Are Smart Robots the Future of the Supply Chain?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, how often did you think about where the products you buy were manufactured? For certain, some people have always been interested in buying products made in America. However, most people have historically given little thought to where things are made or how they find their way to the United States.
Of course, all that changed during the pandemic. As store shelves emptied and new automobiles got stockpiled while waiting for electronic components, everyone around the world became painfully aware of the intricacies of the supply chain and how truly global the economy had become.
One of the many outcomes of the pandemic was a renewed focus on making the American supply chain more efficient and resilient. Not surprisingly, many links in the supply chain turned to advanced automation technologies to address issues that had come to light during the pandemic.
In terms of automating warehouses, in particular, smart robots quickly became a go-to solution for many organizations. Over the past couple of years, more and more human workers have learned to work alongside robotic counterparts. Experts believe this trend is likely to continue. In fact, some believe that future supply chain managers may oversee more smart robots than human beings.
In a recent Material Handling & Logistics article, the author cites a recent study by Gartner, Inc. that predicts that “[e]ighty percent of humans will engage with smart robots on a daily basis, and one in 20 supply chain managers will manage robots, rather than humans, by 2030.”
The article points out that “[o]rganizations are placing greater emphasis on enhancing the capabilities of their existing workforce by supplementing with robotics due to factors like labor scarcity and rising costs,” making smart robots “an important investment area.”
The growth in implementation of smart robots reveals that many, if not most, companies are indeed choosing to invest in these new technologies. At the same time, though, these organizations also need to be investing in their human assets, as many chief supply chain officers “acknowledge their organization lacks internal robotics expertise to maximally leverage these innovative technologies.”
Supply chain experts know that, “as fleets grow and companies embrace varied robotics use cases, establishing a management structure to oversee robotics operations becomes essential.” Finding those managers with the knowledge and hands-on skills to effectively manage these advanced automation technologies will become the new challenge.
Companies will likely need to hire new skilled workers or upskill current workers to make the most of increasing automation technologies. How can you be sure a worker has the advanced automation skills needed to excel in the workplace of the future? Many companies look for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the hands-on skills employers need.
The Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level.
For example, SACA’s Certified Industry 4.0 Robotics Specialist certification confirms that certified individuals can succeed as a robotics technician in modern production environments that use Industry 4.0 technologies. This certification verifies that individuals can install, program, test, interface, and maintain industrial robot systems and workcells. SACA offers a wide variety of other industry-standard certifications focused on advanced automation technologies and related skills. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Automation Essential for Reshoring Manufacturing
Made in USA: those three words bring forth a swell of pride in hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers across the nation. Over time, though, those words have appeared on fewer products as the United States has become an integral part of a truly global marketplace.
Long gone are the days when American factories produced the majority of goods consumed within its borders. As international trade grew, industries learned that other countries could sometimes offer cheaper labor and sometimes even better technology.
The very nature of the capitalism Americans love rewards industries for maximizing profits by outsourcing production around the world. Indeed, many economists see free and open international trade as the ideal. However, offshoring manufacturing can have consequences.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages and long wait times became problematic as supply chains were strained to their breaking point. Auto manufacturers, in particular, became acutely aware of the problem of having no domestic source of the advanced semiconductors they needed to power the electronics that fill modern vehicles.
In the wake of the pandemic, renewed calls for reshoring manufacturing were heard loud and clear across the country. Have those calls been answered? Where does the reshoring movement stand currently? Will the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again trade policies centered on tariffs spark increased reshoring? Or is there another key to making it happen?
In a recent Manufacturing Dive article , author Søren Peters argues that, while the impact of tariffs is uncertain, “sustainable manufacturing success depends on the competitive advantage that automation delivers.” In fact, he notes that “the reshoring movement has been underway for years — even before the recent tariff announcements.”
He cites recent statistics that show reshoring began years ago and has been spurred on by increasing use of advanced automation technologies. Peters writes, “Look at the numbers: In 2023, more than 287,000 US manufacturing jobs were announced from reshoring and foreign direct investments — a 26-fold increase from 2010, according to the Reshoring Initiative’s annual report. This growth parallels an 88% increase in industrial robots operating in the U.S. between 2013-2023, as reported by the International Federation of Robotics.”
