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Automation is becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers to maintain a competitive edge in today's global market.
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Applied Technology Review | Monday, October 17, 2022
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Automation is becoming increasingly important to manufacturers to stay competitive. Both small and large companies increasingly rely on robotic automation to free their workers from repetitive tasks.
FREMONT, CA: Automation is becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers to maintain a competitive edge in today's global market. Small and large businesses rely on robotic automation to free human laborers from repetitive tasks and increase productivity. With inexpensive industrial robots that are safe to work alongside humans, integrated with computer vision, utilizing machine learning, and equipped with soft-touch grippers, the numerous advantages of robotic automation are expanding daily.
Boosted productivity and efficiency: Manufacturers can increase the productivity and efficiency of their factories by implementing robotic automation and taking advantage of the benefits of robotic labor. Industrial robots can work unattended for 24 hours nonstop, every day. They can be programmed to execute precise, reliable, and repetitive motions. This enhanced production level can significantly increase a factory's total output and elevate the status of factory workers. When manufacturers use Forge/OS to program robots, they can be introduced to the production lines more quickly and efficiently, thereby reducing cycle lead times and boosting overall productivity.
Increased system adaptability: Industrial robots are constructed to be adaptable. With industrial automation, manufacturers can retool, redeploy, and reposition robots for new production programs and applications with relative ease. This is especially useful in high-mix, low-volume production environments, where product requirements change frequently. Robots equipped with Forge/easy-to-learn OS's intuitive interface can have quick product changeovers and rapidly switch between different products without having to re-engineer production lines.
Enhanced product quality: A robot performs the same task repeatedly and without variation, unlike human laborers who sometimes make mistakes. This enhances the overall quality of the finished product and makes it more consistent. Manufacturers strengthen the quality of products by reducing the likelihood of production errors. They are also saving time and resources that would have been spent on error corrections. Manufacturers can enjoy consistently high product quality if their industrial robots are serviced and maintained properly.
Rising cost savings: Industrial robots can reduce total manufacturing costs by 20 to 60 percent by reducing production lead times and increasing overall productivity. The reallocation of valuable human labor from repetitive tasks to strategic tasks also reduces operating costs. Some small manufacturers may initially find installing an industrial robot prohibitive. However, the price of robots has decreased by more than 50 percent over the past thirty years. Recouping the cost of an automated robot and turning a profit can be accomplished on average within two years. Some manufacturers have reduced this period to less than a year.
Enhanced workplace security: Industrial robots can perform hazardous repetitive tasks that humans would otherwise perform. For instance, lifting excessive weight, working with blades or lasers, exposure to fire or gases, and other factors may threaten the lives of factory employees. Employers can proactively protect their workers by delegating this type of hazardous work to industrial robots equipped to perform it. This contributes to reducing workplace accidents and injuries and promotes the long-term well-being of factory workers.