FHS-APR24-PG26+27_Layout 1 14/04/2024 12:20 Page 26
AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS
CAN UK MANUFACTURING RAISE ROBOTICS UPTAKE BY LEARNING FROM EUROPE?
Despite punching well above our weight as a manufacturing powerhouse, the UK is in danger of slipping down the international rankings unless we increase our levels of automation. Now sitting at 25th in the global robotics league table, we are the only G7 nation outside the top 20 and have been eclipsed by most of our European counterparts in terms of numbers of robots per 10,00 workers, including Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Here, factory automation leader FANUC, which has subsidiaries across the world, examines the potential reasons behind the UK’s reluctance to automate – and asks what we can learn from our continental cousinsÁ
T
he benefits to UK manufacturing of robotics and automation technology are greater than ever, helping us to meet net zero targets, boost productivity and underpin our key industries. And with an estimated 70,000 vacancies in
manufacturing, robots are also alleviating the longstanding labour shortages which have only worsened since Brexit and COVID. In regard to automation uptake, it is certainly
an improving picture. Led by the automotive sector, UK robot installations were up by three per cent in 2022, with operational stock growing by seven per cent. But at just 98 robots per 10,000 workers we are still well behind European leaders Germany (415).
UK: FOCUSED ON SHORT-TERM ROI Among the many potential explanations for this are a focus on short-term payback rather than
longer-term total cost of ownership (TCO); a fear of change; outdated perceptions of engineering as a career; a lack of government incentives; our reliance on cheap manual labour; and no long-term national manufacturing strategy. While some of these are beginning to change – the government recently announced a £4.5bn package of support for British manufacturing, for example – should we also be looking to our European neighbours for some automation inspiration?
GERMANY: PRIORITISING PRECISION AND INNOVATION Dr Bob Struijk certainly thinks so. As the vice president of FANUC Europe, Dr Struijk has overseen automation installations across numerous countries, and believes there are a variety of reasons why certain nations are further ahead of the UK on their automation journey. “Germany is the clear European automation
powerhouse and owes a large part of its success to a profound respect for engineering and manufacturing,” he explains. “The German model emphasises the meticulous craftsmanship of products, fostering a culture that places a premium on precision and innovation. Catapulted by the automotive industry, robotics and automation have been at the forefront of bringing Germany to its position today as a manufacturing leader.” In addition, bridging the gap between
industry and academia has helped to boost German innovation. “In Germany, collaborative efforts between industry and academia contribute to a continuous cycle of research,
26 APRIL 2024 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
development and implementation, creating an ecosystem that thrives on technological advancement. The German apprenticeship system also provides a seamless flow of skilled labour into industry, at low cost. The UK can learn from this by cultivating a similar synergy between its educational institutions and industrial sector to breed a culture of continuous improvement.” In this regard, FANUC UK is working hard
to help develop a pipeline of manufacturing talent through a range of different initiatives. The company’s Training Academy at its Coventry HQ offers accredited courses that feed into educational programmes, giving students hands-on robotics experience; it recently held its first ever Work Experience Week, for young people aged 16-18; and the 2023 FANUC UK Open House played host to the finals of the WorldSkills UK Industrial Robotics competition. However, for a nation built on SMEs, Dr Struijk is also clear that UK government support is critical to future success: “The penetration of robotics and automation in the UK is especially low among small and medium sized enterprises. Government tax breaks or accelerated depreciation of robots could certainly help to change this.”
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