Regarding tariffs, Peters questions their efficacy: “While tariffs could accelerate the reshoring trend, manufacturers are generally cautious. Companies are reluctant to base major reshoring decisions on potentially fluctuating tariffs. Production relocations require years of planning and substantial investment. Companies need permanent competitive advantages, not temporary policy shifts.”
Peters concludes that “[t]his is precisely why automation must be central to any serious reshoring strategy… While trade policies shift, it is the industry’s own ability to compete that makes reshoring sustainable — and for that, automation is the foundation.”
Why is automation so critical to the reshoring effort? Peters notes that “[t]he most immediate obstacle to rapid reshoring is workforce capacity.” There simply aren’t enough manufacturing workers to fill available positions right now, let alone to staff numerous new facilities resulting from reshoring.
Fortunately, new automation technologies have taken some of the pressure off, allowing the U.S. manufacturing sector to continue increasing production capacity even with fewer workers. That might not last long, though, because those new automation technologies also contribute to an ongoing problem: the automation skills gap.
New automation technologies can take up some of the slack of having too few workers, but manufacturers now need more workers with more advanced skills who can operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair these new technologies. So where will they find the workers?
As companies embrace new technologies, they will often need to either upskill current workers or hire new workers with the advanced automation technology skills they require. If hiring new workers ends up being part of their automation implementation plan, manufacturers should look for candidates with industry-standard credentials that prove they already possess the advanced automation skills needed to thrive.
For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies.
SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Robot Dog Roams Michelin Factory Sniffing Out Safety Issues
How great would it be if you could bring your dog to work? Job satisfaction ratings would be sure to go through the roof if workers were able to balance the pain of Excel spreadsheets with a wag of the tail from man’s best friend.
Never-ending staff meeting coming up? No problem! How bad could it be with a handful of furry pals in the room? Of course, not every work environment would be conducive to pets tagging along. For example, you wouldn’t want your favorite Aussie or Labrador running around the manufacturing floor. Or would you?
In a recent Tech Times article by Isaiah Richard, the author explains how Spot, a robot dog created by Boston Dynamics, is helping French tire company Michelin improve operations in its South Carolina manufacturing plant.
So exactly what does Spot do at the Michelin plant? According to Richard, Spot is “well-versed in going around Michelin’s facility and helping the company with various tasks…Spot’s latest responsibility…is to scan different equipment or machines that are running to create its products, and it is capable of surveying over 350 locations in the facility.”
The author notes that “Spot was also given the software called Orbit which would help it process the data it gathered before sending it over to human operators for further analysis. Michelin’s plant managers said that Spot significantly helps in these routine checks and allows humans to save time and jump right into planning on the fix or scheduling repairs instead of individually checking up on its machines.”
While Spot strolls through the factory using its advanced mapping capabilities, its thermal camera “can detect overheating machines or faulty equipment which humans may sometimes overlook or fail to properly determine.” Another manufacturer, Hyundai, has also used Spot “to help its inspection of industrial areas remotely,” lightening the load on human workers and keeping them safer.
What does the inclusion of robot dogs in manufacturing facilities mean for modern industry? While it’s unlikely that robot dogs will take the place of human workers any time soon, future workers could indeed need new skills to enable them to work effectively alongside these new advanced automation technologies.
Companies will likely need to hire new skilled workers or upskill current workers to make the most of increasing automation technologies. How can you be sure a worker has the advanced automation skills needed to excel in the workplace of the future? Many companies look for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the hands-on skills employers need.
The Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level.
For example, SACA’s Certified Industry 4.0 Robotics Specialist certification confirms that certified individuals can succeed as a robotics technician in modern production environments that use Industry 4.0 technologies. This certification verifies that individuals can install, program, test, interface, and maintain industrial robot systems and workcells. SACA offers a wide variety of other industry-standard certifications focused on advanced automation technologies and related skills. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Are Robots the Answer to the U.S. Housing Shortage?
Are you currently in the market for a home? If so, you’re already fully aware of how inflated the U.S. housing market has become in the last several years. More and more people are finding it difficult to find a home that they can afford.
Some have termed the current conditions a “housing crisis” and it’s become a hot-button political issue in campaigns across the country. Many economists have pointed to the fact that increasing demand and insufficient supply have contributed to the costs consumers are seeing today. Is there anything that can be done to increase the supply of affordable housing?
