Whether the world likes it or not, automation is here to stay. Ever since the steam engine kicked off the Industrial Revolution in 1712, machines have supplanted human workers in one way or another. Robots still need human support and oversight. Someone has to fix and/or program them, even if they are largely self-sustaining in the 21st century. Companies seek ways to improve efficiency, production, and safety, streamlining their manufacturing processes.
1. Automotive
Since the assembly line became part of the automotive production process, companies have sought to automate more and more aspects of the industry. In Korea, for example, there were 2,867 robots per 10,000 employees in 2021. In Germany, the number was 1,500, and in the United States, it was 1,457. Those robots merge with the century-old assembly line idea to create an efficient and productive automotive workforce.
The idea behind most automotive automation is to have the robots do jobs that would be overly stressful and/or dangerous for human beings to do. This can be anything from stacking heavy and bulky parts to working in confined spaces for an extended period. These robots are also designed to work with other robots and with people, complimenting each other for maximum benefit to the production.
2. Pharmaceuticals
As long as they’re programmed correctly, robots can do many tedious and repetitive pharmaceutical industry tasks faster and more accurately than humans can. Of course, as with any such robotic process, human oversight is necessary for success. However, labeling, packaging, and inventory management of medications, which can be a daunting task for a large company, are easily processed by robots.
Robots can also help create pills and liquid solutions, precisely measuring the amounts of different ingredients. This also increases production efficiency while helping to maintain exacting quality control. The same quality control applies to the assembly of medical devices and tools that are part of the industry, such as insulin pumps, syringes, and EpiPens. The robots don’t just have to be physical, either. They can be built into software for tracking inventory, maintaining patient files, and analyzing trends.
3. Electronics
Most of the automation in the electronics industry has to do with minutiae. By their very nature, robots can perform actions on the tiniest parts with near-zero errors. Some of these robots are fixed in what they can do. They only do one action, and they do it extremely well. Other robots are programmable and can perform any job they’re assigned.
Here, more than in other industries, the speed with which the robots can produce complex items is amazing in every sense of the word. They can work in clean and dangerous environments more easily as they don’t need PPE as human workers would. Still, it’s important to remember that all robots need human oversight.
Automated areas of production impact a number of various industries including automotive, pharmaceutical, and electronics, and as technology continues to advance, many more industries will rely on automation.
Published by: Martin De Juan
