For SMEs, automating the process allows


Repetition: Palletising and de-palletising involve performing the same actions repeatedly throughout a work shift. Repetitive tasks place excessive strain and fatigue on the cardiovascular system due to the demands placed on the working muscles, as the muscles may not have sufficient time for recovery. Even repetitive handling of light items may pose a risk of upper limb disorders if workers need to perform them more than once every five seconds, according to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive.


Posture: During palletising and de- palletising, workers often have to twist while handling the items and bend forward to reach or place items over the lower layers on the pallet. Manual handling that involves torso twisting as well as forward and sideways bending means that the joints are beyond their comfortable and neutral position and close to the extreme end of their maximum range of movement and is closely associated with musculoskeletal injuries. In addition to this, manual palletising workers generally stand between the conveyor and the pallet for an extended period. Prolonged standing, standing continuously at the same spot, has been shown to be associated with various potentially negative health outcomes such as lower back and leg pain, cardiovascular problems, etc. Irving Paz Chagoya, adds: “Before


automating its palletising, one company we worked with estimated that over an eight-hour shift, each worker was lifting 8,000 kgs of product, presenting a danger to body and posture.” Automating palletising can relieve


workers from all the associated health risks, reduces tedium and improves overall well-being. This allows workers to both protect their health and focus on other tasks more suited to their skills, such as quality assurance.


THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SMES Although the repetitive and often dangerous nature of palletising means it lends itself very well to automation, progress has been gradual. Previously, automated palletising has been


limited to large enterprises with both the floor space and funds to install and operate the bulky machinery previously required to undertake the task. However, this is no longer the case. The increased use of cardboard to pack


and store goods, the advances in collaborative robotics (cobots) capable of increased payloads and the falling price point of automation has opened-up the market for collaborative palletising. As a result, SMEs are now automating palletising.


them to not only protect and better use the human workforce, but to increase productivity too. This allows SMEs to be more competitive against larger manufacturers and offer better working environments for their staff. Sam Bouchard, CEO of Robotiq, a robotics


integrator aiming to free human hands from repetitive tasks, comments: “In many factories where we've installed our palletising solution, the palletising task is the bottleneck that prevents company growth. Increasing palletising capacity with a collaborative robot has allowed those businesses to produce more, and hire more workers in the upstream production processes. “In addition having a collaborative robot


palletising cell enables the business to offer better working conditions to the humans who take care of the robot.”


SOLVING THE LABOUR CRISIS Across many global markets, a labour crisis threatens to undermine operations in manufacturing and industrial companies. According to PwC’s Annual Manufacturing Report 2020, British manufacturers are facing the largest shortage of workers since 1989 – and things haven’t improved much in the last three years.


“This automation will bring with it wide-


ranging benefits. We will see human workers freed from dull, repetitive and often dangerous jobs, meaning they can better apply their skills. Machines may be able to lift and move things but unlike humans they cannot feel, smell and see. Automation will also lead to increased productivity and lower the costs manufacturers have to bear for getting their goods out the door. “Labour shortages are only going to get


more acute, and automation provides a fantastic solution. If we are to remain competitive on the global stage, UK manufacturers must act now.”


DISPELLING THE MYTHS However, despite these workforce pressures, many have been slow to automate. Often due to a lack knowledge, businesses fear the perceived expense of investing in automation and also don’t want to be seen taking jobs away from humans. This does not need to be the case. On the topic of cost, it has been shown that


cobots can achieve ROI in around 12 months. In fact, a single robotic arm can work nonstop for at least 35,000 hours, which is approximately four years of 24/7 work. And as with any tool, a robot that is treated with care can easily last longer. As for dispelling the fears of job losses,


cobots are designed to work alongside humans, not replace them. With minimal training, existing workforces can design, implement and monitor automated palletising solutions. This frees them up to take other less risky and monotonous tasks – or take on more complex roles, opening up doors for career progression. As we know from McKinsey, workers with a greater sense of purpose enjoy their work more and are likely to stick around for longer.


Manufacturing businesses are crying out for


talent. The challenge is compounded for small and medium sized businesses. They generally have less room to manoeuvre than larger competitors when it comes to attracting and retaining workers of all skill levels. In addition to this, musculoskeletal problems –


caused by the more manual tasks associated with manufacturing (such as palletising) – often lead to early exclusion of senior workers from this type of work - clearly running counter to the government’s current push to tempt older employees back in the workforce. Peter Williamson, CEO of the PPMA – the UK's


Processing & Packaging, Trade Association, comments: “UK manufacturers have long been reluctant to invest in automation, for fear of disrupting the status quo. However, now, both skills and labour shortages are forcing industry- wide changes. Automation is now a necessity for UK manufacturers.


THE NEXT FIVE YEARS Looking ahead, collaborative palletising solutions are well suited to wide a range of industries, these include food and beverage, electronics and pharmaceuticals. This adaptability combined with advances in cobot technology, means it is likely we will see fewer and fewer workplace injuries due to manual palletisation. In the long-term, the changing workplace


will make it easier for workers to stay in the workforce longer if they want to, while factory operators will hopefully see both productivity gains and increased revenues. In short, palletising can be a dangerous


and dull task. The sort of task that machines excel at. Businesses of all sizes would be doing their human workers a favour by lifting them out of palletising roles and helping them to focus on more engaging and higher value work. Let us let the cobots do the heavy lifting. Literally.


Universal Robots www.universal-robots.com


CONNECTING INDUSTRY 20Th aNNIvERSaRY EDITION 63


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80