The US Robot Industry And The Reshoring Of Its Own Manufacturing

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US is now firmly on a path to a new robotic future. The boom in e-Commerce is here to stay and is going to lead to more and more robots and automation in logistics. This is something I have talking about for a long time now. However, the Healthcare, Hospitality, and Food sectors are also now ripe for the introduction of robots and automation due to not only COVID, but also the shrinking workforce in many parts of the US.

We are going to see a lot more robot companies in the coming years. Some are already here and are successfully deploying robots and will continue to do so. There will also be new entrants to the industry with new robots and new solutions. So the next question is how much will the growing US Robot Industry contribute to the reshoring of manufacturing jobs as we readjust our supply chains to be more resilient after COVID?

Robots are amazing pieces of machinery. There are many companies that are building robot arms and basic mobile robot platforms. However, to crack many of these unique use cases in many of these new robot customer industries, there are going to need to be special parts built to make a complete solution. It is these special parts that could be a path to creating new manufacturing jobs in the US. So how do we tie the growth in the US Robot Industry in a way that it grows US jobs (and the need for even more robots) in Manufacturing? I think the answer is already taking shape.

The eKAMI Model

Recently, I visited Eastern Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute (eKAMI) and got a first hand look at what is possible. eKAMI has recently been nationally recognized for their workforce development efforts in retraining former coal miners into mobile robot techs. eKAMI students are learning how to be top machinists and techs via the program in the small town of Paintsville, Kentucky. However, eKAMI is only getting starting and in my opinion is going to be one of the critical parts to the growing US robot community.

In the picture to the right, I am inspecting pieces that eKAMI's Buford Owens produced out of one of their numerous CNC machines earlier that day. eKAMI's Founder and CEO Kathy Walker looks on as I marvel at Buford's precision work. These top quality pieces will soon be at home at FedEx back in Memphis. So instead of sitting on this little secret, I am sharing it with all of you reading this article. eKAMI is producing top CNC machinists that can either go work for robot firms or go work for other manufacturers to make the parts we need in the robot industry. Not only do we need to see eKAMI continue to grow, we need to duplicate the eKAMI model across the country. Companies like mine can then either wait to use the students talent after they graduate or get in early and use their talent while they are still under one roof. Either way, we are starting to put the students to work on what we need now in this country.

Prior to my visit, READY Robotics had visited Kathy and her team and showed the students one of their UR units and how it can interact with the CNC Machines. Pictured to the left is READY's Kelleher Guerin showing the eKAMI team how to set up the robot with the machine. So soon the parts that people like me are getting from eKAMI could be touched by a robot from another startup in the robot industry. So we have created a sustainable model of the robot industry feeding.....the robot industry. Organizations like eKAMI train future robot talent on the products of the robot industry. This allows that talent to further push the technology out to other industries as they are hired away from eKAMI. Those industries in turn make the robot parts that make up the technology so more of it can be deployed. BOOM!

In other words, by supporting these programs like eKAMI, we are not only building our talent pipelines, but also building our robot parts pipeline and making it more resilient by reshoring our manufacturing of those robot parts back to places like Paintsville. We are creating a circular economy via an organization like eKAMI.

How You Can Be A Part Of This

If you are part of the US robot community, you need to ask yourself just one question, "What am I doing to strengthen my talent and parts pipeline?" If you don't ask that question, don't be surprised if your competition is.

Are you supporting programs like eKAMI in the US or even in your own backyard? These programs can be providing you the talent you need to support your customers and your robot production. Are you looking at ways to tap into that talent before they graduate? Maybe you only need a few pieces made. By allowing the students to produce them, you are not only aiding them in their growth, you are building a pipeline of personnel and parts into your business here in the US.

These programs can also tell you which manufacturers are hiring their grads and are in the business of contract manufacturing. You may discover a supplier here in the US that can make your parts and not spin your wheels looking for a manufacturer overseas. The last time I checked it is much easier to travel within the US than it is to go overseas. If you want to see how your parts are being made, having them made in places like eastern Kentucky can make for an easy trip (you can also pick up a great bottle of Bourbon while you are there.)

Finally, are you building a robot application that could be helped by having a bunch of students learning on it at a facility like eKAMI and then help you spread that application to other facilities as those students go out into the workforce? Sometimes the excuse by your target customer is that they have no one on staff that would understand how to use it. If there is anything we should have learned from COVID is how things can spread from one person to another. Let students learn your tech and take it with them to your customers. You will probably find more customers this way than traditional methods.

The Time Is Now

Now is the time to start looking at your supply chains, both your talent and parts. In the coming post-COVID world, those that have invested in stronger supply chains will be able to survive any future shock to the system. For many, that means reshoring their manufacturing back to the States.

For the US Robot Industry, the reshoring of its own manufacturing can actually lead to a stronger overall industry. That reshoring will require more robots. Those robots will lead to the need for more robot technician and manufacturing jobs. This leads to more organizations like eKAMI being needed in the US. Those organizations will need to have more robots to train people on. This will require more robots to be built. The circle has begun.

So the question is where in the circle do you want to begin?