Automate or die

If news that robot investment is still booming in China with a 20 per cent increase reported in the latest figures, and that it is expected to install more than 100,000 industrial robots by 2015 doesn't sound alarm bells, then it should. As should reports that demand for robots is also growing in the so-called low wage economies of Eastern Europe and South East Asia, as it is in India and Russia. All are seeking to reduce production costs, increase output and enhance quality by turning increasingly to flexible automation. Yet, sadly, the UK continues to lag behind most other industrialised nations, with robot shipments to this country down once again and, aside from the automotive sector, flexible automation is comparatively sporadic within British manufacturing. If we accept robot density as an accurate indicator of automation, then, with fewer than 100 robots per 100,000 people employed in our manufacturing industry, we are below almost every other advanced or emerging nation. So here are some reasons to consider robots: Rival producers in this country may not automate, but those aboad will. During a period when hourly wages have doubled, the real price of robots has halved. Most machines will pay for themselves within two years and give an average service life of 15 years. Coming out of recession is a good time to take business from competitors, especially as it is easier to implement new systems when not running at full capacity, and there are deals to be done on prices. Automation allows you to take out labour costs, and ease the worry of recruiting, training and retaining labour. Automation shouldn't be seen as a threat to the workforce, but as a means of becoming more productive and competitive, thereby protecting jobs. Robots don't get sick, nor do they get bored with tedious, repetitive functions, carrying out each cycle precisely as before. Health and safety standards mean restrictions on heavy lifting, handling hazardous materials and working in explosive environments for manual workers, with strict legal sanctions for employers. Automation is 'greener'. Today's servo-controlled robots use less power than hydraulic or pneumatic machinery and can operate in darkened or unheated environments. Reduce material wastage via fewer defective parts, minimal scrap and less raw material wastage. Faster cycles times for automated processes and the capacity for robots to work tirelessly, without drop-off in performance, equal increased throughput. Robots can work more precisely than humans, with outstanding repeatability, and can readily cope with the growing miniaturisation of parts. The automated handling of machine tools, parts and materials will maximise the utilisation of existing machining centres – as much as 95 per cent. Industrial robots have increasingly compact bases and working envelopes, and can also be installed on the ceiling or walls, saving valuable floor space. Industrial robots increase flexibility in the manufacturing process, whether it's their ability to handle multiple product in one process, the multi-function flexibility of performing different concurrent tasks or the capacity for reprogramming and deploying as the product mix changes. This, in turn, helps reduce time-to-market and in-process inventory. Flexible automation is better than fixed or hard automation, because it allows the manufacturing process to be more versatile and agile. Superior precision and output, unaffected by tiredness or inattention, mean enhanced product quality and consistency, while increased throughput and energy savings reduce costs. And, if you cannot fully automate, then semi-automate. First published in Machinery, Feb 2010