Tag Archives: automation

Why Australia Needs to Invest in Future Skills for a Thriving Economy

St. Joseph, Michigan, USA, 2022-Jun-17 — /EPR INDUSTRIAL NEWS/ — As our world becomes ever more technologically advanced, so the requirements for skills are undergoing a dramatic shift. While there has historically been a fear within workforces that computers and robotics will reduce the need for humans to carry out tasks, the opposite is proving to be the case.

Instead, automation is removing the need for humans to carry out tasks that are repetitive and boring, and replacing this with an increasing level of non-routine cognitive tasks. Rather than reducing the number of jobs on offer, tech is causing a shift that requires very different skills from workers.

With this comes a challenge for future investment into the skills that will be in demand in the upcoming years and decades.

The Skills that are Driving Economic Growth

Since before the Industrial Revolution it’s fallen to humans to carry out multiple repetitive tasks that have driven economic growth. Although machines have now taken over much of this element, this has created many other higher order and digital openings that demand an increased level of human expertise in order for an economy to advance. The issue with this is that it’s leading to a shortage of those adept to fill the roles – something that needs to be addressed now if we’re to avoid a dramatic skills shortage in the near and medium-term future.

The so-called STEM skills of science, technology, engineering and mathematics underpin what’s needed to drive the circle of elements that are needed for the future. This circle is made up of the following:

  • Future skills
  • Innovation
  • Thriving economy
  • Jobs
  • Solving social, environmental and economic challenges.

These 5 linked elements are crucial for future economic growth, the well-being of the population and addressing environmental issues, such as disease, food and water supplies alongside climate change.

STEM skills aren’t solely limited to the disciplines mentioned above. Instead, a cross disciplinary aspect is what will be needed to solve many of the quandaries that face future generations. Education is key to developing the critical thinking and capabilities that will arm today’s children and young adults with the skills to solve many of today’s environmental issues as well as ensuring that Australia remains a player on the global stage.

Future predictions say that by 2030 it’s expected that the amount of time workers spend solving problems will double, with more than 77% of their time using mathematical and scientific skills.

STEM Education will Drive the Future Workforce

The shift that’s come from technological change means that going forward virtually everyone is going to need at least a basic level of STEM skills. This will, of course, be spearheaded during mandatory education for those of school age, but also through upskilling of those already in employment.

While this will represent significant cost – it’s been estimated at around $600 billion from 2015 to 2030 – it’s also bringing about economic gain. While this might not be as much as the cost of education in the short term, in the medium to long term this on-going expenditure is essential for a future thriving Australian economy.

Manufacturing and engineering are two examples that are representative of current investment at both local and national scale. Australia’s once world-leading manufacturing industry was allowed to reduce to a mere shadow of its glory days. Thankfully, and with substantial government investment, this is beginning to be turned around.

This, along with strategic education of the current and future workforce, is exactly what’s needed to ensure that our country once again becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Precision engineering and CNC machining providers, SixDe, are at the forefront of this new way of working. Not only has the company invested into its workforce and capabilities, but it provides local WA businesses with an expert supplier in their own back yard.

Discover what makes SixDe stand out from the crowd at https://sixde.com.au and get in contact to discuss your requirements.

Jason De Silveira
Managing Director – SixDe
https://sixde.com.au/

Founder and director of specialist manufacturing and engineering companies for both, SixDe and Nexxis Pty Ltd. Jason has over 20 years’ project management experience on installations, commissioning and start-ups in Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Kuwait, Ghana and Dubai.

SixDe, a Nexxis Company, is a 450m2 locally owned CNC machine shop that delivers manufacturing, rapid prototyping, tooling, and engineering solutions to a variety of Australian industries. Its bespoke precision machining service has delivered competitive and cutting-edge solutions for mining, oil and gas, construction and building companies in Australia and overseas.

ASI Drives will present its innovative, self-driving, material-handling vehicle FRED2500 at ProMat 2019 in Chicago

MONTGOMERYVILLE, PA, USA, 2-Apr-2019 — /EPR INDUSTRIAL NEWS/ — ASI Drives, a leading manufacturer of custom engineered gear drives since 1985, has announced a major rebranding, the enhancement of towing functionality with its breakout FRED2500 AGV, and an upcoming opportunity to meet FRED in person.

