Man vs. Machine: Are Robotics in Manufacturing for Everyone?

Man vs. Machine: Are Robotics in Manufacturing for Everyone?

In the race for efficiency and innovation, industries worldwide have turned to automation.

Robotics, with their promise of precision,speed, and repeatability, have captivated many sectors.

This includes aerospace and automotive manufacturing.

There's a general view that industrial automation is the answer to all manufacturing challenges.

Given the daily emergence of new technologies,it is easy to comprehend why.However, are robotics suitable for

 all individuals?As we will see, the answer is not as simple as it initially appears.

When Robots Aren't the Answer

The disadvantages of robots

Industry giants like Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Boeing, and Tesla have attempted to incorporate high levels

of automation into their production lines.The goal of this action was to improve business processes.

However, these attempts have sometimes led to unforeseen automation challenges.As well as a reversion to

more manpower-reliant processes.

Mercedes-Benz Group withdrew Sindelfingen factory assembly line robots in 2016 due to difficulty meeting

 rising demands for vehicle customization.Markus Schaefer, then head of production, remarked that humans

had to play a more significant part in industrial processes again.Especially to cater to the variety and pace of changes.

Similarly, in 2014, Toyota phased out robotics in key production areas.

Emphasising the need for skilled workers to pinpoint problem areas. In both instances,

the importance of flexibility and the balance between man and machine were clear.

In aerospace manufacturing, a major setback occurred in the summer of 2019 when Boeing's 777 fuselage production

automation system failed.Despite its new approach, the system took too long to set up and was inaccurate.Which,

eventually led Boeing to revert to more traditional methods involving human machinists.

Likewise, in April 2018, Tesla's ambitious Model 3 production plan stumbled upon the pitfalls of over-automation.Elon Musk

admitted to an over-reliance on a "crazy, complex network of conveyor belts" that slowed down production significantly.

Tesla had to re-evaluate its manufacturing strategy, with Musk accepting the need for more human workers in the assembly line.

These cases show that full industrial automation isn't always the golden ticket. Fixed automation systems may be useful for

mass production,but they lack the flexibility of human-robot collaborations.

• next :A comprehensive exploration of applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing