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Supply: ABB
With demand for robots rising as corporations in a number of sectors search for new methods to boost their productiveness and competitiveness post-pandemic, ABB has compiled a set of progress predictions, taking a look at key traits driving demand for robots within the coming 12 months.
“The pandemic accelerated far-reaching world mega traits – from labor shortages and provide chain uncertainty, to the individualized shopper and rising stress to function sustainably and resiliently – main new companies to look to robotic automation,” stated Marc Segura, ABB’s newly appointed robotics division President. “As expertise opens new alternatives for assembly buyer calls for, new traits will proceed to emerge that can additional drive demand in areas the place robots have historically not been used.”
Based mostly on buyer conversations, market analysis and a worldwide survey of 250 corporations throughout a number of industries, ABB has recognized three key traits that can form the demand for robots in 2022.
1. EV revolution brings wholesale adjustments to auto manufacturing
With many international locations proscribing and phasing out the manufacturing of combustion engine automobiles over the subsequent decade, the race in direction of electrical vehicles has accelerated. Producers and their provide chains should sort out the complexity of diversifying into electrical automobiles (EVs) alongside combustion-engine automobiles, to fulfill various regulatory frameworks governing EV adoption throughout the globe. The pace and added flexibility wanted will see new and established producers transfer away from conventional linear manufacturing, in direction of modular, versatile manufacturing.
“EV shouldn’t be a few change solely within the powertrain, however a bigger transformation to a digitized automobile. This transition will even see the rising uptake of robots together with different applied sciences, together with autonomous cellular robots (AMRs),” stated Segura. “This can allow producers to optimize the supply of parts throughout amenities and allow built-in scalable and modular manufacturing cells – strategies historically related to e-commerce and shopper items, however now required in automotive to make sure the required flexibility to fulfill various ranges of demand.”
One other main shift will see battery manufacturing introduced nearer to car meeting, to fulfill sustainability and regional necessities, which generally requires all-new amenities.
Marc Segura, president, ABB robotics division.
2. e-commerce increase will speed up
Client conduct and expectations are driving corporations to seek out new methods to fulfill demand, creating new channels by way of omnichannel retailing and adapting their manufacturing strains and distribution processes to allow personalization of each merchandise and supply. Fulfilling these necessities has seen hundreds of robots put in worldwide the place they weren’t used simply 5 years in the past, and this fast price of automation will proceed in 2022 pushed by a mixture of shopper traits and a rising scarcity of labor.
“This development will see the expansion of lighter, smaller robotic functions, enabling the enlargement of automation into new areas of warehousing and distribution operations. As synthetic intelligence in robotics matures and studying robots turn into mainstream, anticipate to see these applied sciences deployed alongside AMR applied sciences, orchestrated and managed by clever software program to supply enhanced flexibility, pace and effectivity,” Segura continued.
3. Extra robots will seem in additional locations – employees want new abilities
Smaller, extra inexpensive and easy-to-use robots are serving to to take away most of the boundaries beforehand stopping corporations from investing in robots. That is seeing an acceleration of robots generally business and small and medium-sized enterprises as corporations search new methods to automate totally different duties.
Segura continued: “As we glance past 2022, we see an ever-greater emphasis on connectivity and information acquisition as key enablers of future manufacturing. Information collected from intelligently automated processes will likely be analyzed by producers to make extra knowledgeable selections. On the similar time, extra superior and responsive simulation and programming software program instruments, equivalent to these in ABB’s RobotStudio, will cowl the complete life cycle of robotic functions – from commissioning to onstream productiveness – utilizing AR and VR instruments to simplify automation for purchasers.”
ABB acquired AMR developer ASTI Cell Robotics in 2021. | Credit score: ABB
The improved capacity of robots to work straight alongside people, share duties and study by way of AI can also be making it simpler for corporations to undertake clever automation in new environments, equivalent to building, healthcare laboratories, eating places and retail.
In a future with a excessive prevalence of robots in workplaces, engineers and workers will must be retrained. Extra robotic coaching will likely be demanded in faculties, schools and universities for the talents to program, function and preserve robots for an automatic future.
A decade of change
The traits outlined for 2022 are the most recent chapter within the ongoing transformation of robotic automation, which is seeing a fast acceleration and adoption of robots throughout business.
“Whereas automation has at all times been about productiveness and high quality – scaling up, doing extra – the shifts we’re witnessing immediately (the best in a era) imply that flexibility and ease are key to success,” stated Segura. “As we speak, flexibility is crucial – it’s a strategic want, important throughout the complete worth chain: from manufacturing and logistics by way of to the purpose of consumption. Robotic automation is a crucial enabler of this flexibility.
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