Some entrepreneurs think that technology could play a key role in building more homes. Some of you may be thinking, “Really? Technology?” Granted, when you think of construction and real estate, advanced technology probably isn’t one of the first things that comes to mind. That’s why a new approach could pave the way for more new homes.
In a recent Newsweek article by Theo Burman, the author reveals that “[r]obots housed in ‘micro factories’ will be part of a push for housing production across the Midwest, amid a shortage in the U.S.” According to Burman, “[t]he new technology, supplied by U.K. robotics company Automated Architecture (AUAR), will be used by U.S.-based Rival Holdings to expand sustainable real estate development across areas where housing demand is high.”
This is an exciting development for those who may have never considered how advanced automation technologies could impact areas like housing and construction. Burman notes that “[t]he two micro factories, which are small enough to be transported to the U.S. in shipping containers, are capable of producing 180 new homes a year each.”
Beyond simply using robots, “[t]he factories work by constructing timber frames according to an AI-powered design manufacturing software developed by AUAR. The software accounts for local supply chains and building codes.” Company representatives claim that the first “micro factories” used in Belgium “became profitable within six weeks of being established, leading to the scale up to the U.S.”
Burman points out that “ABB Robotics, AUAR’s partner who enabled the expansion into the U.S., said that the new technology could ‘revolutionize the construction industry’ [by]…addressing critical global challenges such as labor and skills shortages.” In fact, the AUAR’s mission is “to build a global automated construction ecosystem for sustainable homes.”
What does this mean for the construction industry in the U.S. and around the world? It’s unlikely that robots will take the place of human construction workers any time soon. However, future construction workers could indeed need new skills to enable them to work effectively alongside new advanced automation technologies.
Construction companies will likely need to hire new skilled workers or upskill current workers to make the most of increasing automation in the construction sector. How can you be sure a worker has the advanced automation skills needed to excel in the workplace of the future? Many companies look for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the hands-on skills employers need.
The Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level.
For example, SACA’s Certified Industry 4.0 Robotics Specialist certification confirms that certified individuals can succeed as a robotics technician in modern production environments that use Industry 4.0 technologies. This certification verifies that individuals can install, program, test, interface, and maintain industrial robot systems and workcells. SACA offers a wide variety of other industry-standard certifications focused on advanced automation technologies and related skills. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Mapping a Route to Successful Automation Implementation
Have you noticed how the solution to most problems these days seems to be technology? Our lives are intertwined and interconnected in ways that few could have imagined several decades ago. From smart phones and televisions to smart cars and thermostats, advanced technologies that communicate and share information via the Internet have changed our lives forever.
They’ve also changed our workplaces. You’d expect this working in a technology field, but even industrial factory jobs have been impacted greatly by today’s advanced automation technologies. Just like in every other area of our lives, technology has changed the modern industrial workplace forever.
The seismic effect advanced automation technologies have had on manufacturing and other industrial sectors has many monikers, many of which you’ve probably heard of: the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Smart Factory are just a few.
Especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s industries know that they need to invest in advanced automation technologies to take them to the next level of efficiency and productivity. Yet, these investments should not be made lightly, especially by small and medium-sized manufacturers that don’t have the kind of money to spend that huge multinational corporations do.
How should small and medium-sized manufacturers approach investing in new automation technologies? In a recent IndustryWeek article, author Robert Scipione provides some guidance, including this important starting point: “The most important aspect of your first automation project is to be clear about what problem you are trying to solve.”
Failure to address a specific goal is a recipe for disaster. Scipione notes that some manufacturers buy technology impulsively, but “if they haven’t considered all the related impacts on their people and processes, their chances of a successful automation implementation are diminished.”
Once a problem is identified, Scipione recommends tying “the initiative to financial performance” and then “build[ing] a system around the technology.” In this way, you can ensure smooth implementation while also tracking how your chosen automation solution saves money and provides a good return on investment.
While many might be tempted to focus on the technology options available as potential solutions, Scipione warns that current personnel must also be a big part of the equation: “you will want to factor your people and their skill sets into the automation implementation, operation, and support.”
Technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so it’s important to ensure skilled personnel are available to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair these new technologies as implemented. In many cases, that will mean either upskilling current workers or hiring new workers with the advanced automation technology skills you require.
