These concerns are heightened as robotic technology begins to penetrate more markets than ever before. RIA’s 2018 robot shipment statistics show exponential increases in robot shipments to non-automotive industries. Essentially, small and medium-sized businesses in a wide range of industries can now justify robotic automation after asking themselves, “Why should I automate?”
Investing in robotic automation is a big decision and there are many different ways to look at the reasons to automate.
There are many different reasons why a manufacturer may choose to invest in robotic automation. Typically, robots address a business’s most pressing issues, including:
Robotic automation takes a manufacturer’s operations to the next level, increasing their competitiveness and profitability.
One of the most immediate benefits of robotic automation is its reliability and repeatability. Robots work tirelessly around the clock. They don’t take breaks or get distracted. The only downtime is when they need occasional maintenance. On top of this drastically enhanced uptime, robots are known for their precision, bringing a whole new level of consistency to production processes. In this way, robots can quickly improve product quality.
Reliability, repeatability, and traceability are fundamental advantages robotic automation has over manual processes. However, there are many other benefits, as well as several other reasons why investing in automation gives manufacturers a competitive edge.
To learn more on this topic, read about the 5 Common Principles to Successfully Implement Industry 4.0
This article originally appeared on the Robotics Online Blog. Robotic Industries Association (RIA) is a part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), a CFE Media content partner.