to a span of a few months. Having robots that can be easily shifted and easily fit along changing production lines will help manufacturers reduce time-to-market, which will be crucial in gaining a competitive advantage.
The Robot-Human Collaboration
Advanced technology has made it possible for robots to work side by side with humans today. In previous years, industrial robots in factories were usually fenced up to ensure the safety of the human operators. However, now the use of safety fences may be deemed to be unnecessary after prior risk assessments have been conducted. Automation with these robots would still be possible for factories with confined workspaces.
Robots are now built with advanced force-sensing features that will trigger the machine to halt its action when it senses an obstruction in its path. Unfenced robots will be able to come into closer contact with workers and function alongside them in tight spaces. This will enable robots to perform a wider range of capabilities as they are better integrated into the production process.
Safety First
Metalworking manufacturing environments usually entail carrying of heavy materials or working with hazards such as welding fumes or flying shards. Apart from streamlining processes, robots also help create a safer and more attractive workplace for workers by liberating them from jobs requiring physical exertion, precision or repetition. This will not only greatly help reduce risk of accidents but also improve the motivational levels of these workers. Employees will be freed up and reassigned to focus on higher-level operation tasks, undergoing skills upgrading in the process.
Human operators not only benefit from safer working environments but also from the creation of more jobs. According to a 2013 report by Metra Martech, over two million jobs will be generated in the next eight years because of industrial robots. These robots are predicted to be required mainly for industry expansion and downstream job development. Higher-skilled jobs have also become more accessible as workers are reassigned to perform managerial tasks for example.
Strategic Investment Option
The industrial robot has evolved technologically and functionally, culminating in a prototype that offers significant benefits to manufacturers and companies ranging from large enterprises to small medium enterprises (SMEs) worldwide. In addition, the process of integrating robots has become easier and quicker. The robot’s advanced safety settings also make it easier for companies to manage an employee workforce of a hybrid nature. Additionally, investing in robots will help factories achieve higher production stability, as robots are able to ensure consistent, high quality product output with its precise movements. This is especially important for production lines that require high accuracy or involve costly materials. These are points manufacturers can consider when deciding on investing in robots.
Embracing Change
In a day and age characterised by volatile economic and financial conditions, it is imperative for businesses to stay ahead by securing competitive advantages for their operations. Companies are increasingly susceptible to fluctuating global demands and face challenges in the form of shortening product life cycles and increasing global competition.
Similar to what computers are to humans, industrial robots are tools that the businesses can leverage to perform tasks better. Manufacturers looking to take their operations to the next level can turn to robots as a viable alternative with their ability to optimise factory productivity. Already, governments around the world have begun to recognise the benefits of robots with the number of grants made available to companies to encourage automation. Robots have been built to complement well with factory assembly lines, and will ultimately help contribute to the success of companies willing to adopt them.