If hiring new workers ends up being part of your automation implementation plan, look for candidates with industry-standard credentials that prove they already possess the advanced automation skills needed to thrive. For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Scottish Candy Maker Using Automation to Find the Sweet Spot
When the holidays roll around, do you find yourself yearning for homemade treats your mother, grandmother, or favorite aunt made when you were a kid? There’s simply nothing like cookies or fudge made from a recipe that’s been handed down for years from one generation to another.
Of course, most people won’t turn away sweet treats from the store either. In fact, many of your favorites might come from confectioners who have been making signature candies for decades using handmade recipes created by their founders long ago.
That’s certainly the case with Aldomak, a family-run Scottish confectioner with a factory in Glasgow. A recent article in The Manufacturer notes that “[t]he confectioner prides itself on its handmade recipes.” However, like most other factories in this modern age, Aldomak is “gradually integrating a degree of automation into production processes.”
While priding itself on its traditions, the family that runs Aldomak realized that incorporating some new advanced automation technologies could help them “streamline manufacturing processes and increase capacity.” That’s why they created “a digital simulation of Aldomak’s fudge production line” with the help of “the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) – operated by the University of Strathclyde and part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult.”
Using this digital twin of a production line, “Aldomak and the Design Engineering team at NMIS identified potential bottlenecks and explored various ‘what-if’ scenarios, such as adding new equipment or modifying workflows.” For example, “[b]y examining the capacity of boiling equipment and the movement of both personnel and products within the factory, Aldomak established how best to focus its efforts to boost efficiency.”
Like all advanced automation technologies, the digital twin used by Aldomak relies heavily on a wide range of data, including “the capacity of the machinery, the duration of different cycles, inventory levels and work schedules.” Analyzing this data has “encouraged the manufacturer to think differently, focus on bottlenecks, and explore various ways to increase throughput before considering major investments.”
Gwenole Henry, Research & Development Engineer at NMIS, points out that “[d]igital simulations of this kind can be an incredibly useful tool for manufacturers in any sector, helping them to meet goals and ambitions in terms of productivity, sales and even energy efficiency.”
However, advanced automation technologies like digital twins don’t exist in a vacuum. It’s important to ensure skilled personnel are available to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair these new technologies as implemented. In many cases, that will mean either upskilling current workers or hiring new workers with the advanced automation technology skills you require.
If hiring new workers ends up being part of your automation implementation plan, look for candidates with industry-standard credentials that prove they already possess the advanced automation skills needed to thrive. For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Condition Monitoring Offers Cost-Effective Entry into World of Industry 4.0
According to a recent IoT For All article by Brian Harrison, “[t]he factory of the future, in which all conceivable devices are connected with their intelligence and autonomy and each plant process is constantly optimized through sophisticated real-time analytics, has long been the utopia of industrial automation.”
After all, what manufacturer doesn’t want to be as efficient and productive as possible? Harrison notes that these new advanced automation technologies “promise to unlock unseen levels of productivity and efficiency while removing the need for humans to carry out many of the more repetitive or labor-intensive tasks required, potentially saving organizations vast amounts of money and time.”
However, all you have to do is look at the current state of modern manufacturing to know that “the idea of the smart factory is not yet a reality for all.” While many manufacturers have embraced new automation technologies, others have yet to do so, citing both the cost of technology and inability to hire skilled workers that know how to use these technologies as reasons.
Harrison acknowledges that “[i]t takes time, planning, and often significant investment to radically modernize an entire plant from the ground up.” But maybe “a radical rebuild is not necessary to start embracing the benefits of Industry 4.0.”
What if, instead, manufacturers started small and built up their capabilities over time? According to Harrison, “[i]ncremental improvements, such as adding condition monitoring capabilities to existing equipment can unlock a vast potential for savings across the areas of efficiency, productivity, and reliability throughout the plant.”
The author argues that manufacturers “can implement condition monitoring without substantially rethinking existing processes, and you can roll it out on a much smaller scale to embrace the efficiency, reliability, and productivity savings promised by Industry 4.0, at a fraction of the cost.”
