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Continue with the subject of Robots and automationand their impact on jobs and we manufacturing, We take a look at the CEO round table organized by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) which took place at Automatize 2017Monday.
During this round table, Gudun Litzenberger, secretary general of IFR, introduced the panel, which included the following elements:
- Jon Battles, director, Amazon ww Engineering Advanced Technologies
- Howie thing, CTO, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute
- Mark Franks, Director, GMNA Global Vehicle Systems, General Motors
- Craig Hertig, engineering director, products machined for engineering
- Mike Jacobs, president, applied manufacturing technologies
- Vegard Nerseth, main vice-president of the group, ABB
From there, Joe Gemma, president of IFR and regional director of Kuka Robotics, provided some details on the latest results of industrial robots sales. In the United States, robotics should go from 27,504 to 31,500 robots in 2016, which represents an increase of 15%, he noted. The growth engine is the increased need for automation, with automobile applications paving the way with around 17.6000 industrial robots installed, 43% more than 2015, according to Gemma.
Last year, the increased number of robotics installations coincided with the increased number of work, which, according to Gemma, increased at an annual growth rate (TCAC) by 6% (with robots increasing to a TCAC by 9%). In total, nearly 290,000 industrial robots were installed in 2016, 14% more in 2015.
“The future will be robots and humans who will work together,” said Gemma.
The animated round table started with the subject of robots and jobs. According to Vegard Nerseth, main vice-president of the group, ABB, told the public, “robots really create jobs”, while citing the fact that from 2010 to 2015, the automotive industry bought 135,000 robots and hired more than 200,000 new employees.
Howie Things, CTO, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, accepted. “If we wonder if innovation and automation create jobs, the answer is yes.”
How do employees whose companies introduce robotics into their workplace to react? Will they be nervous and feel that their work is in danger? This is an interesting question, and I was happy to hear him addressed during the discussion. Jon Battles, director of Amazon WW Engineering Advanced Technologies, said that at Amazon, its employees do not react as you can imagine.
“Exposing our employees to technology and robotics, that inspires them. Technology and robotics create new jobs and jobs that will be really good for people. Career jobs.”
Amazon, a company that is committed to creating 100,000 full-time jobs in the United States this year, has installed more than 45,000 robotic systems in their realization centers. This work range from entry -level to work to support automation support.
“It is important to understand that technology and robotics we are working on require a lot of jobs,” said Battles.
Robotics will also have an impact on small businesses, noted a number of people on the panel, including thing.
“Will small manufacturing companies be able to use robotics? Yes. Robotics will allow small businesses to be able to compete globally.”
Small businesses, he suggested, should consider the slogan “automate or evaporate”.
Regarding the future of manufacturing and what could happen on the horizon, the panel offered interested information. Additive advanced manufacturing, Battles said, will be a very interesting technology to keep an eye on, she created many jobs.
“I think we will also see a new generation of manufacturing for the products of the future (products that we have not even thought of yet.) We could see a revolution in robotics and automation just to support our future.”
Team members also presented the importance of programs such as First Robotics Competition,, In which international secondary teams work for a period of six weeks to build game robots that weigh up to 120 pounds. Jacobs, Hertig and Things have noted that their organizations sponsor the first teams and that the programs are “important” and “inspiring”. One thing on which the panel certainly agreed was the importance of forming the future generation in robotics and automation.
Some other elements of relevance that appeared during the panel that deserve to be mentioned:
- The concept of robot taking proposed by Bill Gates was rejected as a little short -see, if not silly. Perhaps considering taking the benefits, but not the robots, was the proposed idea.
- Jacobs on Google: “If you do not consider Google a competitor, no matter what you do, you are not very wise.”
- Asked about the GM calendar on autonomous vehicles, Franks refused to comment, a little laughing, noting that he did not want to get in trouble.
Finally, at the end of the round table, the moderator asked the following question to the panel: “In 2030, in which field will the United States be the main global force of manufacturing?” The responses of the panelists are as follows:
- Nerseth: Small to average companies could be automation leaders.
- Battles: I cannot respond specifically, but I know that education, training and vision that we must create now will be essential for the future.
- Jacobs: Believe in our mind and our ability to innovate. It is good to see this spirit among young graduates of the college. We will see great things from them.
- Thing: I don’t know yet. We never thought of how we did not have Amazon 15 to 20 years ago.
- Hertig: Precision manufacturing, complex components.
- Francs: Nor can I predict, but I would say that the level of innovation of our young and old engineers is there to start in paved this way. We have to start looking for and prepare now for 2030. I can’t wait to see what it looks like.
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