Plant managers have two competing challenges today—the continuing lack of skilled workers and the increased need for speed in operations. Cobots are seen as one solution, as Stan Prutz of QDS Systems points out in Plant Engineering’s Mid-Year Report. “They should be viewed as a tool to improve the manufacturing process,” Prutz writes, noting that the benefits are not just to the bottom line. “Work cells can be designed for a human and a cobot to work collaboratively, transferring portions of the work that a robot is better suited to, typically making employees more productive, engaged, and thus improving their job satisfaction,” Prutz notes. A recent study by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) finds that robots will actually increase job opportunities in manufacturing, particularly for small to mid-sized manufacturers.

Bob Vavra, content manager at CFE Media, bvavra@cfemedia.com.

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