Doing so “offers greater visibility over running processes. Digital connectivity provides real-time or near-real-time insight into asset health, allowing maintenance teams to focus their efforts where needed and avoid expending resources unnecessarily. It can also prevent large amounts of downtime by flagging and fixing potential issues before they turn into failures.”
Harrison urges manufacturers to “[a]ttach sensors to legacy equipment to measure health, tracking metrics like vibration, temperature, and power signatures for a comprehensive view, avoiding manual component inspection. Measuring and analyzing assets remotely improves plant safety in hazardous areas without endangering personnel.”
Incorporating condition monitoring into manufacturing processes allows manufacturers to transition from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance. Over time, manufacturers can add more technologies, such as manufacturing execution systems and enterprise asset management systems to more thoroughly take advantage of data being collected.
Harrison concludes that “condition monitoring enables companies to start small, and grow digital capabilities gradually in a more manageable and cost-effective way. This also allows you to prioritize assets in a way that provides the best return on investment. From there, you can expand condition monitoring programs to other operations, and before you know it, much of the plant will be connected.”
Of course, part of the transition to Industry 4.0 has to be upskilling current workers and/or hiring new workers with the skills necessary to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair a wide variety of advanced automation systems. How can manufacturers accomplish this?
Today, more and more employers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills needed. For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Automation and the Skills Gap: Hiring for the Present and the Future
Looking to add a highly skilled automation engineer to your company? Finding one may be more difficult than you anticipate—and not for the reason you might think. Although highly skilled workers of all kinds appear to be in short supply these days, the real problem may lie in how employers are communicating their needs to potential workers.
According to a recent IndustryWeek article by Ryan Secard, “[s]killed job candidates say it’s taking longer to find work, despite huge numbers of open positions in manufacturing, because hiring companies either don’t know what they want or can’t explain it to candidates.”
Could ineffective communication be responsible for making the skills gap even wider? According to Secard, “employers appear to be leaving a gap in the market between the open jobs they say they need to fill and how they’re explaining those opportunities to people seeking new positions.” Moreover, “[t]he issue companies are having with anticipating needed skills…is thanks to automation.”
For example, take a look at a common position many companies need to hire for on a regular basis: maintenance technician. Pretty straightforward, right? Not in today’s automated industrial world! As advanced automation technologies proliferate in the workplace, employers are left to guess about the future. Will they need more or fewer employees down the road? More importantly, what skills will their maintenance technicians need in six, twelve, or eighteen months from now?
Compounding these issues is the fact that more than half of job seekers in a recent survey indicated that they believed “a lack of skills is holding [them] back from finding meaningful employment.” Again, communication could be key, as many job seekers report that job descriptions “often include unrealistic minimum qualifications for relatively low positions.”
What can companies do to improve their communications with potential workers and begin filling the open positions they have? First, they must focus on developing a better understanding of the skills they need to hire for. With so many “job candidates confused and depressed,” “the onus is on companies to articulate the skills they’re looking for.”
Secard’s article notes a couple of approaches companies can take. For example, he points out Siemens AG’s focus on mechatronics skills to find versatile engineers. The idea is that “[a]n engineer trained in mechatronics would be capable with mechanical and electrical engineering, along with enough software engineering to implement both.”
An alternative approach can be found in Deloitte’s use of job canvases. “An example job canvas is split into columns: One for core competencies for the role, two columns for skills or programs expected but which may increase or decrease in importance for the role, and a fourth column specifically dedicated to skills the company anticipates will be necessary for the role in the future.”
How might a job canvas look for a manufacturing engineer position? “The first column may look similar to a traditional job posting…[listing] technical writing, systems knowledge, and product engineering.” “But the last column gives a blueprint for at least how the company expects the role to evolve — in this case, the theoretical manufacturing engineer should expect to later become skilled in data driven decision making, digital twins, and robotics.”
As companies continue to struggle to hire the highly skilled workers they need for a modern industrial workplace that’s more automated than ever, it’s important to remember that there’s yet another approach that companies can take. Look for candidates with industry-standard credentials that prove they already possess the advanced automation skills needed to thrive. For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Risk Assessment Still Essential to Ensure Cobot Safety
As advanced automation technologies have become commonplace in industrial workplaces over the last decade, many workers have feared that their jobs would soon be replaced by these technologies, such as robots. However, while some dangerous, overly-repetitive job tasks have been taken over by industrial robots, these technologies have actually created a variety of new jobs centered on their installation, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair.
