The role of Robotics in Factory Automation

Janifha Evangeline

Factory automation also known as Industrial automation is the control of machinery and processes implemented across industries. This is carried out by autonomous systems by leveraging technologies such as robotics and computer software. By implementing automation industries can not only optimize productivity but can also reduce costs, which are related to employees, the benefits, and various other associated expenses while optimizing precision and flexibility.

Today, Robotics plays a significant role in the manufacturing sector. Automated manufacturing solutions should be a central part of any operation which strives for optimal efficiency, safety & competitive advantage in the market. Manufacturing robots not only automate repetitive tasks, but they also help in decreasing margins of error to negligible rates and most importantly empower human workers to focus on more productive areas of the operation.

The industrial robotics market is anticipated to reach USD 75.3 billion by 2026. Major factors bolstering the growth of this market is owing to the anticipated skilled laborers’ shortage in manufacturing industries and surging demand for cobots (collaborative robots) across industries.

Advantages of using robots in industries

Increased productivity

The industrial revolution gave rise to mechanization, which further helped in bringing cheaper and more goods. Although in general, the mechanical processes in factories were faster and helped in manufacturing large quantities of products, they still required skilled workers. Not only did machines need operators however when errors occurred, it would lead to material wastage, result in production/manufacturing issues and also damage the equipment.

Also, with the arrival of automation, control loops were appended to machine operation and these can be open control loops, which could either facilitate human input or closed loops that are completely automated. Industrial control systems not only help to monitor but also control locally and remotely. With these growing advanced control mechanisms, factories can function twenty-four hours a day.

Flexibility and quality

The recent advancements in automation in industrial manufacturing mainly focuses on flexibility and quality. However, manufacturing flexibility not only facilitates more product types, but it lets consumers order customized products that are automatically manufactured.

Empowering workers with more intricate tasks

Robots implemented in the manufacturing sector fill up numerous roles and increase workplace safety. Fully autonomous robots in manufacturing are required for high-volume, repetitive processes commonly, as the speed, accuracy, and durability of a robot offers exceptional merits. The other manufacturing automation solutions comprise robots, which are implemented to empower workers with more intricate tasks.

Disadvantages of using robots in industries

Although Productivity has increased, errors are reduced and quality is improved automation still has some negative impact. These comprise high initial costs, decreased worker employment, and the removal of a few ethical human oversights. With continuing advancements in automation and its increasing popularity in new industries, it is possible to observe a rise in these events.

Robots in Manufacturing applications

One of the most prevalent applications where thirty-eight percent of industrial robots are used is material handling landscape. Material handling robots have the capability to automate some of the most daunting and unsafe tasks in the production line.

With the introduction of collaborative robots/cobots, into the manufacturing sector at a low price, the capacity to revolutionize manufacturing/production lines is proliferating. A lighter, mobile plug & play generation of collaborative robots is coming to the production floor intending to work safely along with human workers.

While twenty-nine percent of the robots implemented in the manufacturing sector are welders, the welding segment mainly consists of spot welding and arc welding and more and more welding robots are being introduced by small manufacturers into the fabrication line. The cost of welding robots is decreasing which has made it easier to automate a welding process. Also, these robots not only provide better efficiency, reach, speed, but also offers enhanced performance for welding parts of various shapes & sizes. It supports a large variety of intelligent functions that include ready-to-use robotic vision, as well as collision avoidance.

Assembly operations encompass ten percent of the robots that are implemented in manufacturing and consist of fixing, press-fitting, inserting, and disassembling. However, this type of robotic application has been reduced due to the introduction of various technologies that include force-torque sensors & tactile sensors which provide more sensations to the robot.

When it comes to fixing parts together, assembly robots move at greater speed and precision when compared to human beings and an off-the-shelf tool can be installed quicker when compared to special-purpose equipment. An assembly robot is not only easily reconfigured but is also a low-risk investment, which meets the demands of manufacturing, quality, and finance - all at the same time.

Conclusion

Today, manufacturing robots are available at cost-effective rates than ever before. Furthermore, standard robot models are now mass-manufactured and which makes them more available to meet the surging demands of industries. While these robots are more simple/straightforward and more favorable for plug and play installation, they are designed to communicate easily with each other, which makes it easier production assembly as the resulting systems become more reliable & flexible. Manufacturing robots have the ability to control and handle more, as they are built to provide complexity & toughness in diverse manufacturing settings. Therefore, it is clear that Robots are the future of manufacturing.