Industry 4.0 – Where exactly does Robotics fit into it?

October 2018

Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution that will take the manufacturing industry by storm. It is a form of radical and disruptive innovation that will see an enormous opportunity for the manufacturing industry. Many organisations will optimise their efficiency but recreating their business models in order to implement this new revolution and reap the benefits and opportunities it brings. Industry 4.0 is made up of many segments, including AI (artificial intelligence), machine learning, the Internet of things and the introduction of robots and humans working alongside one another – COBOTS (Collaborative Robots).

The use of robotics is seeing less low skilled workers having to carry out highly repetitive mundane tasks and instead being promoted to higher positions requiring less physical efforts that are more rewarding and reap higher profits. Employees can now work alongside robots, which are now known as cobots, as they are extremely sensitive, incorporating force-torque sensors which allow them to automatically stop and enter into safe stop mode when a person intrudes within set parameters.

The ability to work next to people means it is now easier for companies to adopt flexible automation as part of their manufacturing process and increase output. There are many uses for their profound cobots, from simple pick and place, cnc tending, packaging, assembly, polishing, and screwing through to machine loading, welding and glueing.

There are many advantages of this, including productivity being increased as employees are freed up to work on other areas, employees are enabled to work on tasks of higher value, allowing them to feel more empowered, and efficiency is improved through the increase in throughput, not to mention the reduction in the likelihood of RSI (repetitive strain injury) and lifting injuries.

At present, the use of robots and humans working together is domineered by the automotive sector; however, as new technologies advance and further AI and machine learning develop, alongside the use of robotics, where the robots ‘learn’, there is a strong possibility that the use of cobots will further develop into the retail, food, inspection and laboratory sectors.

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Read more about our automation here…

• Benefits of Automation
• The Benefits of Machine Vision Technology
• Robots & Cobots – What is the Difference?
• Robotic Automation
• What is a URS? Why is it Important?
• Cost of Industrial Automation
• Advantages & Disadvantages of Robotic Automation

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