Robotics creating more jobs than are displaced

SME manufacturers adopting robotics and automation are creating hundreds of new and upskilled jobs, according to Made Smarter.

Since 2019 Made Smarter’s North West Adoption Programme (NWAP), a collaboration between the government and industry designed to support the increased use of digital technologies, has supported 41 businesses with 45 technology projects focused on robotics and automation machinery.

The £2M investment, comprising £883k in grant funding and £1.1M of private finance, is forecast to create 183 new jobs and upskill a further 234 workers and the North West region’s Gross Value Added is expected to grow by £137.4M over the next three years.

NWAP Manager Alain Dilworth said: “These figures are further evidence that robots, cobots, and process control automation technologies are creating more jobs than they displace, as well as a host of other benefits.

“Manufacturers who have adopted these digital technologies are experiencing increased productivity and efficiency, more consistent and improved part production and quality, lower operating costs, reduced lead times, the ability to be more competitive, and improved worker safety.”

Made Smarter says the NWAP proves the value that digital technology can bring to the manufacturing sector. For example, Cumbria based agricultural machine manufacturer Storth used robotics to navigate staff shortages during the pandemic and overcome the problem of skilled welders being tied up with repetitive tasks.

Storth’s robotic welding system produces parts at twice the rate of its human counterparts and welding staff have been moved to higher value, more rewarding and more technically challenging roles.

Storth Export Manager Julian Lopez said: “Our investment in the robot welder enabled us to manufacture quicker and cost effectively, and solved the problem of manpower not just in terms of sourcing quality welders to satisfy demand but to maintain production during the pandemic when welders were self-isolating. Meanwhile the technology has made us more competitive to be able to react quickly to orders and changed the way we can approach export markets.

Preston based ammunition manufacturer Empire Cartridges invested in a six-axis cobot and process control technology which increased manufacturing output of shotgun cartridge shells by at least 50%. CEO Andrew Bond said: “By adopting Industry 4.0 automation we have been able to increase quality control, reduce manual handling and upskill our workforce from simple box fillers to cobot programmers.”

The adoption of robotics in the UK is on the rise, says Made Smarter, but is well behind global competition. According to the International Federation of Robotics, the UK’s ‘robot density’ or the number of robots per 10,000 workers is 71, below the global average of 74, and significantly lower than Germany (309) and South Korea (631).

Mark Stepney, Director of the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA), part of the PPMA Group of Associations, said: “The ROI on the use of industrial robots is startlingly clear. Along with faster production comes a long sought-after benefit: the ability to free human workers from the dangers and drudgery of manual work. Human workers can be elevated to roles where their individual skills and cognitive abilities can be better utilised.”

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For more information visit: www.madesmarter.uk