CMTC’s focus is to function as a trusted advisor to small and medium-sized manufacturers in California, so you can trust CMTC to ensure you’re receiving the right answers. Our CMTC automation consulting experts bring your manufacturing business the expertise you need to navigate the automation and robotics landscape and develop the right robotic solution for your business based on your goals, work processes, and challenges.
While robots can perform a wider variety of applications than ever before, they can be generally classified according to criteria such as:
Robotics and automation have steadily advanced since first introduced to factory floors in the early 1960s. With advances in sensing and machine learning, today’s robots are more intelligent, versatile, flexible, and steadily falling in cost. With collaborative robots (cobots), workers can safely interact with the machines that can now do repetitive, hazardous and ergonomically challenging tasks.
This results in numerous benefits, such as improved worker safety and reduced lost-time costs, and improvements in productivity and quality. Industrial robotics and automation have become a priority for manufacturers as tighter labor markets and competitive pressures drive change. Small and medium-sized manufacturers who previously couldn’t afford robotics and automation are increasingly finding positive ROI as the cost of automation falls and the ease of use rises.
Teaming human workers with robots on the production floor will fundamentally change how products are manufactured. In fact, studies have shown that robotics and automation are boosting productivity rather than reducing jobs.
Advanced automation offers manufacturers greater productivity at a higher quality when performing quick and repetitive tasks. Since robotics have predictable, precise movements, they can produce high-quality products with little variation at rapid speeds manual laborers are incapable of.
Unlike human counterparts, robots can work 24 hours a day without interruptions or breaks. There are even so-called lights-out operations or dark factories, so named for operating throughout the night with robotics without the need for human operators - and lighting. Additionally, advanced automation can accomplish the dull jobs that are generally repetitive for human employees, which can result in sloppy work and potential damage to products. Once a robot has been programmed and trained for specific applications, it can speed up production, translating into decreased part cycle times and limited waste.
Additionally, automation methods such as machine vision provide imaging-based automated inspections and analysis for enhanced process control. By the use of sensors and other tracking devices, machine vision and detect defects throughout the production process by optimizing production output.
There are multiple arenas where advanced automation reduces costs overall. While purchasing automation equipment can have a significant initial cost, manufacturers will witness a long-term benefit from robotics due to several advantages. One of these is robotics does not require compensation, unlike their human counterparts.
Additionally, robots increase productivity while reducing wasted time and money. While the speed of robotics has increased over the years, their costs have fallen - resulting in a lower cost per assembly and cost per placement. Advanced robotics reduce waste due to their precision, reducing the time and money spent on errors. Due to their exact, repeatable movements, robots can perform repetitive jobs with little variation and damage.
Robots are increasingly being used to improve the safety of employees performing tasks prone to repetitive motion injuries. Robotics can accomplish highly repetitive tasks without the risk of injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and back strain.
Robotics can also accomplish dangerous tasks where employees would be exposed to dangerous fumes or environments. Robots can accomplish heavy lifting tasks that can result in permanent injuries for employees, or accomplish tasks that would be deadly to humans, such as collecting and packing toxic materials. For example, robots have been responsible for handling radioactive waste since before the 1980s.
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The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, also known as the ARM Institute, is a national membership-based consortium with the goal to strengthen American manufacturing through adoption and innovations in advanced automation and workforce development. ARM seeks to make robotics, AI, and automation more accessible to both large and small U.S. manufacturers by collaborating and connecting more than 275 leading organizations in industry, government, and academia - all of which are dedicated to accelerating a vigorous national manufacturing ecosystem. Learn more about the ARM Institute here: https://arminstitute.org/.
Manufacturing USA brings together industry, academia, and federal partners within a growing network of advanced manufacturing institutes to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and promote a robust and sustainable national manufacturing R&D infrastructure. Learn more about Manufacturing USA at https://www.manufacturingusa.com.
The MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) National Network is a public-private partnership with locations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico dedicated to serving small and medium-sized manufacturers. For the past thirty years, the partnership has equipped manufacturers with the resources they need to thrive and grow. In 2020 alone, MEP Centers assisted over 27,5000 manufacturers, leading to $13 billion in sales and helping to create over 105,000 manufacturing jobs. By providing manufacturers with the resources they need for sustainable growth, the MEP National Network’s goal is for manufacturing to ultimately be the engine that delivers profitable business in the manufacturing environment, enabling expansion and profitability. For more information about the MEP program, please visit https://www.nist.gov/mep.