What Makes Modern Robots
Attractive to Factory Owners
Robots have become a permanent fixture in our factories. Consequently, and with good reason, lots of factory workers are worried about this trend. As many economists and labor studies have shown, robots will eventually carry out most of the manufacturing jobs.
With these facts, we need to ask why it is that factory owners now prefer to have robots in their factories. The following robot features make them suitable for factory work.
They are Automatic
Commercial robots, unlike human workers, do not get tired. They can easily work for 24 hours straight without the need for breaks. They do not mind the working conditions or the amount of wage they collect from all this work. Robots also do not go on strike.
As a result, factory owners find that robots are a much cheaper substitute for human labor. With the ability to work longer, they help raise the productivity of the factory at a lower cost.
They are Collaborative
Collaborative robots are robots that can work alongside human workers in the factory. They are relatively new phenomena in manufacturing circles and have been in existence for only a decade. Their uptake all over the world is growing and they are expected to be the leading industrial robots by the year 2021.
Factory owners primarily love collaborative robots for how easy they are to work with. They do require specialized training or programming languages to instruct. Further, they are safe enough to work hand in hand with human factory workers.
Carry Out Dirty, Dull and Dangerous Tasks
Factory owners also prefer having robots for their ability to competently handle boring and repetitive tasks accurately and precisely. Repetitive tasks are boring to the human factory worker who can only concentrate for so long and is bound to make an error.
Also, robots do not mind handling dangerous tasks. Tasks such as heavy lifting which could affect the health of workers can be assigned to robots for quick and accurate execution. Robots can also handle harmful and hazardous materials and situations without worrying about side-effects.
They are Cost-Effective
Over time, an investment in commercial robots is much more cost-effective than increasing the number of employees. For those who have already acquired robots, they have seen a return on their investment within two years. This means that robots are much cheaper than human labor in the long run.
Further, the acquisition cost of robots is falling as demand grows. This makes robots more and more affordable even for small manufacturing entities. The more affordable these robots get, the more the competitive advantage they offer to smaller manufacturers.
They Enhance Safety in the Workplace
Modern robots are much safer than traditional robots that have been in the manufacturing scene for decades. With inbuilt safety features, there are fewer accidents in the workplace.
Enhanced workplace conditions come with improved employee morale which lowers absenteeism and employee turnover. It also reduces the financial amount of insurance costs that companies pay when taking care of their employees’ health issues.
Robots help factories abide by labor laws governing occupational health and safety.
Versatility
Robots in the factory are not only limited to one activity. They can easily carry out as many tasks as can be assigned in the factory. With the merging of artificial intelligence and robotics engineering, robots can easily learn how to carry out different tasks in the factory. Once this is done, they can be assigned as many tasks as possible and they will carry them out accurately and efficiently.
Commercial robots are highly beneficial to factories. They make it easier to automate the manufacturing process and eliminate any bottlenecks in the process. Further, they are affordable and are a sound investment.
They are loaded with beneficial features that enhance the working conditions for factory workers and help improve productivity, quality of the products and the financial strength of any company that acquires them.
