When Robots Don’t Rise Up
What happens when the robots don't rise up? There are those who fear robots will displace humans, but have you taken a moment to consider when robots are just not up to the task at all—simply, they are not the right fit. What about when robots require more attention and care than hiring a human to do the job? One new survey looks into this conundrum that many manufacturers face with legacy systems.
The Challenge
This research from Visual Components suggests more than half of manufacturers in the U.K. say time-consuming manual programming is required for robots to complete welding, cutting, painting, or other tasks on the factory floor.
What’s more, 35% of manufacturers say this process takes between a week and a month, with robots unable to complete automated tasks during this time. Roughly 73% of U.S. manufacturers and almost all French companies also say the same.
This is costing many companies both time and money. In fact, more than a third of respondents say the typical cost associated with downtime due to unreliable legacy equipment is between $12,701 and $31,750. As you can imagine, since it takes so long to get them up and running, usage rates are very poor, which is delaying opportunities to bring products into production quicker.