Robotics and Process Automation for Industry

Reviewed by Stephen Bettles, Technical Support Engineer (January 2024)

Robots are used in sectors from automotive to aerospace for welding and fabrication, inventory management and logistics, and quality control. Where a task is dangerous, arduous, or repetitive for people, robots come into their own. They can also hugely boost productivity and quality because of the accuracy and speed with which they carry out tasks. 

Manufacturing robots today are also being combined with the latest AI and machine learning technologies as part of the development of smart factories. Read our guide to find out how robots for industry have developed and what the future holds when it comes to robots for manufacturing. 

Automation is essential to modern high-volume manufacturing. The first industrial robot was used by General Motors in 1961. Today, robotics, sensors, and other instrumentation along with AI and production software, and the power of modern cloud computing, are combining in advanced automation applications.

Advanced automation is part of the convergence of physical and digital systems known as the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). This term, coined by the World Economic Forum in 2016, describes a scenario in which the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), including robots networked over the internet to computers, helps to create smart factories. 

The fourth industrial revolution is thought of as a distinct phase owing to the pace of current technological development, with AI and advanced robotics transforming industry and creating smart manufacturing systems. 

Industrial robots have been used to automate manufacturing processes for many years. The first industrial robot, Unimate, was employed by GM to transport and weld die castings onto car bodies, a job that was dangerous for workers. Today there are millions of robots operating in manufacturing environments across the world, used for everything from welding and painting to assembling components. Robots can perform simpler tasks such as materials handling, but also complex automated assembly operations once programmed. Industrial robots are also widely used in pick-and-place applications in printed circuit board manufacturing. 

Types of process automation include repetitive, fixed types, where a process is repeated over and over again for maximum efficiency (as in the case of many types of manufacturing automation). Manufacturing processes can also be automated where there is a need for flexibility by programming and reprogramming automation as required (for example, in pharmaceutical or food and drink manufacturing). Here, products are typically produced in batches. Reprogramming the system or machine tool allows a new type of product to be quickly introduced with minimal disruption. 

In today’s digitalised economy, processes are also being automated using software. For example, by using digital technology, it is possible to automate tasks that are time-consuming to do manually. An example might be using a computerised maintenance management system to collect and analyse data from production machinery (learn more about robotics for maintenance). The software will store the data, generate automatic requests for maintenance to be carried out, and schedule the resources for the work. 

Regarding software, there’s also RPA robotic process automation to consider. What is robotic process automation? It’s a type of automation where software ‘robots’ are used to mimic human actions to automate tasks in a digital environment. A robotic process automation example in the supply chain is processing large volumes of purchase orders, invoices, and consignments automatically. 

Much like physical robotics, this robotic automation process is suited to applications where there is a lot of arduous and time-consuming work to be carried out. As many of these activities can be automated, it frees up people to focus on tasks that are more complex or add greater value to the business. Robotic process automation tools include software that helps automate digital tasks and execute business processes. A common example is a chatbot that interacts with a customer visiting a website. 

From manufacturing robots welding car bodies to software robots helping sell products, automation has many advantages. Manufacturing automation and factory robotics can reduce hazards to personnel by carrying out work in environments that are difficult or dangerous for humans, such as high-voltage installations or nuclear reactors. Robotics have also been widely used in manufacturing because they are great at performing highly repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently. The benefits of automation thus include making a plant much more productive. With the advent of robotic process automation, code-based robots are also helping to take the legwork out of a lot of electronic processes, too. 

Advanced robots are already using AI. The fact that some robots can ‘see’ is one way in which AI is used with robotics, deciphering information from video data. This could be so robots can navigate warehouses, where their use has helped reduce costs, enable more accurate inventory management, and improve customer service. These types of vision technologies are improving with advancements in AI such as generative AI. The integration of robots on production lines with people is also dependent on intelligent machines. 

Ultimately, AI and robotics are expected to lead to more flexible, autonomous robots that are capable of making their own decisions – rather than being workhorses that repetitively weld parts or pick and place components on production lines.

The future of automation and robots will see them used even more widely in manufacturing, logistics, and sectors such as energy and healthcare to automate tasks that are difficult, hazardous, or just plain dull for people to do. Robotic process automation will also continue to make inroads as software robot assistants make their impact felt in business. 

Artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics are expected to make smart factory robots much smarter, too. Automation using deep learning, neural networks (forms of network that mimic the human brain) and natural language processing, all of which are parts of AI, is expected to be a reality by the end of the decade. This opens up the possibility of shop floor robots that can comprehend written or verbal language and respond appropriately. 

When it comes to robots and manufacturing, the sky’s the limit. We’ve only just skirted the edges of what’s possible. 

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