After nearly 35 years, ASI Technologies recently rebranded itself as ASI Drives. The change captures the company’s focus on delivering world-class gear drive solutions to its target markets and providing superior product value for customers.

ASI does not simply design and manufacture battery-powered gear drives for machines up to one ton; ASI Drives solutions, value, and gear technology.

“ASI has developed an industry-leading ability to solve problems and offer value to our customers,” said Doug Fastuca, CEO. “We continue to innovate our gear and motor technologies with AGMA Standards, and with the introduction of our FRED AGV, we’re driving new areas of performance and automation.”

The change further establishes ASI within the AGV and warehouse automation markets, as does the introduction of FRED, ASI’s innovative, self-driving, material-handling vehicle.

FRED is not your typical AGV. It’s simple to set up, productive, flexible, safe, and affordable. And with the addition of new towing capabilities, there are a multiple methods and opportunities to move material around your facility. Using empty dollies, a detachable handle, and a quick-release tongue, FRED can easily move between multiple pickup locations with ease.

If you plan to be in Chicago for ProMat 2019, we hope you’ll stop by to meet FRED2500. You can find it and the rest of the team from ASI Drives in booth #S1061 at McCormick Place.

About ASI Drives

Founded in 1985, ASI Drives is a U.S. manufacturer of custom engineered gear drive solutions to the global medical mobility, floor care, material handling, warehouse automation, and robotics industries. ASI’s relentless focus on innovation in engineering and manufacturing has led to the creation of numerous industry-leading products and solutions, as well as compact and efficient gear drives, brushless motor technology, advanced gear processing, lubrications and now, an AGV. ASI is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Learn more about ASI Drives at asidrives.com

SOURCE: EuropaWire

Automotive Paint Robots Market: Collaborative Robots to Steer Future Trajectory of Automotive Industry

DUBLIN 2, Ireland, 08-Nov-2018 — /EPR INDUSTRIAL NEWS — Robotics in the automotive industry has been acclaimed as the impetus behind driving optimization and rethinking of production and process through innovative measures. Prospect of artificial intelligence is promising, with the ability to eliminate various inefficiencies in the automotive manufacturing, ranging from design and planning to maintenance and sales.

Robots have become increasingly palpable in supporting repetitive operations of car manufacturers, with the consensus that the robotics process automation (RPA) has translated into a proven technology, providing tangible benefits to automakers who deploy it. As in case of most technologies, with time, expenses linked with implementation and maintenance of RPA have diminished sharply – gaining significance as a manufacturing efficacy and capability enhancing option among small and large businesses alike.

A sample of the report is available upon request https://www.factmr.com/report/2232/automotive-paint-robots-market

Automotive paint robots are already a standard practice in the industry, wherein robotic arms spray bodywork – depriving the need for proficient manual painters and providing a more even, faster, and smoother finish. Automotive paint robot sales worldwide are foreseen to bring in revenues nearly US$ 700 Mn in 2018, recording a Y-o-Y growth of approximately 8%. Automotive paint robots have evolved over the years to become faster, lighter, and integrated with several activators and sensors.

Collaborative Robots to Steer Future Trajectory of Automotive Industry

Automotive industry continues to remain one of the largest and quickest adopters of the industrial robotics technology. Carmakers have huge plans for next-generation development of their factories, with smarter designs, collaborative robots and artificial intelligence emerging as secret ingredients to the flexible manufacturing – humans. For example – GM’s plant in Shanghai will soon produce electric vehicles with the aid of machines that work quietly in self-directed harmony.

Collaborative robots, or “cobots,” unrestrained by steel cages are being programmed in GM’s plant for working abreast humans on production lines – one unusual operation being handling installation of gears in transmissions. Automakers worldwide are embracing industry 4.0 and the concord alludes lesser intervention of humans. Focus is currently on improving efficiency and flexibility between humans and machines, while automakers concentrate on development of multiple models that are powered by electric motors or gas engines or both.

