An interesting article notes that robotics has improved over the last decade with an increase in speed and the introduction of effective machine vision systems. This has demonstrated the flexibility of robotics for a wider range of industries including food and pharmeceuticals where there are shortened cycle times. The greater adaptability of robots is coupled with a move towards more automation in British industry:
Tony Jones, managing director of systems integrator, TEC Manufacturing, believes
the flood of manufacturing from Britain to low-cost economies is slowing and may
be even reversing, with more UK companies turning to automation to reduce their
costs.
The exodus of manufacturing from Britain was at its height two or
three years ago and many people were predicting the total demise of
manufacturing in Britain. Jones said: “We noted, however, that the most
switched-on companies were not so enamoured with the idea of trying to
co-ordinate operations halfway around the world.
“They had the same cost
pressures as everyone else but preferred to invest in on-site automation to keep
all their activities close together. Now, we are definitely seeing people
bringing their manufacturing back to Britain and automating as they do
so.”
This increase in business has encouraged TEC to become distributors
for the Mitsubishi Electric range of robots, and Jones says that there is a
level of interest in robotics solutions that has never been apparent in the UK
before.
“Outside of volume automotive assembly and a few other key
sectors, the robot population has been very low and there are three reasons for
this,” said Jones. “Until recently, the cost of a robot was such that you could
build a bespoke mechanical handling system for the same money. There was the
chicken-and-egg lack for confidence in which potential users would not commit to
robots because not enough other people had done so before them. The technocratic
reason was that manufacturing lines did not previously need the flexibility
offered by robots, but with short-run production now the norm, they are now
often the best, if not only, solution.”
There is also another trend promoting automation: the increasing price on jobs caused by greater regulation. Perhaps we are seeing a vicious curve for New labour in manufacturing: increased robotic adaptability replacing low skilled labour.