Interview
products are increasingly individualised with quick times to market (meaning more versions or variants of the goods available for the consumers). This requires flexible automation and high quality. Robots are precise and consistent; they can continuously produce high-quality finished products.” He goes on to outline other benefits of robotics for
manufacturers in European and, of course, elsewhere: “Robots can improve the working conditions for the staff. Dangerous, tedious and dirty work is transferred from man to machine. Not only is the environment cleaner for the worker, but also the job is less physically fatiguing. In addition, by educating the workers on how to use robots they can learn valuable programming skills and perform more stimulating tasks. By using robots, the likelihood of accidents caused by contact with machine tools or other potentially hazardous production machinery or processes can be reduced.”
Creating jobs
This covers many of the advantages offered by robots to manufacturing companies, but what of the IFR’s philosophy that ‘robots create jobs’? In November 2011 a report was published by the IFR entitled ‘Positive Impact of Industrial Robots on Employment’. According to the report, the one million industrial robots currently in operation have been directly responsible for the creation of close to three million jobs. Moreover, a growth in robot use over the next five years will result in a further one million high-quality jobs being created around the world. Robots will help to create jobs in many diverse industries, including consumer electronics, food, solar and wind power, and advanced battery manufacturing. In additional to the million jobs expected to be created
directly by the increased use of robots, the report also states that saving manufacturing jobs also leads to jobs being saved in the wider community (Fig. 2). Looking ahead five years, the report’s authors estimate that an additional 45 000 people will be required in the industrial robotics sector, which is a significant increase on the 300 000 people already employed. Moreover, the service robotics sector is expected to grow even
faster than the industrial sector in the medium term and could be another major source of jobs. It is often said that small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) have an important role to play in bringing an economy out of recession, as they can be adaptable and agile. Robots are similarly adaptable and agile, and there is a growing trend towards SMEs investing in robotics for reasons of productivity, quality, and health and safety. It would be unreasonable to expect that robotics alone could bring an end to the difficult economic conditions in Europe, but it is true that robotics can benefit manufacturing companies and economies alike.
Fig. 3. Reis has developed a robotic system in which it is safe for the operator to remain close to the robot while it is welding.
Safe co-operation between robots and humans
Reis Group Holding GmbH, which develops and manufactures industrial robots and robot controls, also creates turnkey automation systems. The company has recently developed a complete robotic welding cell in which it is safe for the operator to remain close to the robot as it is welding. From this position the operator can watch the welding process and be available immediately to take corrective measures if necessary (Fig. 3). ●
PAM/PLM pivots on flexibility, scalability T
he plant asset management (PAM) and product lifecycle management
(PLM) markets have become strategic necessities, critical for enterprise sustenance in the highly competitive European industrial markets. Together, they constitute an advanced management solution essential to achieve a sustainable enterprise framework for the 21st century. While PAM provides a platform for ensuring the safety and process reliability of an enterprise, PLM helps in accelerating new product design and development. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan,
European Advanced Management Solutions Market, finds that the market earned revenues of €300.9 million and €2640.7 million for
PAM and PLM, respectively, in 2010. It is estimated that the market value of PAM and PLM will reach €506.6 and €4331.4 million, respectively, in 2017. “Regulatory compliance, increased
safety, enhanced design innovation and production processes are cornerstones for the growth of advanced management solutions in Europe,” notes Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Karthik Sundaram. The end-user quest for improved asset
utilisation, uninterrupted production schedules and decreased operational expenditure will fuel the growth of the European PAM market. The heightened need for product innovation and increasing awareness of collaborative Product
Definitions management (cPDm) solutions will boost the potential of PLM. While their benefits are obvious, the
growth of advanced management solutions in Europe will depend on the standards and definitions of future enterprise software. The need for a joint framework of enterprise application and production automation will present a challenge to this market. The end-user quest for improved productivity necessitates interaction across different operating units. This is feasible only through a systematic combination of enterprise software and production automation systems. ●.
For more information, visit
www.frost.com www.engineerlive.com 9
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