It’s true that robots have become an integral part of U.S. manufacturing. According to International Manufacturing Technology Trade show, there will be 1.3 million industrial robots operating in factories around the world according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). (Source)
Today’s robots are sophisticated and built to do nearly anything on the shop floor including welding, assembly, material handling, and packaging. They can play a role in manufacturing, too. Here are some of the effects of robotics sophistication in manufacturing:
Eliminates Reshoring
Reshoring is the concept of bringing manufacturing work that previously had been completed overseas back to the U.S. It makes sense to have products manufactured where they are sold for logistics reasons, but jobs were being completed overseas due to lower labor wages. Using sophisticated robots, manufacturers are able to automate many of these tasks here on U.S. soil which is ideal now that products made in the U.S. are highly sought after.
Develop an Efficient Shop Floor
Robotics has largely contributed to the rise in manufacturing and growth in jobs. While it seems counterintuitive since robots are doing the labor that humans once were doing, robots are allowing humans to take on more complicated jobs which results in a more efficient, productive shop floor. While the robots handle the monotonous and repetitive tasks, humans can focus on innovation. It keeps human workers more interested in their jobs which propels the industry as a whole forward.
Ability to Work with Humans
Instead of being created to replace humans, robots are now built to co-exist with and safely work alongside skilled human workers. According to IMTS, it can reassure factory workers to learn that robot manufacturers are recognizing the continued need for humans and are designing robots to be sensitive to the presence of people next to them. Robots can detect obstacles (such as people) and stop moving in order to prevent accidents. Robots can also learn from humans, imitating the behavior of a worker and then repeating it so that the worker can move away from the assembly line to something presumably more interesting. (Source)
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