LEADERSHIP
INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS SOLUTIONS have been integral to large-scale manufacturers for some time , and are only getting more popular ; with the industrial robotics market set to be worth almost $ 45 billion by 2020 . Offering increased automation and productivity as well as improved production output capabilities , they ’ ve proved a boon for manufacturers looking to augment their human workforces . The UK SME market too , is starting to see robotic arms in particular as an increasingly important mechanism to compete in the global manufacturing marketplace . The solutions themselves however , have traditionally been seen as too expensive and complex to deploy for these smaller players .
But robotics and increased automation should be seen as a tech enabler , not just as a nice-to-have tool . They could empower small manufacturers to do more with fewer resources , be more creative and flexible and operate more productively . What therefore are the key challenges to address before robotics can be effectively democratised and what innovative solutions are being introduced in response ?
Overcoming obstacles Firstly , cost . Today , robotic arms cost in the region of $ 50,000 to $ 60,000 , putting them out of reach for many small manufacturers . The cost is so steep because the robots themselves are often made out of various offthe-shelf parts , which all have associated set market price points . On top of the cost of the actual robot , manufacturers also have to deal with the cost of integration ; typically having to hire a robotics integrator to deploy the solution rather than tackling this process themselves . This can often be as expensive as the robotic arm itself .
‘ On top of the cost of the actual robot , manufacturers also have to deal with the cost of integration ; typically having to hire a robotics integrator to deploy the solution rather than tackling this process themselves ’
8 J anuary 2016