With the global development trend of intelligent and connected factories in the future, the new trend of human intervention in production is transforming today's manufacturing processes.
Imagine a picture like this: In a workshop, robots operate equipment and perform various tasks; production personnel are responsible for supervising operations. Thanks to the development of intelligent technology, humans and machines can work side by side on the factory floor. Believe it or not, this seemingly unreachable future scene has quietly happened in factories around the world.
This phenomenon is called "Industry 5.0" or collaborative industry, which fully illustrates that more and more manufacturers are beginning to realize that it is urgent to respond to the growing personalized needs of customers. In fact, 85% of manufacturers believe that "connected operations" (that is, human-machine collaboration) will be fully popularized by 2020. Moreover, the vast majority of manufacturers currently consider this an important element in their business strategy.
Human-computer collaboration is not just the future
1. Personalized customization, incorporating human creative elements
Robots are good at mass-producing standardized products in standardized processes, but for customized or personalized products, human intervention is required. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain human intervention in the production process.
In the production process, only by incorporating the creative finishing touch of human creativity can automation fully realize its potential. For independent robotic operations, traditional industrial robots need to undergo long and complicated programming work to perform some basic production tasks; and collaborative robots or "cobots" can work in collaboration with human employees. In this case, human employees can be responsible for customized tasks, and robots can process products or assist human workers to perform the necessary preparations, so as to complement each other. In this way, employees can use the robot as a multifunctional tool, such as a screwdriver, packaging equipment, or palletizer.
2. Create job opportunities
The skilled talent gap described in the Deloitte report indicates that there will be 3.4 million jobs in the next decade, while only 1.4 million qualified workers meet the vacant job requirements. Robots can be matched with many positions, especially they can cooperate with human employees. Collaborative robots can not only undertake trivial or repetitive tasks, but also perform high-risk operations, while human workers can be transferred to positions with higher value.
If enterprises cannot maintain their own competitiveness, workers will face great employment threats. Enterprises that use automation can improve product quality, increase output, and reduce production costs, thereby enhancing their competitive advantage. As far as the food industry is concerned, companies using robots will create 70,000 to 90,000 jobs worldwide from 2017 to 2020. Compared with other industrial robots, collaborative robots can not only increase employment opportunities within the enterprise, but also increase productivity and promote the development of workers' skills.
3. Provide better jobs for human workers
The original intention of the collaborative robot is to perform high-intensity, high-risk and other tasks, not to replace manpower. In this way, employees can give full play to their creativity in more complex projects. For example, when robots take over trivial assembly tasks, employees can perform more elaborate tasks that require human intelligence.
After the robot performs simple mechanical tasks, employees can focus on controlling more machines and performing more diverse operations throughout the workshop. By learning to operate robots and assume more responsibilities, employees will have a sense of pride and higher job satisfaction.
Needless to say, interconnected collaborative operations will provide new opportunities for manufacturing productivity and innovation. It also helps to improve workplace safety and employee satisfaction, create more new jobs for human workers, and stimulate employment growth. As manufacturing processes become more intelligent and interconnected, backward competitors will be eliminated. Manufacturers must realize that in an increasingly competitive market, collaborative factories operate more efficiently and reduce labor costs.
