Production Potential
Industrial Robots: Balancing Output with Input
Productivity. The rate of output per unit of input, and a measurement that goes a long way to defining the success of a business operating within the manufacturing industry. As the digital transformation of the industry accelerates, productivity is a term that is coming under greater scrutiny, with fewer places for inefficiencies to hide.
Part of this transition involves the increasing adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies – that is, technologies which support the digitalisation and automation of manufacturing operations. And the level of uptake shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, it is estimated that 80% of manufacturing sector staff use at least one Industry 4.0 technology in their operations today.1 Why? Because they understand the benefits that these technologies can have on their business:
- 31% believe 4.0 technologies could extend equipment life by 10% or more2
- 62% believe they could reduce maintenance costs by 5% or more3
However, various obstacles threaten to bottleneck their true potential, including: an unskilled worker pool; reluctance to invest until current equipment breaks down; and a lack of support from either senior staff or third-party experts. However, evidence points towards a clearer business case for integrating Industry 4.0 technologies – and particularly industrial robots – sooner rather than later, providing high-quality lubrication is used to counteract risks like suboptimal performance or unplanned downtime.
How robotics is helping to cut costs and reduce impact
Since manufacturing businesses often depend on creating economies at scale to ensure operations remain profitable, anything that can contribute towards a more streamlined process is welcomed with open arms.
Robotics advancements can do just this, allowing operators to leverage automated processes, like industrial 3D printing, to produce specialised products quickly and locally. Doing so helps reduce the overheads associated with larger factory productions, while retaining product quality and reducing environmental impact.
How sensor technology is helping to protect uptime
With so many moving parts in play, manufacturing sites rely on effective communication throughout the production line. Digitalisation has made this a much easier job, largely thanks to more effective data recording and transfer, especially since cloud computing has become a viable option for operators.
The next step for many is to continue building out this Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which is where sensor technology comes in. When attached to industrial equipment – such as robotic arms – these sensors can help identify potential issues before they even occur. As a result, operators benefit from greater control over their schedule servicing, while some have experienced overall equipment effectiveness improvements of up to 9%.4
1 Shell. “Expertise Gap and Lubrication Issues Hamper Adoption of Industry 4.0 Among Manufacturers.”
2 This survey, commissioned by Shell Lubricants and conducted by research firm Edelman Intelligence, is based on 353 interviews with Manufacturing sector staff who purchase, influence the purchase or use lubricants / greases as part of their job across 7 countries (USA, China, India, Germany, Russia, Indonesia and the UK) from March to May 2018. For more information, please visit www.edelmanintelligence.com
3 This survey, commissioned by Shell Lubricants and conducted by research firm Edelman Intelligence, is based on 353 interviews with Manufacturing sector staff who purchase, influence the purchase or use lubricants / greases as part of their job across 7 countries (USA, China, India, Germany, Russia, Indonesia and the UK) from March to May 2018. For more information, please visit www.edelmanintelligence.com
4 Robert Schmid. “Industrial IoT: How Connected Things are Changing Manufacturing.” GE Digital. https://www.ge.com/digital/blog/industrial-iot-how-connected-things-are-changing-manufacturing
5 This study commissioned by Shell Lubricants and conducted by independent research firm Edelman Intelligence, polled 493 decision-makers in the manufacturing industry in eight countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Russia, the UK and the US) from November to December 2015.
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