Manufacturing technology has undergone several transformations over the years; From the times when it relied entirely on human labor, to the dawn of the traditional caged robot to the modern collaborative robots.
Despite all these changes, the one thing that’s remained constant is the human laborers. Having been in the industry since its inception, robots are proving to be a threat to their livelihood.
But is there another way? Can robots actually work with humans to make production better?
Yes! Here are some of the ways you can use industrial robots to empower your employees and boost their productivity.
1. Deploy robots on tasks that enhance employee jobs
The biggest worry for employees concerning robots is their job security. Will they have a job once you’ve automated your processes? This thought greatly affects their efficiency and productivity.
So, the best way to assure them that their jobs are safe is by deploying the robots on tasks that enhance their jobs.
Repetitive tasks such as packaging, sealing, and polishing are the best tasks for the robot.
While robots will take away some of these jobs, workers can easily be upskilled and deployed in better environments. This empowers the workers to focus on upskilling and improving their chances of handling better tasks.
2. Use robots to improve worker safety
It’s no debate that robotics can significantly improve your employee safety at the workplace. The safer your employees feel at work; the more productive they become.
Using robots can help reduce the number of accidents that occur at the workplace, as well as offload the mental and physical fatigue that the workers experience.
You can deploy them in production areas that demand a lot of physical strength, or on repetitive tasks. Furthermore, robots can work alongside workers in hazardous environments reducing the risk of personal injuries for workers.
You can also use the robot’s vision system to inspect the workplace environment, ensuring that it’s conducive for the workers.
3. Use robots to address your labor needs
The manufacturing industry is facing a huge employment crisis when it comes to skilled workers. Most industries don’t have enough skilled workers to handle all the production needs. And this affects their ability to meet the market’s demand.
It also puts a lot of pressure on the existing workers, who end up overworked and fatigued trying to meet the daily production goals.
With robots in your production, you can finally address this issue quickly.
Their speed, precision, and reliability mean that they can work faster, and more consistently, increasing your production speed, and saving you of extra labor costs.
Additionally, the robots will reduce the workload on your workers, ensuring that they are healthy and well-motivated for the job.
4. Use robots to invest in skills training
There’s a lot you can accomplish with a robot – even if it’s a small industrial robot. That’s why you need to prepare your employees for its integration with your production.
Robots will open up so many opportunities, and s many jobs that your employees may not be able to handle without training. So, while the robots are at work, use that time to train your employees.
The more skills they gain, the better placed they’ll be at their jobs.
Training your employees will also mean that you can hire in-house when looking at the newly emerging roles created by robots.
5. Use robots to improve other departments
Robots can greatly reduce your production time, meaning that you’ll have time to improve other areas of your industry. Remember, manufacturing today is more than just production. There’s also customer service, marketing, etc.
So, when you have robots in your production, it’ll benefit every worker, regardless of their department. And that’s what will improve your industry’s overall market performance.
Final thoughts
Robotics is the future of manufacturing – and there’s no future where the human touch is absent. So, even as you make your RPA designs and plans, ensure that they empower your employees to work better.
Because, your employees are your secret weapon to production success.