With a lot of emphasis on Make in India,
manufacturing industry has been in a constant mode of change and updation.
Latest technology updates are also changing the way the industries are working every
day.
These technologies have given us the blessing of
automation! High performing robots are likely to replace human beings. They not
only work faster, error-free and more efficient but will have the ability to
communicate with other machines giving out signals/commands through IoT.
This can allow the machines to perform as per the
commands without human interference. Since its innovation, automation has
widely spread out in the industries in every sector. With so many qualities, it
would be unbalanced if it didn’t come with any flaws. There are also some cons
of this technology and which the scales shall move will depend on how we can
evaluate these.
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The Good:
Consistency:
The best things you could describe about
robots and computers are that they perform exactly the way it is programmed to.
You could also instruct a human to do so, but there are chances that the output
may not be the exact same as desired and especially when the job gets
monotonous. Once the robots are programmed, they perform precisely and their
work is much more predictable and quality variation can be avoided.
1. Save
Money:
That’s the main aim! Reduce costs and
increase productivity. Robots can work 24x7 for you compared to a human. The
cost of automation can be expensive at the start, but it’s an investment for
the long run. You also wouldn’t require paying for its health insurances!
2. Speed:
As said above, machines will work 24x7
without asking for a rest. The speed at which a machine works reduces the
production cycle of a product produced. This speed and consistency enable a
unit to perform at maximum productivity.
3. Safety:
The risk of injuries and wounds to a worker
while in production can be avoided. The safety of these machines has become
much advanced and it can even prevent other workers from getting wounded.
Machines also prove beneficial in the tasks which a human can’t do! Eg.
Handling of molten metal, lifting of heavy weights etc.
4. Round
the clock production:
Unlike humans, the machines don’t tire. So as
long as the power is supplied nothing can stop the manufacturing process. With
automation, the raw material into finished product is achieved without the
presence of human. In fact, it can also be used to store and retrieve the
inventory and all you need is the main system to pull out the details of the
product and its location.
The
Bad:
1. Initial
cost of installation:
Having said that it will work 24x7 once installed,
it is very expensive for installation. Being costly is at its place, but the
software and training of personnel required to handle these machines can be an
added cost as well.
2. Working of machines:
Making these machines work requires a great
amount of programming and for that a skilled programmer is required. There
isn’t a scarcity of these programmers, but the numbers are not huge either.
Over that, the costs of these programmers are high which makes the working on
these machines more expensive.
3. Maintenance:
Once installed and programmed, it wouldn’t
only take electricity to work on. Take whatsoever machine, from your toaster to
your car, it’ll require proper maintenance! Same applies to these machines.
There is a need for a properly trained hardware and software maintenance team,
which nurtures them from time to time. It happens many times that the machines
are installed and aren’t taken care which sometimes causes assembly line
failure or reduce productivity and efficiency.
The
not so ugly:
1. Reduction
in jobs:
This can be said as the most adverse effect
of automation. Since industrial revolution, industries were becoming a job
haven. It would employ workforce's of thousands and thousands. Automation
flipped this scenario and many started to lose out their jobs to these robots.
Even today, there are many areas where people are losing out on jobs because these
robots are replacing them.
SolutionBuggy is an exclusive and dedicated platform for the Manufacturing Sector in
India. It has been a pioneer in connecting Lean management consultants to the
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Industrial Consultants/ Experts and Industrial Product Suppliers over the
internet for collaboration and success, where industries can share their
issues/ problems and post requirements; consultants/ experts can showcase their
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products to match the industry requirements.
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