ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION journey of data-driven production lines will focus on education and training . In addition to the training of workers in-house , external education routes can enhance staff learning programmes . Robot manufacturers all register between 10,000 and 30,000 participants in their robot classes across more than 30 countries every year .
Robotics is changing the job profiles of factory workers for the better . As the recent “ Great Resignation ” shows , people want to work in a modern environment where they can build a career . New training opportunities with robotics are a win-win strategy for companies and employees . Dull , dirty and dangerous tasks are automated while people learn key skills for the industrial workplace of the future and increase their earning potential throughout their careers .
4 : Robots secure production . Trade tensions and COVID-19 are driving manufacturing back closer to the customer . Supply-chain issues lead companies to consider nearshoring with automation as a solution .
One particularly revealing statistic from the U . S . shows how automation is helping businesses get back to business . According to the Association for Advancing Automation ( A3 ), robot orders in the United States in the third quarter of 2021 were up 35 % over the same period in 2020 . More than half of the orders are from non-automotive sectors .
This record growth isn ’ t just robotics either — machine vision , motion control and motors are also seeing large increases .
“ The pandemic and the resulting disruptions to supply chains and labour availability appear to have been the push that many needed to justify the investment ,” said Dr . Susanne Bieller , General Secretary , IFR . “ The companies most likely to invest in automation are those that have been considering it for a while but just hadn ’ t taken the final step .”
5 : Robots support digital automation . In 2022 and beyond , the IFR sees an emphasis on data as key enablers of future manufacturing . Data collected from intelligently automated processes will be analysed by producers to make more informed decisions . With a robot ’ s ability to share tasks and learn through AI , companies can also adopt intelligent automation more easily in new environments , from construction to food and beverage packaging facilities to healthcare labs .
AI for robotics is maturing and learning robots are becoming mainstream . The industry is past the pilot phase , and the IFR expects to see a larger deployment of these technologies in 2022 .
The workplace of the future
A push to automate is changing the way that humans and machines work together . The IFR has researched how robotics training shapes current and future workforce education , enhancing skills development for employees . “ Automating dull , dirty and dangerous tasks
FANUC educates students © FANUC America .
KUKA Smart Production Centre .
is changing the job profiles of factory workers for the better ,” said Milton Guerry , President of the International Federation of Robotics . “ Academies run by robot manufacturers play a key role in making this transition possible . Employers send thousands of workers to robotics training every year .”
Robot manufacturers all register between 10,000 and 30,000 participants in their robot classes across more than 30 countries every year . The training programmes range from basic programming for the first-time user to complex workshops .
As more industries move towards automation than ever before , robotics training also becomes part of public education in the U . S ., Europe and Asia : “ In China for example , ABB Robotics ’ cooperation with vocational schools dates back to 12 years ago ,” said Arno Strotgen of ABB`s Robotics & Discrete Automation business area . “ Today , 700 vocational schools are part of the project . We use industrial robots for our training and provide 1,000 new robots every year , only to China . At the same time , simulation software and augmented reality open up new ways of teaching . The days when everyone needed to be an engineer to handle a robot are definitely over .”
“ Governments face the need to update their education policies . The qualification to program and use a robot is an essential skill required of workers before they even enter a job on the shop floor ,” concluded IFR President , Milton Guerry . “ To enable the transition , robot manufacturers are the best possible partners , providing the right skills necessary to work with intelligent automation systems . The International Federation of Robotics invites public authorities to team up with the experts and to use their expertise to deliver education for the workplace of the future .” n
CONTACT To contact the IFR , see :
A video entitled ‘ Facts About Industrial Robots - Worldwide ’, can be viewed at https :// bit . ly / 3KL75Q9
ISMR May 2022 | sheetmetalplus . com | 21