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Four Ways Robotic Automation Benefits a Business and its Staff

People often have misconceptions when it comes to robotic process automation. Generally, people hear ‘robotic automation’ and feel that robots will replace the human element within a company. However, automating business processes is of benefit to everybody. There are four important reasons as to why manufacturers should implement automation into their production line, for the benefit of the business and its staff.

Skilling-up ‘Unskilled’ Staff

The last thing any business manager wants to do is make an employee redundant. Whilst this may be a consequence of a business failing, it shouldn’t be as a result of integrating robotic automation. The staff that would usually perform ‘unskilled’ labour can be trained to operate and program industrial robots, providing them with a skill that will undoubtedly be useful for the future of their employment.

By automating repetitive processes, staff can be redeployed elsewhere within the company, this allows you to retain their talent and focus efforts on more innovative roles.

Making the Workplace Safer

In the financial year of 2019/2020, 693,000 workers sustained a non-fatal injury, according to the self-reports from the labour force survey. While slips, trips and falls take the number one position for causes of accidents, handling lifting or carrying comes in second, which includes repetitive strain injury (RSI). It’s safe to assume that with robots taking the role of handling carrying and lifting, that these statistics will be significantly reduced, also making it less likely for employees to develop RSI.

Industrial equipment is known to pose a serious hazard to humans. Improper use can result in severe injuries, and whilst training can prevent some mistakes being made, accidents can happen to the best of us. It’s also worth noting that if your business sees a high staff turnover, the time and resources used to train employees will be significant.

The most common injury faced by machine operators is entanglement. When a safety guard is left off, or someone briefly loses focus, loose clothing or hair can enter a piece of machinery and cause serious injury. Fingers, hands, hair and entire limbs can quickly become tangled in dangerous moving parts. Robotic automation takes this hazard away entirely.

Increasing Productivity

They say that if you can have a task automated, then you should. It frees you up to be productive elsewhere within your business.

People can only work so much, so often, and only so efficiently. Of course, it is no surprise that robotic automation processes eliminate many of the bottlenecks that humans present. Automated systems are incredibly efficient, and can drastically increase productivity when used in the right application. Each robot on a line is programmed to perform a specific task, they operate with high speed, precision and can work effectively in unison with their human counterparts. This video demonstrates the capabilities of Universal Robots cobots (link to cobots page) working alongside humans.

Reducing Downtime

One of the most significant issues a business can face is downtime. Obviously, robots don’t require breaks, they don’t need to sleep, and the only time you’re likely to see an issue is if they need a part to be replaced. Using a diagnostic system, modern robots are able to detect the smallest changes in performance and can predict when faults may occur before it even happens. This makes the primary cause for downtime not having the spare parts ready.

Learn How Robotic Automation Can Benefit Your Business

If you’d like to discuss how automation can improve business for everyone involved, contact us at RoboMotion. We have a wealth of experience in many industries including; Automotive, Mail, Plastic Manufacturing, Injection Moulding and more. Contact our friendly advisors today by calling 01746 866 711, or you can email us at info@robomotion.co.uk.