Factory managers can significantly enhance their production rates and improve their bottom line by fusing conventional production techniques with advanced technologies.
Manufacturing has changed significantly for the better, thanks to robotic technology. Automated manufacturing has a wide-ranging effect that boosts overall firm efficiency and success.
Human employees can devote more of their efforts to providing critical knowledge and ideas in higher organizational roles when they are liberated from jobs that robots can easily complete. Robotics, when used effectively, causes an undeniable upward change in a company’s operations.
Types of Automation and Robotics Technologies in the Manufacturing Sector
Automation uses machines, computer software, or other technology to complete jobs that a human would otherwise complete. There are different forms of automation and robotics depending on the technology.
Software Automation
With computer programs, tasks typically carried out by humans are becoming automated. There are various software automation technologies, and business Process Automation streamlines and formalizes the manufacturing process through software.
However, robotic process automation (RPA) employs “software robots” to mimic human behavior through computer programs. On the other hand, intelligent process automation (IPA) uses artificial intelligence to learn how people carry out tasks using a computer program.
BPA and RPA differ just slightly from one another. BPA is analogous to replacing human intervention in production with advanced tools and robots. Meanwhile, RPA is analogous to integrating a collaborative robot to support the current workforce.
Industrial Automation
This is the automation of industrial processes through controlling physical processes using machinery and control systems. Industrial automation uses automated tools and devices to perform various critical tasks.
Autonomous Mobile Robots (ARMs)
Autonomous Mobile Robots navigate the manufacturing process without human intervention. They use artificial intelligence to “see” their environment and avoid obstructions and moving employees. ARMs help to move and transfer heavy items without human intervention.
Evolution of Automation and Robotics Technology in the Manufacturing Industry
Robots in production have a long history, and the number of applications and efficiency of these machines have gradually grown over the past few decades. Robotic manufacturing systems have been here for much longer, although many view them as modern marvels.
The first industrial robot was the brainchild of George Devol, who applied for a patent in 1954; the prototype was built in 1961.
It resembled modern robotic arms in appearance and operation, and it could lift 500 pounds and do jobs previously thought to be restricted to humans.
These mechanical arms spread throughout industries producing metal fabrication, other goods. Robots today have a wide range of characteristics and skills that set them apart from earlier models and increase their adaptability and productivity.
Cobots, or collaborative robots, can operate alongside humans on the production floor for a quicker, more effective workflow. A worker might physically alter the machine’s motions so it can learn and replicate those actions, a good example is a welding robot. Many machines can even allow physical interaction.
What is the Future of Robotics Technology and Automation in Manufacturing?
How will industrial robots be used to expedite manufacturing, and what will such applications look like? Here are some examples of how these machines are already starting to change.
Lights-Out Manufacturing
Robots can operate unhindered in lights-out manufacturing. This phrase is frequently used in industries with few human workers since machines complete the entire manufacturing cycle. However, some manufacturers may find it easier to apply this idea than others, those who do so report significant increases in productivity and labor expenses.
Due to reduced demand for climate control and increased lighting, businesses employing this technique may see improved energy efficiency.
Internet of Things Capability
The Internet of Things (IoT) enables physical objects to become smarter and more perceptive of their surroundings by connecting them with internet applications, such as cloud-based software. Manufacturers of robotics are fusing the two by giving robots sensors that let them read their surroundings.
These devices can detect outside information like touch and visual input, and these bots can use this information to make well-informed decisions regarding their next action.
Location tracking and Predictive analysis are examples of IoT applications that are more sophisticated. By incorporating these capabilities into their current robotics sensors, these devices can be automated to a higher degree.
A robot that could forecast the impending failure of another machine or alert production managers to its own planned maintenance schedule would spur innovation on a previously unheard-of scale.
Transformations in Cybersecurity
Robotics connected to the cloud and artificial intelligence can help your company stand out from the competition, but they can also make it more susceptible to hacks. Businesses will need to step up their cybersecurity procedures as more adopt IoT-based devices to protect sensitive information. One of the main themes in robots is improved cybersecurity and for a good reason.
Manufacturers of robots, integrators, and operators are the three main groups with the majority of the security responsibility. Robotic firmware and software are susceptible to hacking, so the company creating the bots must equip them with strong security measures.
These devices can be secured against outside intervention by using offensive and defensive security, which entails checking for weaknesses and adding safety measures. For this strategy to be successful, integrators and operators must work together.
Conclusion
Although they are not the same, industrial automation and robots frequently work together to increase productivity, quality, and safety while lowering costs in various industries.
The usage of automation-enabled robotics is expanding with Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity as more firms investigate the advantages of Industry 4.0, with applications including precision surgery and manufacturing lines.
Industrial automation does not solely rely on physical robots, just as robots do not always need to be automated. Industrial automation encompasses any process component a machine may complete instead of a person. Therefore it also has a lot of virtual components.
As new technologies develop to create smarter systems that can accept data and react to environments in real-time, industrial automation and robots appear likely to continue increasing and spreading into new locations, driving down the associated costs.
