In addition to the subject of expense, there
is a general lack of awareness over the
numerous applications that automation can
be used for. With benefits for a whole host
of industries, such as automotive, aerospace,
food & beverage, OEM, and medical, there are
a wide range of industries which could enjoy
significant economic growth by adopting
automation. Plus, advances in collaborative
robots, or cobots, add another tool to a
manufacturer’s armoury.
The way we, as an industry, educate the
end user on the benefits of automation is
crucial. Business owners are understandably
protective of their company, and no one is
interested in being lectured on how they
could be improved. Last year, FANUC hosted
its first ever UK Open House, showcasing
the potential of automation by providing
manufacturers with a hands-on experience
with the latest robots. These events are very
important for industry, and manufacturers
should endeavour to attend similar open days
in the years ahead.
EDUCATE FOR TOMORROW
Alongside upskilling those already working
in manufacturing, we must provide pathways
for those seeking to enter the industry. The
most effective way to secure the future
of UK businesses is to provide a stream
of enthusiastic and automation-literate
employees, capable of engaging with the
latest technology.
There has to be a concerted effort to engage
young people, and the best way to do this is
to continue to provide strong apprenticeship
programmes. The key is to take a cross-party
approach to this, because the health of UK
industry is too important to be politicised.
We must look at how funding can be used
to foster growth – for example tax breaks
could go to OEMs to enable them to improve
training and prioritise apprenticeships.
It is also important that organisations, such as
WorldSkills, continue to inspire young people
and develop their skills. It raises awareness
over the need to address growing skills
gaps, which we can see all too clearly in UK
manufacturing. FANUC’s ongoing partnership
with WorldSkills is part of its commitment
to raise awareness of automation, and by
equipping apprentices with the competencies
and knowledge to take into the future, British
businesses can continue to compete on a
world stage.
ATTITUDE CHANGE
Changing perceptions of automation
and robots should not be limited to UK
manufacturing – it is something that needs
addressing on a much wider scale. Resistance
to automation can largely be attributed to
the distrust of robots that is inherent within
British society. The pervasiveness of this
mindset should not be underestimated, and
everyday features as prevalent as ‘I am not
a robot’ buttons on websites are indicative
of the negative attitudes towards robotic
technology.
By educating those outside of UK industry as
well as those within it, we can break down
some of the barriers to robotics by removing
the stigma associated with the word. Rather
than fighting against the introduction
of modern technology, Britain should be
pioneering automation, and changes to
attitudes will help make this possible.
INCLUSIVENESS
Encouraging people to talk about
automation is a great start, but to foster
inclusion within technologies is something
which is beneficial to UK industry as a whole.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers
to the networking of devices for the purpose
of interaction and data exchange, and is
likely to be a major trend in 2020.
FANUC is introducing its own IIoT platform
into the European market, known as the
FIELD system, which stands for FANUC
Intelligent Edge Link and Drive. It is great
for breaking down barriers to automation
within factories themselves, enabling
communication between various machines
and robots of different generations
and manufacturers. This type of open
platform technology can play a major
role in encouraging a wider adoption of
automation, and it is an exciting prospect for
the year ahead.
This type of open communication can
actually be applied to the way UK industry
liaise with Government. Many, myself
included, frequently call on the Government
to be more decisive in leading the transition
to new technologies, and to provide a
platform upon which British businesses can
grow. But a certain degree of responsibility
lies with experts to support the Government,
by providing a crucial base of industry-
specific knowledge to support their efforts
to influence a change in attitudes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
There is clearly room for improvement in the
UK when it comes to adopting automation
into manufacturing, and the low robot
density compared with our G7 counterparts
is worrying. However, there is sufficient
appetite for progress and technological
advancement to be optimistic that 2020 will
be a pivotal year for British businesses.
Addressing misconceptions and tackling
barriers to automation with a positive
mindset is the key to improving productivity
in UK industry, and by generating awareness
and offering training, there is no reason to
believe that the year ahead will be anything
but successful.
FANUC Corporation
The FANUC Corporation is a world
leader in factory automation for
CNC control systems, robots and
production machinery (ROBODRILL,
ROBOCUT and ROBOSHOT). Since
1956, FANUC has pioneered the
development of numerically
controlled machines in the
automation industry. With 263
locations supporting 108 countries
worldwide and more than 7,000
employees, FANUC offers a dense
network in sales, technical support,
research & development, logistics and
customer service.
For more information on FANUC,
or to see its current product range,
please visit: www.fanuc.eu/uk/en.
Issue 42 PECM
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