Page 20 - EE Times Europe November 2021 final

20 EE|Times EUROPE

OPINION | SMART FACTORY
The key to the success stories I have men-
Robotics Is Making Jobs, tioned is that all these businesses have taken
the right approach to implementing the tech-
nology. This can be whittled down to four key
Not Taking Them areas: Map your process to identify the best
operation to automate; build the business
case, including specific requirements; speak
to suppliers or integrators for proposals; and
By Will Kinghorn then select the option that best meets your
requirements.
But even if you get all this right, at the
Don’t fear the rise of the machines: Robotics and automation heart of any change are the people. Team
will unlock people potential and solve the productivity puzzle. members need to be open to it. This is no
It’s no secret that the U.K. industry’s failure to embrace advanced mean feat, especially with the fear around
technologies and its continued reliance on human workers to do robots taking people’s jobs. Involving every-
repetitive unskilled tasks have meant it hasn’t kept pace with other body throughout the process will help to
nations and, as a result, has seen productivity plummet. create a positive culture for embracing tech-
Take robotics. According to the International Federation of nology, which will focus on how technology
Robotics, the U.K.’s “robot density,” or the number of robots per can improve their jobs.
10,000 workers, is 71 — below the global average of 74 and signifi- Brainboxes, an electronics manufacturer
cantly lower than Germany’s (309) and South Korea’s (631). based in Liverpool, is a great example of
The positive news is that robotics adoption in the U.K. is on the rise, and with the advent of getting this right. When it recognized that the
Industry 4.0 and a reduction in its cost, robotics is now much more accessible to small and mid- human task of sticking hundreds of thousands
sized enterprises (SMEs), the backbone of U.K. industry, providing an opportunity to unlock the of labels on its products was low-skilled and
productivity problem. expensive, it automated the whole process,
Helping drive digitalization among SMEs is the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the printing directly onto the product and using
North West, a collaboration between the U.K. government and industry designed to support the robotics to move the products into place.
increased use of digital technologies among small and medium-sized manufacturers and engi- Initially, there was skepticism among its
neering companies. production staff about what a robot would do
By providing businesses with specialists, impartial technology advice, grant funding for proj- to their livelihoods. But once production staff
ects, digital transformation workshops, a leadership program, digital technology internships, and saw the benefits of the change, they weren’t
skills development, we are helping them select the right approach and the appropriate level of complaining that “the robot has taken my job”
investment and tools for their business. but were actually suggesting other areas of
Since 2019, we have helped hundreds of businesses invest in a range of technologies and the business in which the technology could
digital tools. This includes 45 robotics and automation projects worth £2 million in investment, also be adopted.
combining £883k in grant funding and leveraging £1.1 million of private finance. Robotics is creating more jobs than it is
It has resulted in a raft of benefits for these manufacturers, starting with an increase in pro- displacing in the North West, where the 45
ductivity. That is because robot systems can have a shorter cycle time than humans. Plus, they projects that Made Smarter North West has
can tolerate something that people would struggle with: working 24/7. The result is a substantial supported so far are forecast to create 183
rise in how much can be made. They can be used for line resilience as well. If there’s a spike in new jobs and upskill a further 234 existing
demand, it’s a simple case of increasing their shifts. workers. Furthermore, the cumulative gross
Agricultural machine manufacturer Storth, based in Cumbria, used collaborative robots value added to these businesses from their
(cobots) to navigate staff shortages during the pandemic and overcome the problem of skilled investment is expected to be £137.4 million
welders being tied up with repetitive tasks. Its robotic welding system now produces parts at over the next three years.
twice the rate of its human counterparts, and welding staff have been moved to higher-value, The ROI on the use of robots is startlingly
more rewarding, and more technically challenging roles. clear. The next step is for Made Smarter to
Enhanced product quality is another major benefit. Robots are highly precise. This means continue being rolled out to other areas of
there is a much lower chance of errors and mistakes, so you can guarantee the quality and con- the U.K. And with programs in the North
sistency of output. East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the West
Robotics also reduces operational costs by taking on repetitive, low-value work. This saves Midlands under way, more manufacturers
some of the costs associated with the particular operation, allowing these savings to be redistrib- are now accessing the support they need to
uted elsewhere. As a result, manufacturers can boost the quality of other, higher-value areas. adopt technology and digital tools to increase
Ammunition manufacturer Empire Cartridges, based in Lancashire, invested in a six-axis growth, productivity, and efficiency, simulta-
cobot and process control technology that increased manufacturing output of shotgun cartridge neously enjoying a long-sought–after benefit:
shells by at least 50%, increased quality control, reduced manual handling, and upskilled its the ability to free human workers from the
workforce from box fillers to cobot programmers. dangers and drudgery of manual work.
Robotics also offers the advantage of better health and safety. Poor work environments and Human workers are now being elevated to
highly repetitive tasks are sometimes harmful to humans, and it is here where robots are best roles in which their individual skills and cog-
placed. As they don’t suffer fatigue, they’re less likely to make mistakes or experience accidents. nitive abilities can be better utilized, and that
Despite other advantages, including better data capture and process oversight, integration is when a business can truly thrive. ■
with ERP and MRP systems, improved compliance, reduced downtime, and higher space utiliza-
tion, some manufacturers believe that this type of technology simply isn’t an option for them. Will Kinghorn is a robotics and automation
And that’s all down to the challenges that can arise, such as the capital cost of these solutions specialist for the Made Smarter Adoption
and the investment in the skills needed to program and maintain this new technology. Programme in the North West.

NOVEMBER 2021 | www.eetimes.eu