North American businesses are onboarding robotic workers at a faster pace than ever before.
Companies ordered a record 12,305 machines in the second quarter of 2022, according to the Association for Advancing Automation. This is 25% more than in the same period last year.
Luis Finazzo, vice president of Fanuc North America, said, “The pandemic has clearly highlighted areas in need of automation and lack of resources. I was forced.
“For a long time, the automotive industry accounted for 60 to 70 percent of robot orders,” said Jeff Bernstein, Chairman of the Association for Advance Automation. “And we knew we would see growth only when other industries started hiring. It’s finally happening now because it forced me to consider my options.”
Burnstein and Finazzo told Newsy that the industries driving this increased demand for robotics range from food processing to pharmaceuticals.
E-commerce companies are particularly interested in purchasing these robots as they help them grab packages and prepare them for delivery.
However, if these robots are meant to fill the productivity gap, the outcome is unclear. , dropped at maximum speed.
Robots can help companies perform the tasks they need to do, but getting those machines up and running takes time.It also requires a professionally trained human workforce. .
“The lack of people who can install, maintain, operate, program and leverage all the data is actually a barrier to further adoption of robotics,” Bernstein said. “In an increasingly automated future, everyone needs to benefit, so we need to focus more on teaching people the skills they need.”
Experts are pleased with the rapid introduction of robots into the workplace. The mechanized future is well on its way.
“The hiring curve used to be 50 weeks, but now it’s in the 21-week range,” said Finazzo. “Thus, customers and manufacturers are choosing applications where they can have an immediate impact, so they see profits coming in more quickly.”
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