INDUSTRY News BUSTING THE MYTH ABOUT AUTOMATION
There is a shared global cautiousness around automation for many businesses and workers. Yet the reality of robotics and autonomous solutions, such as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), represents a powerful opportunity in how we can work smarter together. This isn’t about machines stealing jobs; it’s about businesses strategically reallocating resources and empowering their workforce to focus on tasks that require human ingenuity, creativity, and critical thinking. We’re on the cusp of a new era of co-working where people and autonomous machines work in synergy, not in competition.
While automation is undoubtedly changing the employment
sphere, it’s primarily doing so by streamlining repetitive and often physically demanding tasks. Picture a warehouse worker who point B; automation can handle this aspect of the job, freeing that and quality control. The recent hike in UK employer National Insurance contributions has reportedly spurred investment in automation as decision-making, it’s a growing recognition that automation can more agile, responsive, and competitive.
The key for workers and businesses navigating this shift lies in understanding that automation isn’t about replacing people. It’s about augmenting their capabilities. It’s about creating a work environment where humans can thrive, allowing us to focus on and hone the skills that make us uniquely human, the skills that can’t be replaced.
This means investing in training and development, equipping machines. Fostering a culture of adaptability and learning will empower employees to embrace change and see automation not as a threat but as an opportunity.
It’s vital for businesses to look at ways of strategically embracing automation. This means carefully assessing which tasks are best suited for automation and which require human intervention. It means investing in the right technology and ensuring that it’s means investing in people, providing them with the support and training they need to adapt and thrive in this new age of human- machine collaboration.
www.mastermover.com
LIFE CYCLE MANAGEMENT
Mitsubishi Electric has unveiled an enhanced suite of life cycle management solutions to help production plants achieve high quality and sustainable performance by maintaining key production assets, managing automation obsolescence, minimising downtime and developing people. The range of packaged life cycle management services includes 24/7 service contracts, robot maintenance contracts, system health checks, obsolescence reporting, legacy migration solutions, power quality and harmonic surveys, energy management surveys, consultancy services, spares inventory management services and people development training.
Selected services within the life cycle management portfolio support both Mitsubishi Electric automation equipment, as well as other mainstream automation vendors’ equipment. Chris Evans, Strategic Development Manager at Mitsubishi be introducing our enhanced lifecycle management solutions, helping production plants to address the critical maintenance
automationmagazine.co.uk ABB COLUMN
ABB ROBOTICS INTRODUCES APPSTUDIO NO-CODE TOOL FOR ROBOT INTERFACE PROGRAMMING
ABB Robotics has launched AppStudio™, an intuitive no-code software tool designed quickly and easily create customised robotic user interfaces. With intuitive functionality and features including a collaborative cloud-based library enabling users to share application templates, AppStudio will reduce setup times by up to 80 percent. “A growing shortage of skilled labour requires the further simplification of automation and programming, especially among as a major barrier to implementing robotic automation,” said Marc Segura, President ABB Robotics Division. “Designed for novices and software offering. By making it easier to create robot interfaces, it will save users significant time on setup and allow for fast and seamless robot integration across diverse applications.” Compatible with all ABB robots on the OmniCore™ controller creating customised robotic user interfaces. After installing the software, users can repurpose a previously used setup or select from enabling them to select options in twenty languages. Alternatively, customised interfaces can be created to fit any device and application. AppStudio also supports customers migrating from the IRC5
controller to the OmniCore platform, significantly reducing the time needed to rebuild interfaces from days to minutes. With intuitive drag- and-drop functionality, AppStudio offers simplified configuration where users can add icons, dropdown menus, buttons, and other functions to tailor the interface to their specific needs. Once an interface has been created, it can be deployed to the
ABB robot or a digital twin in ABB’s RobotStudio® programming tool. Together with ABB’s Wizard Easy Programming tool and RobotStudio, AppStudio makes the ABB robot portfolio one of the easiest to program. Save the date: On Thursday 15th May 2025, ABB Robotics UK is hosting a Technology Open Day event to Innovate, Automate and Elevate your business. For more information, scan the QR code. Julian Ware, UK & Ireland Sales Manager – ABB Robotics
challenges that they face. “As a life cycle partner, we remain steadfastly committed to supporting customers throughout their entire production journey... If you would like to discover how we can help meet your critical maintenance challenges, enhance production quality and sustainable plant performance, I would encourage you to get in touch.”
gb.mitsubishielectric.com/fa Automation | March 2025 7
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