Automation misconceptions

According to Ashley Page, sales director at Hydrafeed,

“We’re now on the cusp of a steep upward trend with manufacturers who are seeing the benefits that automation has brought to the early adopters of automation, and are investing in RoboJob systems in their own companies,” Mr Page explains.

“However, the rate of robotic automation in the UK is slow; the prevailing tendency tends to be make do with older machinery or hire more workers. This statement can be validated by statistics recently produced by the International Federation of Robotics which reported a 3% drop in robot sales last year in the UK; while the rest of Europe saw an increase of 12%.

“What does this mean for the UK? With such a slow pace of adoption the country can expect a fall in competitiveness and productivity within our manufacturing sector,” he warns.

As the UK leaves the EU it will become more challenging to hire workers from abroad. With employment in the UK at its highest since records began in 1971 and with skilled workers in short supply, automation has to be adopted at a higher rate across the whole of the UK manufacturing base.

“Robotics are often misunderstood by businesses and these misconceptions hold back investment in our sector,” Mr Page continues. “The argument that robots will put people out of work in our industry has no substance. While understandable, we always fear the unknown – it’s a distraction from the real issue and solution. In reality, robots offer businesses greater flexibility, extended production hours, improved health & safety and more rewarding jobs.”

Robotics isn’t about making people redundant or replacing workers - highly skilled staff are spending as much as 70% of their day doing repetitive tasks such as loading and unloading machines.

“In practical terms, their skills could be put to much better use with creative tasks,” Mr Page affirms. “Repetitive, dangerous tasks can be delegated to a robot, making the operator’s time more interesting and rewarding.”

Hydrafeed is seeing first hand that customers that have invested in RoboJob systems are experiencing higher productivity, consistently better quality and improved competitiveness; enabling them to invest further in their staff and company.

“Automation can be a hero and not a villain for Britain, but more fundamentally, if the UK doesn’t invest we are in danger of falling further behind the rest of the world at a time when we need to be leaders,” Mr Page concludes.

Hydrafeed says its automation products are proven to give the machine shop manager more capacity and the company owner an increase in profits, with payback on the capital investment, for some customers, quicker than they initially expected.

The company will be installing another RoboJob Mill-Assist in its own workshop in the near future.

Hydrafeed www.hydrafeed.co.uk