There is no doubt that the age of robotics has had a profound effect on mass production. When programmed correctly, robots are capable of creating objects at a much faster rate than human beings, sometimes producing hundreds of parts in the time it takes a person to produce just one. They can also work with people; collaborative efforts are responsible for some of the most advanced mass production techniques to date. Some production experts, however, worry that robotics is moving too fast for its own good—and for the good of the American factory worker.
They may have a point. As robotic technology advances, robots are replacing production line personnel in certain circumstances. Robots can assemble items quickly, accurately, and carefully on a consistent basis. Robots also never get tired, which means they produce superior output at a steady rate around the clock. A robotic production facility can generally achieve a much more consistent quality level than a human workforce in similar circumstances.
Robots are getting cheaper too. Setting up an automated factory may cost a company more in the short term, but it can usually recoup its expenditure quickly. Increased utility bills are offset by the fact that there are fewer wages to pay, fewer health insurance premiums to process, fewer chances of workers' compensation claims, and fewer expenses to process.
Robots are often much easier to manage than humans. Robots won't turn up to work late, and the worst thing you'll ever smell on a robot is WD40. All in all, industry experts agree that robots are likely to become even more commonplace in the manufacturing process throughout this century.
There's a flip side, though. Robots can make companies more money and create even bigger profit margins on the manufacturing floor, but they do create different jobs. Inevitably, robots require maintenance. They need lubricating, cleaning, dusting, adjusting, and programming. Robots do not automatically have the knowledge they need to assemble toy trucks or circuit boards when they are created—programmers have to input that information carefully and completely before they can begin work.
In dangerous situations, robots clearly have an advantage. Properly designed robots can maneuver through tights spaces better than even remarkably flexible contortionists. With the correct engineering, they can also handle radioactive materials without ill effect: for example, Toshiba sent a radiation-proof robot into the Fukushima nuclear plant after the accident there in 2012.
Recently, however, human-robot partnerships have begun to produce even greater results. Energy-efficient robots help people perform tasks safely and easily as well as protecting their human companions from danger, fatigue, and cumulative joint damage. This type of cooperation can reduce accidents during the manufacturing process.
Collaboration between humans and robots in factory settings is certainly going to increase in the coming years. Automation will also become more prolific as robotic engineering advances. Perhaps robots will assume an even greater role further down the metaphorical production line. However, until they can repair themselves, program themselves, and source their own energy, they will require human intervention and their presence will therefore create jobs for people.
(Photo courtesy of suphakit73 / Freedigitalphotos.net)
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