Moreover, many workers now find themselves working right alongside robots that make their jobs easier and safer. These robots, known as collaborative robots or cobots, tend to be smaller, slower-moving versions of their industrial robot counterparts.
Cobots are designed to operate at slower speeds and with more safeguards than traditional robots, so that they can safely operate in close proximity to human workers. Despite these design considerations and the safety record of cobots, experts argue that ongoing risk assessment remains essential to ensure cobots and human workers continue to work safely together.
According to a recent Automation World article by David Greenfield, “beyond the built-in safety aspects of cobots—such as smooth, rounded edges to minimize pinch points, slow operating speeds and lighter load capacities—key safety regulations have been introduced to help ensure a safe working environment.”
For example, “ISO/TS15066 clearly calls out that a risk assessment is necessary to identify the hazards and risks associated with a collaborative robot system application. It notes that the integrator ‘shall conduct a risk assessment as described by ISO 10218 and ANSI/RIA15.06’.”
Risk assessment of automated industrial applications seems like a no-brainer, right? Unfortunately, “cobot risk assessments are commonly overlooked in industry.” Why? Probably because “[t]heir use in industry over the past 10+ years has proven their ability to be used safely.”
According to Greenfield, “[t]ypical application hazards, such as impact questions, trapping and projectiles are often overlooked once the term collaborative robot is used because it’s taken that this is a safe piece of equipment. But this is why a risk assessment is required. So you have to look at the loads, the materials and the robot torque.”
It’s also important to assess risk “related to the cobot’s location. Based on where the cobot is located, you have to consider if you are creating a crushing or a trapping hazard with the cobot. You also have to consider if the cobot position is high enough that it could come into contact with an operator’s head.”
“The bottom line for cobot safety is to: 1) Not assume it will always be safe to use alongside humans just because it’s a cobot; and 2) Identify the hazards and risks associated with your planned use of the cobot using the available safety standards.”
Does your organization use cobots in the workplace? If so, do you have risk assessment procedures in place to ensure worker safety? These types of questions are why it’s critical for industries to hire highly skilled workers that can manage risks, in addition to operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing the advanced automation systems that are being implemented.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing “skills gap” issue facing industries across the country, finding highly skilled workers remains a significant challenge. How can employers find the workers they need? And how can they be sure that workers have the hands-on skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? Today, more and more employers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills needed.
For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Do Your Students Have the Skills They Need to Succeed in the Workplace of Today and Tomorrow?
How do you shop today? Today’s consumers probably don’t give it much thought, but the ways in which we learn about, shop for, purchase, and ultimately receive the products we want and need has undergone a seismic shift in the last few decades.
Once upon a time, people might have learned about a product by seeing it on a store shelf or in a paper catalog. Today, catalogs tend to be hard to find and many people accomplish most of their shopping without ever entering a brick-and-mortar store.
Instead, the Internet offers instant gratification at your fingertips. A quick search, a few clicks or taps, and all sorts of things you never knew you needed will appear on your doorstep in just a day or two. In fact, the rise of e-commerce has shifted the landscape of the modern workplace, replacing retail jobs with new opportunities in warehouses and fulfillment centers.
These modern jobs continue to evolve as employers grapple with a shortage of skilled workers and the implementation of advanced automation technologies. Today’s instructors responsible for preparing the next generation of workers must take a hard look at whether or not their students have the skills they need to succeed in the workplace of today and tomorrow.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the opportunities available in the modern e-commerce workplace, the effect of advanced automation technologies, the skills future workers will need, and how the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) can help instructors ensure they’re setting up their students for success.
The Future of Work is Here
Today’s students will find that the modern world of e-commerce offers a wealth of opportunities, mostly with companies that have become household names. While working in a warehouse or fulfillment center might not sound like it’s on the cutting edge, many students will be surprised to learn what exciting career paths these places offer.
If you think about it, a lot has to happen for you to pick up your phone, order a product via an app, and have that product delivered to your home in a matter of only a day or two. The logistics underlying the modern supply chain are both impressive and challenging.