Approaches toward using collaborative robots and relevant digital tools will determine future layout and size of automotive manufacturing facilities. Ford Motor Co.’s future vision for electric vehicle production alludes the requirement for lower investment, fewer workers, and relatively compact floor area. The company has installed few collaborative robots in its recently renovated truck plant at Louisville, Kentucky. Digital tools such as augmented reality and predictive analytics for mapping new assembly lines and scheduling maintenance & repairs prior to machine breakdowns are also being deployed by this leading automaker.

Reluctance to Enormous Infrastructure Investment and Scarce Skillset Undermine Permeation

Most artificial intelligence systems and robotics are witnessing slow rate of adoption among leading players. For instance, Ford Motor Co has been reluctant to investing more on dedicated electric vehicle manufacturing unless there is consistent and sufficient demand for justifying the expense. Even Tesla, which long acclaimed implementation of robots to translate into an “alien dreadnought,” recently concluded at the fact that human intervention is underrated and excessive automation could involve more technical glitches.

Request methodology of the report at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=2232

Automotive companies are partly cautious in huge infrastructural investment, sensing future production orders might fall in line with new vehicle sales in the next economic downturn. Manufacturers currently favor lower debt loads to rid huge loan payments in case of stagnant revenue generation in the down market.

Scarce skillset is a key challenge being addressed by the automotive industry when it comes to RPA-driven plants. This can be attributed partly to Millennials’ distaste for manufacturing work as robots steadily replace humans against the backdrop of pressures on automakers to reduce the overall vehicle cost.

The report is available for direct purchase at https://www.factmr.com/checkout/2232/S

SOURCE: EuropaWire

Online technology resource now available for automation integrators looking for information on how to use and integrate OPC technology into their manufacturing process

The OPC Training Institute (OPCTI) recently launched an online resource center focused on standards-based OPC technology used in process control and manufacturing automation. The center caters to automation personnel, integrators, process control engineers, IT architects and others involved in industrial data connectivity.

The purpose of the online center is to support those who want to use and integrate OPC Technology. The online center offers a breadth of free OPC resources including multimedia tutorials, whitepapers, product reviews, webcasts and software downloads.

The resource center can be found on the OPC Training Institute website at www.opcti.com.

What differentiates the OPCTI resource center from others is the focus on technology integration – not technology development. OPCTI is the only vendor-neutral company that offers information for integrators. Other similar organizations tend to focus primarily on the programming and development of OPC applications or the sale of OPC products. OPCTI does not develop or sell products, which leaves them to focus 100% on education and the integration of OPC technology.

“There is something for everyone,” says Randy Kondor, founder of the OPC Training Institute. “Whether you’re new to OPC and are looking for an introduction, or are an experienced integrator faced with a specific error message, our goal is to provide answers.”

Kondor goes on to say, “much of the content is provided by OPCTI’s professional instructors. We also work with OPC vendors to find out about their individual offerings and refer people to their technology solutions. For example, if you’re looking for a specific software application, we’ll tell you what is available on the market and provide you with a link to instantly download the product to test it out. Our resource center grows daily.”

Since its inception in 1996, OPC has grown and is used extensively throughout the world today. As OPC gains in popularity, so does the demand from integrators for information. OPCTI offers resources covering many aspects of OPC technology including security, DCOM configuration, sharing data between control systems, troubleshooting and industry best practices.

About OPC Technology
OPC technology is the fastest growing industrial connectivity standard among automation professionals with well over 15,000 available OPC applications supported by over 3,000 companies. OPC is a global industrial connectivity standard that enables process control and manufacturing applications to communicate with each other using an interoperable, reliable and secure connection. OPC enables manufacturing environments to host a multitude of applications created by a variety of vendors.

About the OPC Training Institute
OPCTI is a global OPC training company with workshops in the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Unlike other companies that offer vendor-biased information, OPCTI focuses strictly on training and does not sell its own products. OPCTI is the only company endorsed by OPC Foundation member companies to award the Certified OPC Professional (COP) designation.

Via EPR Network
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