Getting to Know Industry 4.0 Technologies - Robotics & Automation

In the increasingly competitive business landscape, manufacturers constantly look for ways to improve processes and boost their bottom line. Implementing robotics and automation in production enables many manufacturers to accomplish this goal. Using machines, robots, and control systems to automate repetitive tasks makes your employees’ jobs easier. Combining high-quality results with employee engagement and cost savings makes automation an increasingly essential innovation, leading more manufacturers to build “smart” factories.

How robotics and automation can help small manufacturers:

• Improving efficiency and eliminating variation.
  Robotics and automation effectively eliminate variation in production and help reduce the time needed to complete tasks. With human error and variation removed from certain parts of production, quality and efficiency will boom. These improvements translate into huge cost savings for manufacturers.
  
  
• Increasing safety.
  Many manufacturing environments involve potential safety issues for workers such as dangerous machinery, heavy lifting or toxic chemicals. Robots placed in these positions remove the risk of human error, increasing quality and safety – and enabling employees to move into safer roles.
  
  
• Allowing for greater employee development.
  Removing your workers from harmful environments enables them to take on new, more advanced tasks. Automating simple, manual tasks frees your employees for other positions – helping alleviate the current talent shortage in manufacturing. At the same time, automation supports your employee retention efforts. By providing workers with skills training and growth opportunities you’ll increase their engagement and loyalty to your organization.

Source: Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) NIST

Want to learn more about Industry 4.0 technologies?

Visit our Digital Manufacturing & Technology Center (DMTC) page to discover all of the ways Purdue MEP can help!