The Manufacturer: Top automation articles of 2018

Posted on 28 Dec 2018 by Maddy White

Automation forms a core part of Industry 4.0, replacing laborious tasks with automated processes and in doing so upskilling the workforce. Here are the best automation stories of 2018!

Automation Robot Robotics Digital Smart Factory Smart Factories1) Stats reveal top 10 most automated countries

The automation of production is accelerating around the world, according to new figures published by the International Federation of Robotics, which shows global robot density is on the rise.

2) Workers need not fear the robot revolution

Manufacturing operatives need not fear the revolution – the rise of the robots should improve human jobs and will lead to the creation of new types of jobs, not take them.

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3) Cobots: Will working alongside one become the new norm?

The key to cobots is that they work safely with humans without barriers – image courtesy of Universal Robots.
The key to cobots is that they work safely with humans without barriers – image courtesy of Universal Robots.

Small, lightweight and designed to be inherently safe for close human operation, cobots are an ideal entry point for many companies looking to embrace robotics.

4) Robots could create double the jobs they displace by 2022

Will robots ever take your job? Research from the World Economic Forum suggests no. It forecasts that by 2022, robotics and AI could create more than 130 million jobs, this almost double the figure they are set to displace.

5) What does the automated warehouse of the future look like?

Where should you start when looking to embrace automated warehousing, and what are the challenges you might face along the way?

6) Could smart factories help boost reshoring? Nike & Adidas seem to think so

Apparel manufacturers such as Nike and Adidas plan to increase the output of speed factories in the US and Germany, and they make sure that the data generated in its Far East sites also help to further optimise future design and production processes, a report has shown.

7) Low cost robotics could enable smaller businesses to automate

Production-based robotics can be expensive, but what if a low-cost solution that is quick and easy to install could be utilised? Could this help smaller manufacturers embrace the growth opportunities automation provides?

8) The future of automation

How is automation likely to play out over the next 30 years? Professor Duncan McFarlane makes some predictions.

Agricultural robots, or ‘agribots’, are gradually being deployed across the world t
Agricultural robots, or ‘agribots’, are gradually being deployed across the world.

9) Three agribots revolutionising the farming industry 

Agricultural robots – or ‘agribots’, are being integrated across the world to assist farmers and improve productivity in every aspect of the industry; here are three of the most innovative robots available right now.

10) What were the robotics trends of 2018? 

One of the UK’s fastest growing autonomous robot manufacturers, Tharsus, put together the robotics trends creating growth opportunities for businesses this year and beyond.

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