In an Industry Today article, author Carl Schweihs puts it this way:
“It’s no secret that technology is changing the way warehouses work. From robots and cobots that can do repetitive work to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and internet-connected devices that improve the ability to produce products, track productivity and identify maintenance needs, automation is no longer the future – it is the present. More warehouse leaders look to integrate technology into their operations each day. A 2021 survey of manufacturers by industrial staffing firms Staff Management | SMX and SIMOS Solutions showed that more than half were looking to automate parts of the facility in the next five years, with one-quarter planning to implement new technology as soon as possible.”
With continuing problems finding enough skilled workers to fill all of the open positions, it’s no wonder that companies are looking to advanced automation technologies to keep up with the pace of progress. Some people believe this means robots will take all the jobs in the future, but experts disagree.
Robots: It’s Not Us vs. Them
When you hear about companies implementing advanced automation technologies, it can be easy to jump to the conclusion that human workers are losing their jobs and being replaced by machines. However, according to Schweihs, “[t]he idea that robots will ultimately end up replacing people is a false dichotomy that simply isn’t backed up by data.”
In fact, Schweihs believes that “[t]he future of warehouse work won’t be people versus machines, but people and machines.” As advanced automation technologies take over repetitive, dangerous work, human workers will be tasked with more complex tasks that will ultimately provide greater job satisfaction.
In his article, he notes that “adding technology shouldn’t mean removing jobs. Instead of focusing on what robots can do, companies need to think about what their people can do – and how they can make the most impact by working with new technologies.”
What we will see as companies implement these new technologies is a shift in the types of jobs humans will do, as well as the skills they will need to do those jobs. Schweihs notes:
“In the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2020 report, 43% of businesses surveyed planned to move toward technology that will replace jobs, but the report showed that those moves could create up to 97 million new roles…Technology will be essential, but so will people. The only difference is that they will no longer be doing only step-by-step work to move a product from one end of the warehouse to another.”
Future Workers Need Different Skills
The workplace of the future – and in many cases, the present – will require workers with different skills than they’ve previously needed. Schweihs sees a future in which workers “will be skilled in both working with technology and in more intricate processes and functions.”
“From expertise in systems and processes to complex tasks, companies need people who can make decisions and perform work that technology can’t handle. And because no automated system can be online 100 percent of the time, actual humans will be there to pick up the slack,” insists Schweihs.
Schweihs believes “the jobs of the future will continue to evolve into more complex work that will improve both output and productivity. Future warehouse jobs will be a mix of complex tasks assisted by technology, existing roles supplemented by technology, and new jobs that will help with output and production.” One thing is clear: in the warehouses and fulfillment centers of the present and future, connected systems skills will be more important than ever.
Unfortunately, many instructors feel overwhelmed with the prospect of preparing their students with these new skills their students will need to succeed in the future workplace. What skills should they teach, and how will their students prove to prospective employers that they possess the skills that will let them hit the ground running? The answer to these questions can be found in the smart automation certifications offered by the Smart Automation Certification Alliance.
SACA Certifications Outline Clear Pathways for Student Success
As Schweihs notes in his article, “[t]he jobs of the future are coming, but it pays to get started now…The warehouse of the future is not simply a dark cavern full of machines. It will be a lively place with workers using the knowledge and skills they learn…to ensure that any technology added to the workflow is working well and serving everyone’s needs.”
The Smart Automation Certification Alliance sits at the forefront of the effort to certify students who demonstrate the required knowledge and hands-on smart automation skills employers so desperately need. SACA provides a wide variety of certifications that ensure future workers have the connected systems skills employers require.
To learn more about advanced automation certifications and how SACA can help educational institutions begin the task of bridging the Industry 4.0 skills gap, instructors should contact SACA for more information. The process begins by forging partnerships with local industries to determine the types of jobs they need to fill and what skills those roles require.
With a solid industry-education partnership forming the foundation of your effort to create new career pathways for your students, you can then choose the right credentials to validate the skills employers are seeking. Fortunately, you don’t have to recreate the wheel.
SACA offers many credentials to facilitate career pathways to successful new careers for students. For example, here are just a few of the subject matter areas in which SACA offers credentials: electrical, motor control, programmable controllers, mechanical, pneumatics, hydraulics, automation, Industry 4.0 technologies, robotics, electronic sensors, smart factory operations, process control, Ethernet communications, networking, data analytics, and predictive maintenance.
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