By Mikko Urho, CEO, Visual Components
In modern times, manufacturers are unable to call upon a constant supply of readily available workers. In fact, the skills shortfall is at its most severe level since 1989 in the UK. A perfect storm of factors such as the cost of living crisis, Brexit, the pandemic, continued economic instability and shifting age demographics have exacerbated the issue.
Now, over three-quarters (77%) of employers are struggling to fill available roles. But without these skills, firms will be fully hindered in their ability to commission, design and optimise their production systems, which includes any robotic technology they bring in. What actions must organisations take now to prevent their manufacturing lines from being disrupted, or even worse, witnessing a full shutdown?
Helping under-fire teams
As talent pipelines diminish, manufacturers must explore other ways of addressing the growing skills gap. Technology holds promise. Robots can undertake a range of different functions that previously fell under the responsibility of staff. But unlike humans, robots don’t tire throughout the day and subsequently the risk of mistakes is much lower. It’s also harder for humans to replicate exactly the same level of accuracy when completing a manual task many times. Modern-day robot deployments can complete welding, cutting, painting and other processes with ease
However, for robots to fully handle these tasks for humans, they have to be manually programmed. In a survey of manufacturing decision-makers in the UK undertaken by Visual Components, over half (55%) state that manual programming is a necessity to complete welding, cutting painting and other tasks. This requires a specific human skill set and demands considerable time from the people involved.
Over a third (35%) of manufacturers say that the manual process takes between a week and a month, leaving robots completely idle before they can provide value. It might be even longer if it needs to be replicated across a number of robots from different providers. How can manufacturers set their robots to task straight away?
Building new skills
Robot offline programming (OLP) brings the robot and its work cell into the digital environment. In an intuitive simulated interface, movements and workflows are accurately replicated. Full testing can take place in a sandbox environment before anything is deployed in the real world. Common programming issues around collision avoidance and joint-limit violations can be fully avoided.
OLP provides a number of advantages to manufacturers. Instead of a much slower sequential process to programming and deployment thereafter, concurrent planning allows these two processes to take place at the same time. The software is able to identify different features in a workpiece or specific component, including pockets and holes, and incorporate this into a programming procedure. Even more crucially, its straightforward interface means that employees can easily upskill in the programming of robots, effectively plugging the skills gap.
It’s a logical and intuitive solution that can encourage novice users or new recruits to get up to speed. There’s even an opportunity for them to learn how to deploy different robot brands, with functionality across all the major providers. This further broadens the knowledge of staff and prepares them for future integrations.
Many businesses are also adopting remote working practices, and OLP can be incorporated to suit this strategy. Staff can access the system from anywhere, preventing them from needing to be on-site. Not only do manufacturers tackle staff shortages, but can encourage greener practices with dispersed workforces. And lastly, the technology futureproofs the business against employee departures. With all knowledge stored safely within the software, organisations also protect themselves from the risk of skilled staff leaving or retiring, where they would otherwise take their expertise with them.
Grasping the opportunities
The skills crisis is a significant challenge for UK manufacturers, but it also opens doors for innovation. As various socioeconomic factors intensify worker shortages, manufacturers need to adopt proactive measures to sustain productivity and competitiveness. Leveraging technology, especially through the implementation of robotics and OLP, offers a practical solution to address the skills gap.
OLP improves the efficiency and precision of robotic tasks and provides valuable upskilling opportunities for the workforce. With user-friendly software, even those new to the field can develop their skills and integrate robots into the production line, avoiding the costs and time associated with traditional methods.
While manufacturers may have limited control over the supply of highly skilled workers, they can certainly harness technology to empower their existing employees and drive transformation from within. Embracing these technological advancements mitigates the impact of the skills shortage and crucially positions manufacturers for future growth and innovation.
