AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS
U . S . robot density in automotive industry
According to March 2021 statistics , robot density in the U . S . automotive industry hit a new record of 1,287 installed units per 10,000 employees . The United States ranks seventh worldwide . The density is similar to Germany ( 1,311 units ) and Japan ( 1,248 units ). China is in twelfth place with 938 units .
“ Automation is the key not only to postpandemic recovery , but to post-pandemic growth and progress ,” explained Milton Guerry , President of the International Federation of Robotics . “ In the upswing after the 2008 financial crisis , companies like General Motors , Ford , Fiat-Chrysler and Tesla invested extensively in robotics and automation . As a result , thousands of new jobs were created within the automotive industry . So many years and technological advancements later , we have the opportunity to learn from this success story and emerge even stronger than before .”
Robot density in the general industry is still comparatively low with only 139 units per 10,000 employees . Overall , in all surveyed countries worldwide , the potential for robot installations in the general industry is tremendous . In the United States for example , yearly orders of robots from non-automotive sectors surpassed automotive robot orders for the first time . Sales of robotic units in the U . S . increased 7 % in 2020 from 2019 . Year-overyear orders in life sciences increased by 72 %, food and consumer goods grew by 60 % and plastics and rubber saw a 62 % increase .
Top five robot trends in 2021
Annual installations of industrial robots more than tripled within ten years ( 2010- 2019 ) reaching 381 thousand units in factories around the world . The International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ) has highlighted the top five trends shaping industries around the globe .
“ The mission to combine traditional production with ´ go digital strategies ´ puts robots in pole position ,” said Dr . Susanne Bieller , General Secretary , IFR , in February this year . of robots are easier to install and program and they are connectable . Advances in communication protocols integrate robots seamlessly into automation and Industry 4.0 strategies .
2 . Robots work in smart factories The automotive industry pioneered smart factory solutions , utilising industrial robots throughout assembly lines that have dominated traditional automobile production for more than 100 years . The future belongs to networked interaction of robots and autonomous guided vehicles - or rather autonomous mobile robots ( AMRs ).
“ Equipped with the latest navigation technology , these mobile robots are much more flexible compared to traditional production lines . Car bodies are conveyed on driverless transport systems . They can be decoupled from the assembly line flow and redirected to assembly stations where individually equipped variants can be assembled . When models are changed completely , it is only necessary to reprogram the robots and AMRs rather than to dismantle the entire production line . With the integration of human-robot collaboration workstations picking up momentum , robot suppliers report robots working hand-in-hand with humans , without fencing ,” added the IFR .
Robots for smart production applications .
3 . Robots enter new markets Connectivity breakthroughs contribute to increased robot adoption in manufacturing sectors that have only recently turned to automation ( such as food and beverage , textiles , wood products and plastics ). Ongoing digital transformation will lead to completely new business models because producers can diversify more easily than ever . In the smart factory , different products are assembled in stages by the same equipment - the traditional production line no longer exists .
4 . Robots reduce carbon footprint Investments in modern robot technology will also be driven by the requirement for a smaller carbon footprint . Modern robots are energy-efficient , directly reducing energy consumption levels of production . Through higher precision , they also produce fewer rejections and substandard goods , which has a positive impact on the ratio of resource input over output . In addition , robots help in the cost-efficient production of renewable energy equipment , such as photovoltaics or hydrogen fuel cells .
5 . Robots help to secure supply chains The pandemic has highlighted the weakness of globalised supply chains . Manufacturers now have the opportunity to rethink supply with a completely different outlook . When productivity is levelled through automation , manufacturers have increased flexibility that may not have been available in highwage countries in , for example , most of the European Union , North America , Japan or the Republic of Korea . Robotic automation offers productivity , flexibility and security .
“ Advances in robot technologies are contributing to increased robot adoption ,” explained Dr . Susanne Bieller , General Secretary , IFR . “ The COVID-19 pandemic hasn`t started any new trends but it accelerated the use of robotics beyond
Annual installations of industrial robots more than tripled within ten years ( 2010-2019 )
1 . Robots learn new tricks Artificial intelligence software , in combination with vision and other sensing systems , allow robots to master difficult tasks . One such task is bin picking , that in the past was only feasible for a human hand . New generations
18 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR May 2021