Since last few decades, application of robotics and other forms of automation technology were the only cause for certain promising changes in the manufacturing industry in terms of quality, efficiency, and productivity. To fulfill the company goals, the industries are using the robots that work with accuracy. Based on the survey, 59 percent of manufacturers are already using some type of robotic technologies that are responsible for increasing their productivity by up to 30% and cut the labor cost by 16 %.
Current Prospects of Automation in the Manufacturing Sector
With the joint efforts of government, entrepreneurs and training institutes the robotics and cobotics has acquired a place in India and causing the unprecedented progress and development. Some sectors which are implementing the robotics solution, which include the automotive industries, defense, atomic energy, pharmaceuticals, food, textile industries etc. Also, several companies are established in India are supporting the robotic revolution. Nevertheless, these industries are facing many challenges for robotics like cost adoption, and lack of trained workers etc. There are promising changes that are ongoing in Indian economics. This could be a great platform for manufacturers to produce the necessary products to prevent their outsourcing and also reduces the cost of products. Use of cobotics is not only creating great career avenues in the field of engineering design, development, research, and management but are also creating the platform for entrepreneurial opportunities.
Risk Factor Behind the Cobots
Robotics is an emerging area. When robot is related to contingency transpires, the potential for doubtfulness is evolving and it becomes dangerous for the companies to recognize and prepare for the legal challenges arising from robotics, AI, and automation. With cobots becoming more mobile in the workspace, it leads to a rise in the hazards related to it.
Cobots: Machine to Non-Machine Knowledge Sharing
For the proper and quality manufacturing, it is necessary to integrate the strengths of both humans and robots. To complete the task in the allotted time it is mandatory to maintain a proper balance between the human and robot. Cobot is the one who maintains the balance between man and robots. They are programmed toharbor smooth industrial operations which improve the production by maintaining the product quality. The companies are training their employees to operate these robots and subsequently make them perform more tasks in a single plant. This would be beneficial for the company in case the company is changing the plant location from one place to another or switching the production of one product to another without expending money on talents, training, set-up time and traditional costs required for traditional manufacturing plant.
Few Special Features
The cobots are the simple form of the conventional robot. They are available at low cost, easy to operate and maintain. The combination of both human and cobot gives better end results. There are a variety of cobot from small table- top models to robots capable of moving heavy loads. They are light in weight, flexible and can be moved from one work to another. Most of the cobots can be easily programmed with the help of smartphones or tablet.
The manufacturing industries have wide spread applications for cobots. There are some manufacturing processes, which require the manual working, and in such cases, using cobots makes the sense for workers to perform that task more effectively. The cobots can easily handle certain challenges where the humans require some time to think, and then work on it.
Secure and Cooperative
There are few types of cobots which have the sensors for vision and could motion and easily detect the unnecessary activities going on their surrounding work environment and easily control its force. It allows a close participation between humans and robots without any bodily attachments. Cobots have sensors in their parts that control their movement to avoid any case of injury and allows the robot to work at an absolute rate without concern for human injury. The cobots are supplemented with the modern sensor system which not only senses the person but also identifies their location. According to the distance, it provides the warning and also reduces the speed when a worker is in the yellow zone and stops working completely when the worker is in close proximity. The cobots are helping the manufacturers in solving the major problem of quality control that are being faced by the businesses today. To resolve this problem the manufacturers are using various devices and software solutions but most of them aren’t really working.
Due to wide spread applications, all types of companies are finding reasons to invest in robotics and attempt to add to the stockpile of products and services. In this economic year the competition will become more intense as evident by the number of cobots that were sold and by 2020 it is expected to exceed the 151 billion dollars mark. In the upcoming years, cobotics will impact in a great sense, the way internet has done in the last few years.
– Yugandhara Dabhole
